Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondarys across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
National mean salary $94,700 ≈ $46/hr
National median salary $78,620
Total employment 93,560 nationwide
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Projected growth +1.7%
Slower than average
Annual openings 9,000 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 122,800 → 124,800 (+2,100)
Typical entry education Master's degree
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- New York$128,810
- California$114,430
- Maryland$106,790
- New Jersey$106,020
- Maine$105,660
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Oklahoma$60,230
- Mississippi$61,940
- Wyoming$63,900
- South Dakota$66,920
- Nevada$67,220
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $128,810 | $98,850 | $62 | +36% | 14,920 |
| 2 | California | $114,430 | $99,410 | $55 | +20.8% | 9,820 |
| 3 | Maryland | $106,790 | $85,590 | $51 | +12.8% | 1,280 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $106,020 | $80,100 | $51 | +12% | 3,300 |
| 5 | Maine | $105,660 | $79,860 | $51 | +11.6% | 340 |
| 6 | Delaware | $105,430 | $103,320 | $51 | +11.3% | 150 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $102,790 | $85,820 | $49 | +8.5% | 4,960 |
| 8 | Oregon | $100,640 | $76,770 | $48 | +6.3% | 1,440 |
| 9 | District of Columbia | $100,300 | $96,900 | $48 | +5.9% | 350 |
| 10 | Rhode Island | $99,410 | $97,580 | $48 | +5% | 440 |
| 11 | Connecticut | $98,780 | $78,600 | $47 | +4.3% | 1,430 |
| 12 | Vermont | $98,590 | $97,980 | $47 | +4.1% | 180 |
| 13 | Louisiana | $92,510 | $78,710 | $44 | -2.3% | 720 |
| 14 | Iowa | $90,180 | $77,740 | $43 | -4.8% | 910 |
| 15 | Michigan | $89,290 | $82,990 | $43 | -5.7% | 2,410 |
| 16 | New Hampshire | $88,570 | $79,090 | $43 | -6.5% | 440 |
| 17 | Indiana | $87,730 | $76,050 | $42 | -7.4% | 1,920 |
| 18 | Nebraska | $85,880 | $75,200 | $41 | -9.3% | 490 |
| 19 | Texas | $84,800 | $77,560 | $41 | -10.5% | 6,730 |
| 20 | Ohio | $84,700 | $78,050 | $41 | -10.6% | 3,940 |
| 21 | Montana | $84,390 | $78,420 | $41 | -10.9% | 190 |
| 22 | New Mexico | $82,990 | $76,240 | $40 | -12.4% | 380 |
| 23 | Missouri | $82,760 | $75,960 | $40 | -12.6% | 1,450 |
| 24 | Virginia | $81,160 | $74,870 | $39 | -14.3% | 2,840 |
| 25 | Arizona | $80,770 | $72,060 | $39 | -14.7% | 1,040 |
| 26 | Minnesota | $80,340 | $77,760 | $39 | -15.2% | 1,310 |
| 27 | Tennessee | $80,020 | $72,030 | $38 | -15.5% | 1,370 |
| 28 | Georgia | $79,880 | $79,870 | $38 | -15.6% | 1,910 |
| 29 | Washington | $79,670 | $77,950 | $38 | -15.9% | 1,400 |
| 30 | Pennsylvania | $79,170 | $77,280 | $38 | -16.4% | 4,170 |
| 31 | Florida | $77,190 | $63,820 | $37 | -18.5% | 2,490 |
| 32 | Arkansas | $76,950 | $60,650 | $37 | -18.7% | 360 |
| 33 | Wisconsin | $76,750 | $77,560 | $37 | -19% | 1,840 |
| 34 | Idaho | $76,400 | $72,300 | $37 | -19.3% | 250 |
| 35 | Kansas | $75,220 | $61,260 | $36 | -20.6% | 640 |
| 36 | North Carolina | $74,820 | $73,800 | $36 | -21% | 2,880 |
| 37 | Colorado | $74,780 | $70,060 | $36 | -21% | 1,950 |
| 38 | Utah | $74,560 | $66,220 | $36 | -21.3% | 790 |
| 39 | West Virginia | $73,830 | $73,280 | $36 | -22% | 340 |
| 40 | North Dakota | $73,000 | $67,190 | $35 | -22.9% | 130 |
| 41 | Illinois | $72,810 | $62,960 | $35 | -23.1% | 4,170 |
| 42 | Alabama | $71,270 | $63,540 | $34 | -24.7% | 900 |
| 43 | South Carolina | $69,230 | $62,420 | $33 | -26.9% | 1,290 |
| 44 | Kentucky | $68,910 | $64,440 | $33 | -27.2% | 900 |
| 45 | Nevada | $67,220 | $52,870 | $32 | -29% | 260 |
| 46 | South Dakota | $66,920 | $63,380 | $32 | -29.3% | 200 |
| 47 | Wyoming | $63,900 | $59,190 | $31 | -32.5% | 180 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $61,940 | $60,580 | $30 | -34.6% | 540 |
| 49 | Oklahoma | $60,230 | $62,200 | $29 | -36.4% | 760 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 208 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $163,750 | $152,090 | 560 |
| 2 | Fresno, CA | $135,970 | $135,810 | 170 |
| 3 | Visalia, CA | $128,910 | $131,310 | 40 |
| 4 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $127,800 | $139,080 | 1,050 |
| 5 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $124,680 | $126,560 | 370 |
| 6 | Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $104,910 | $140,890 | — |
| 7 | Charlottesville, VA | $104,570 | $100,400 | 200 |
| 8 | Ithaca, NY | $102,910 | $116,500 | 670 |
| 9 | Eugene-Springfield, OR | $101,270 | $132,860 | — |
| 10 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $101,010 | $115,630 | 770 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondarys (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries | $175,340 | $142,840 | 190 |
| 2 | Sector 71 - Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | $143,070 | $126,500 | 230 |
| 3 | Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools, Local Government Owned | $98,120 | $127,570 | 2,350 |
| 4 | Educational Services, Local Government Owned | $89,860 | $110,560 | 14,400 |
| 5 | Local Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $89,410 | $110,520 | 14,410 |
| 6 | Junior Colleges, Local Government Owned | $83,190 | $107,280 | 12,040 |
| 7 | Educational Services, Privately Owned | $79,870 | $100,930 | 43,340 |
| 8 | Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools, Privately Owned | $79,870 | $101,310 | 40,510 |
| 9 | Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | $79,870 | $101,070 | 43,580 |
| 10 | Other Schools and Instruction | $78,940 | $96,600 | 2,320 |
| 11 | Other Schools and Instruction, Privately Owned | $78,940 | $96,640 | 2,320 |
| 12 | Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools | $78,770 | $93,840 | 74,280 |
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary make in the U.S.?
The median art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary salary in the United States is $78,620 per year (mean $94,700), and about 80% earn between $47,570 and $163,350.
How much do art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary make per hour?
Roughly $46 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $94,700 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary the most?
New York has the highest average pay for art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary at $128,810 per year (median $98,850).
What is the job outlook for art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary?
Employment is projected to change +1.7% from 2024 to 2034 (Slower than average), with about 9,000 openings per year.
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