Atmospheric, Earth, Marine, and Space Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for atmospheric, earth, marine, and space sciences 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 $116,020 ≈ $56/hr
National median salary $103,170
Total employment 9,900 nationwide
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Projected growth +2.6%
About as fast as average
Annual openings 1,000 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 14,000 → 14,400 (+400)
Typical entry education Doctoral or professional degree
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- California$150,060
- New Jersey$141,920
- Connecticut$138,800
- Massachusetts$133,090
- Virginia$130,070
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- South Dakota$75,990
- Mississippi$78,720
- South Carolina$79,060
- Alabama$87,110
- Tennessee$89,080
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $150,060 | $133,230 | $72 | +29.3% | 1,410 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $141,920 | $131,930 | $68 | +22.3% | 270 |
| 3 | Connecticut | $138,800 | $123,770 | $67 | +19.6% | 230 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $133,090 | $108,930 | $64 | +14.7% | 470 |
| 5 | Virginia | $130,070 | $119,940 | $63 | +12.1% | 230 |
| 6 | Maryland | $124,890 | $107,700 | $60 | +7.6% | 180 |
| 7 | Oregon | $123,470 | $128,140 | $59 | +6.4% | 340 |
| 8 | New Hampshire | $120,990 | $130,230 | $58 | +4.3% | 50 |
| 9 | Oklahoma | $120,260 | $104,270 | $58 | +3.7% | 30 |
| 10 | Texas | $120,210 | $105,080 | $58 | +3.6% | 690 |
| 11 | Arizona | $117,320 | $110,600 | $56 | +1.1% | 240 |
| 12 | Wisconsin | $115,470 | $107,370 | $56 | -0.5% | 130 |
| 13 | Pennsylvania | $112,170 | $105,650 | $54 | -3.3% | 220 |
| 14 | Washington | $112,110 | $103,070 | $54 | -3.4% | 210 |
| 15 | Kansas | $111,290 | $101,750 | $54 | -4.1% | 80 |
| 16 | Missouri | $110,620 | $102,200 | $53 | -4.7% | 130 |
| 17 | North Carolina | $109,710 | $102,980 | $53 | -5.4% | 360 |
| 18 | Minnesota | $108,560 | $102,900 | $52 | -6.4% | 90 |
| 19 | Michigan | $108,070 | $104,780 | $52 | -6.9% | 180 |
| 20 | Maine | $104,840 | $95,320 | $50 | -9.6% | 130 |
| 21 | Nevada | $104,690 | $105,860 | $50 | -9.8% | 60 |
| 22 | Iowa | $104,510 | $97,660 | $50 | -9.9% | 50 |
| 23 | Utah | $103,480 | $97,240 | $50 | -10.8% | 180 |
| 24 | New York | $102,780 | $87,350 | $49 | -11.4% | 1,730 |
| 25 | Georgia | $102,430 | $94,790 | $49 | -11.7% | 50 |
| 26 | Kentucky | $101,880 | $95,830 | $49 | -12.2% | 40 |
| 27 | North Dakota | $101,290 | $98,000 | $49 | -12.7% | 60 |
| 28 | Indiana | $100,860 | $99,970 | $48 | -13.1% | 130 |
| 29 | Ohio | $100,270 | $94,890 | $48 | -13.6% | 150 |
| 30 | Illinois | $99,320 | $87,150 | $48 | -14.4% | 150 |
| 31 | New Mexico | $97,520 | $106,990 | $47 | -15.9% | 50 |
| 32 | Wyoming | $97,520 | $100,240 | $47 | -15.9% | 50 |
| 33 | Florida | $93,470 | $81,980 | $45 | -19.4% | 350 |
| 34 | Colorado | $93,090 | $79,190 | $45 | -19.8% | 340 |
| 35 | West Virginia | $89,610 | $81,850 | $43 | -22.8% | 40 |
| 36 | Tennessee | $89,080 | $85,020 | $43 | -23.2% | 120 |
| 37 | Alabama | $87,110 | $81,940 | $42 | -24.9% | 90 |
| 38 | South Carolina | $79,060 | $76,500 | $38 | -31.9% | 80 |
| 39 | Mississippi | $78,720 | $77,670 | $38 | -32.1% | 120 |
| 40 | South Dakota | $75,990 | $63,160 | $37 | -34.5% | 70 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 47 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $175,120 | $173,460 | 580 |
| 2 | New Haven, CT | $163,850 | $171,050 | 60 |
| 3 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $163,120 | $162,440 | 60 |
| 4 | College Station-Bryan, TX | $160,550 | $152,820 | 100 |
| 5 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $134,670 | $163,180 | 60 |
| 6 | Amherst Town-Northampton, MA | $133,660 | $140,440 | — |
| 7 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $132,070 | $128,380 | 130 |
| 8 | Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $131,930 | $141,480 | — |
| 9 | Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $129,110 | $134,850 | 170 |
| 10 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $128,690 | $140,560 | 140 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing atmospheric, earth, marine, and space sciences teachers, postsecondarys (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $145,360 | $152,930 | 40 |
| 2 | Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools, Local Government Owned | $129,180 | $140,530 | 580 |
| 3 | Educational Services, Local Government Owned | $108,910 | $121,740 | 2,400 |
| 4 | Local Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $108,910 | $121,740 | 2,400 |
| 5 | Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools | $104,370 | $118,380 | 7,520 |
| 6 | Educational Services, Privately Owned | $103,920 | $126,450 | 2,120 |
| 7 | Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools, Privately Owned | $103,920 | $126,620 | 2,110 |
| 8 | Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | $103,920 | $126,890 | 2,140 |
| 9 | Junior Colleges, Local Government Owned | $103,660 | $115,790 | 1,820 |
| 10 | Cross-Industry, Private, Federal, State, and Local | $103,170 | $116,020 | 9,900 |
| 11 | Educational Services | $103,000 | $115,740 | 9,830 |
| 12 | Sector 61 - Educational Services | $103,000 | $115,740 | 9,830 |
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do atmospheric, earth, marine, and space sciences teachers, postsecondary make in the U.S.?
The median atmospheric, earth, marine, and space sciences teachers, postsecondary salary in the United States is $103,170 per year (mean $116,020), and about 80% earn between $59,700 and $203,190.
How much do atmospheric, earth, marine, and space sciences teachers, postsecondary make per hour?
Roughly $56 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $116,020 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays atmospheric, earth, marine, and space sciences teachers, postsecondary the most?
California has the highest average pay for atmospheric, earth, marine, and space sciences teachers, postsecondary at $150,060 per year (median $133,230).
What is the job outlook for atmospheric, earth, marine, and space sciences teachers, postsecondary?
Employment is projected to change +2.6% from 2024 to 2034 (About as fast as average), with about 1,000 openings per year.
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Common U.S. search queries related to this occupation.
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