Highest-paying jobs in education
From hard-working teachers buying school supplies for their students to genius professors shaping future leaders, it's fair to say the field of education encompasses various jobs. It's a long-held belief that those who start a career in education do it because they love it, seeing as two of the three lowest-paying jobs in the U.S. that require a bachelor's degree are in the education sector (short-term substitute teachers and postsecondary teaching assistants), according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
In general, teachers' salaries have not kept up with inflation in recent years, according to a 2025 report from the National Education Association. When adjusted, teachers make 5% less than they did on average a decade ago. However, those salaries differ sharply across the country. WalletHub's 2025 Best & Worst States for Teachers ranking found that wages are twice as high in the #1 state (New York) as in the state with the lowest salaries (Hawai'i). Other states that pay teachers better are Washington, Illinois, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, while North Carolina, Florida, Maine, and Washington D.C., join the bottom of the ranking.
Along with location, the exact job you hold in the education field makes a big difference in salary too. The truth is, education can be very lucrative—particularly within specialty fields. To find those opportunities, Stacker looked at data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics to round up a list, ranked from lowest to highest, of the highest-paying jobs in education. Major, minor, and broad occupation groups were excluded from the data, leaving only detail-level groups. The median annual salary, number of employees at each job in 2024, and the Department of Labor description for each job is also provided.
Read on to find the seven jobs in education that pay at least $100,000 and the rest of the 50 highest-paying titles.
#50. Curators
- Median annual income in 2024: $61,770
- Total employment in 2024: 12,280
Department of Labor job description: "Administer collections, such as artwork, collectibles, historic items, or scientific specimens of museums or other institutions. May conduct instructional, research, or public service activities of institution."
#49. Special Education Teachers, Preschool
- Median annual income in 2024: $62,190
- Total employment in 2024: 28,200
Department of Labor job description: "Teach academic, social, and life skills to preschool-aged students with learning, emotional, or physical disabilities. Includes teachers who specialize and work with students who are blind or have visual impairments; students who are deaf or have hearing impairments; and students with intellectual disabilities."
#48. Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education
- Median annual income in 2024: $62,340
- Total employment in 2024: 1,393,310
Department of Labor job description: "Teach academic and social skills to students at the elementary school level."
#47. Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education
- Median annual income in 2024: $62,970
- Total employment in 2024: 620,370
Department of Labor job description: "Teach one or more subjects to students at the middle, intermediate, or junior high school level."
#46. Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School
- Median annual income in 2024: $63,000
- Total employment in 2024: 231,570
Department of Labor job description: "Teach academic, social, and life skills to kindergarten and elementary school students with learning, emotional, or physical disabilities. Includes teachers who specialize and work with students who are blind or have visual impairments; students who are deaf or have hearing impairments; and students with intellectual disabilities. Excludes "Substitute Teachers, Short-Term" (25-3031)."
#45. Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle School
- Median annual income in 2024: $63,620
- Total employment in 2024: 14,200
Department of Labor job description: "Teach occupational, vocational, career, or technical subjects to students at the middle, intermediate, or junior high school level."
#44. Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School
- Median annual income in 2024: $63,910
- Total employment in 2024: 104,450
Department of Labor job description: "Teach occupational, vocational, career, or technical subjects to students at the secondary school level."
#43. Librarians and Media Collections Specialists
- Median annual income in 2024: $64,320
- Total employment in 2024: 131,830
Department of Labor job description: "Administer and maintain libraries or collections of information, for public or private access through reference or borrowing. Work in a variety of settings, such as educational institutions, museums, and corporations, and with various types of informational materials, such as books, periodicals, recordings, films, and databases. Tasks may include acquiring, cataloging, and circulating library materials, and user services such as locating and organizing information, providing instruction on how to access information, and setting up and operating a library's media equipment."
#42. Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education
- Median annual income in 2024: $64,580
- Total employment in 2024: 1,072,540
Department of Labor job description: "Teach one or more subjects to students at the secondary school level."
#41. Teachers and Instructors, All Other
- Median annual income in 2024: $64,690
- Total employment in 2024: 125,010
Department of Labor job description: "All teachers and instructors not listed separately."
#40. Special Education Teachers, Middle School
- Median annual income in 2024: $64,880
- Total employment in 2024: 95,330
Department of Labor job description: "Teach academic, social, and life skills to middle school students with learning, emotional, or physical disabilities. Includes teachers who specialize and work with students who are blind or have visual impairments; students who are deaf or have hearing impairments; and students with intellectual disabilities."
#39. Special Education Teachers, All Other
- Median annual income in 2024: $67,430
- Total employment in 2024: 39,350
Department of Labor job description: "All special education teachers not listed separately."
#38. Special Education Teachers, Secondary School
- Median annual income in 2024: $69,590
- Total employment in 2024: 162,780
Department of Labor job description: "Teach academic, social, and life skills to secondary school students with learning, emotional, or physical disabilities. Includes teachers who specialize and work with students who are blind or have visual impairments; students who are deaf or have hearing impairments; and students with intellectual disabilities."
#37. Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary
- Median annual income in 2024: $71,470
- Total employment in 2024: 13,560
Department of Labor job description: "Teach courses in criminal justice, corrections, and law enforcement administration. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research."
#36. Education Teachers, Postsecondary
- Median annual income in 2024: $72,090
- Total employment in 2024: 59,090
Department of Labor job description: "Teach courses pertaining to education, such as counseling, curriculum, guidance, instruction, teacher education, and teaching English as a second language. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research."
#35. Instructional Coordinators
- Median annual income in 2024: $74,720
- Total employment in 2024: 210,850
Department of Labor job description: "Develop instructional material, coordinate educational content, and incorporate current technology into instruction in order to provide guidelines to educators and instructors for developing curricula and conducting courses. May train and coach teachers. Includes educational consultants and specialists, and instructional material directors."
#34. Social Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary, All Other
- Median annual income in 2024: $75,040
- Total employment in 2024: 17,540
Department of Labor job description: "All postsecondary social sciences teachers not listed separately."
#33. Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary
- Median annual income in 2024: $75,890
- Total employment in 2024: 12,680
Department of Labor job description: "Teach courses pertaining to recreation, leisure, and fitness studies, including exercise physiology and facilities management. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research."
#32. Social Work Teachers, Postsecondary
- Median annual income in 2024: $76,210
- Total employment in 2024: 13,350
Department of Labor job description: "Teach courses in social work. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research."
#31. Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary
- Median annual income in 2024: $77,010
- Total employment in 2024: 21,170
Department of Labor job description: "Teach languages and literature courses in languages other than English. Includes teachers of American Sign Language (ASL). Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research."
#30. Family and Consumer Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary
- Median annual income in 2024: $77,280
- Total employment in 2024: 2,630
Department of Labor job description: "Teach courses in childcare, family relations, finance, nutrition, and related subjects pertaining to home management. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research."
#29. Communications Teachers, Postsecondary
- Median annual income in 2024: $77,800
- Total employment in 2024: 29,260
Department of Labor job description: "Teach courses in communications, such as organizational communications, public relations, radio/television broadcasting, and journalism. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research."
#28. Philosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary
- Median annual income in 2024: $78,050
- Total employment in 2024: 20,840
Department of Labor job description: "Teach courses in philosophy, religion, and theology. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research."
#27. English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary
- Median annual income in 2024: $78,270
- Total employment in 2024: 59,590
Department of Labor job description: "Teach courses in English language and literature, including linguistics and comparative literature. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research."
#26. Postsecondary Teachers, All Other
- Median annual income in 2024: $78,490
- Total employment in 2024: 151,530
Department of Labor job description: "All postsecondary teachers not listed separately."
#25. Library Science Teachers, Postsecondary
- Median annual income in 2024: $78,630
- Total employment in 2024: 4,100
Department of Labor job description: "Teach courses in library science. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research."
#24. Mathematical Science Teachers, Postsecondary
- Median annual income in 2024: $79,350
- Total employment in 2024: 48,820
Department of Labor job description: "Teach courses pertaining to mathematical concepts, statistics, and actuarial science and to the application of original and standardized mathematical techniques in solving specific problems and situations. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research."
#23. Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary
- Median annual income in 2024: $79,940
- Total employment in 2024: 74,250
Department of Labor job description: "Demonstrate and teach patient care in classroom and clinical units to nursing students. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research."
#22. Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary
- Median annual income in 2024: $80,190
- Total employment in 2024: 97,890
Department of Labor job description: "Teach courses in drama, music, and the arts including fine and applied art, such as painting and sculpture, or design and crafts. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research."
#21. Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary
- Median annual income in 2024: $80,330
- Total employment in 2024: 41,610
Department of Labor job description: "Teach courses in psychology, such as child, clinical, and developmental psychology, and psychological counseling. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research."
#20. History Teachers, Postsecondary
- Median annual income in 2024: $81,500
- Total employment in 2024: 19,860
Department of Labor job description: "Teach courses in human history and historiography. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research."
#19. Sociology Teachers, Postsecondary
- Median annual income in 2024: $82,540
- Total employment in 2024: 12,380
Department of Labor job description: "Teach courses in sociology. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research."
#18. Biological Science Teachers, Postsecondary
- Median annual income in 2024: $83,460
- Total employment in 2024: 53,250
Department of Labor job description: "Teach courses in biological sciences. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research."
#17. Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary
- Median annual income in 2024: $84,290
- Total employment in 2024: 11,430
Department of Labor job description: "Teach courses pertaining to the culture and development of an area, an ethnic group, or any other group, such as Latin American studies, women's studies, or urban affairs. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research."
#16. Chemistry Teachers, Postsecondary
- Median annual income in 2024: $86,220
- Total employment in 2024: 20,390
Department of Labor job description: "Teach courses pertaining to the chemical and physical properties and compositional changes of substances. Work may include providing instruction in the methods of qualitative and quantitative chemical analysis. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching, and those who do a combination of teaching and research."
#15. Agricultural Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary
- Median annual income in 2024: $86,350
- Total employment in 2024: 8,700
Department of Labor job description: "Teach courses in the agricultural sciences. Includes teachers of agronomy, dairy sciences, fisheries management, horticultural sciences, poultry sciences, range management, and agricultural soil conservation. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research."
#14. Geography Teachers, Postsecondary
- Median annual income in 2024: $86,730
- Total employment in 2024: 3,290
Department of Labor job description: "Teach courses in geography. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research."
#13. Environmental Science Teachers, Postsecondary
- Median annual income in 2024: $87,710
- Total employment in 2024: 7,130
Department of Labor job description: "Teach courses in environmental science. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research."
#12. Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary
- Median annual income in 2024: $94,680
- Total employment in 2024: 17,170
Department of Labor job description: "Teach courses in political science, international affairs, and international relations. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research."
#11. Anthropology and Archeology Teachers, Postsecondary
- Median annual income in 2024: $95,770
- Total employment in 2024: 5,260
Department of Labor job description: "Teach courses in anthropology or archeology. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research."
#10. Computer Science Teachers, Postsecondary
- Median annual income in 2024: $96,690
- Total employment in 2024: 36,240
Department of Labor job description: "Teach courses in computer science. May specialize in a field of computer science, such as the design and function of computers or operations and research analysis. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research."
#9. Business Teachers, Postsecondary
- Median annual income in 2024: $97,270
- Total employment in 2024: 81,780
Department of Labor job description: "Teach courses in business administration and management, such as accounting, finance, human resources, labor and industrial relations, marketing, and operations research. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research."
#8. Physics Teachers, Postsecondary
- Median annual income in 2024: $97,360
- Total employment in 2024: 13,590
Department of Labor job description: "Teach courses pertaining to the laws of matter and energy. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research."
#7. Forestry and Conservation Science Teachers, Postsecondary
- Median annual income in 2024: $100,830
- Total employment in 2024: 1,310
Department of Labor job description: "Teach courses in forestry and conservation science. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research."
#6. Atmospheric, Earth, Marine, and Space Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary
- Median annual income in 2024: $101,390
- Total employment in 2024: 11,480
Department of Labor job description: "Teach courses in the physical sciences, except chemistry and physics. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching, and those who do a combination of teaching and research."
#5. Architecture Teachers, Postsecondary
- Median annual income in 2024: $101,480
- Total employment in 2024: 9,120
Department of Labor job description: "Teach courses in architecture and architectural design, such as architectural environmental design, interior architecture/design, and landscape architecture. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research."
#4. Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary
- Median annual income in 2024: $105,620
- Total employment in 2024: 229,720
Department of Labor job description: "Teach courses in health specialties, in fields such as dentistry, laboratory technology, medicine, pharmacy, public health, therapy, and veterinary medicine."
#3. Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary
- Median annual income in 2024: $106,120
- Total employment in 2024: 39,910
Department of Labor job description: "Teach courses pertaining to the application of physical laws and principles of engineering for the development of machines, materials, instruments, processes, and services. Includes teachers of subjects such as chemical, civil, electrical, industrial, mechanical, mineral, and petroleum engineering. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research."
#2. Economics Teachers, Postsecondary
- Median annual income in 2024: $119,980
- Total employment in 2024: 12,420
Department of Labor job description: "Teach courses in economics. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research."
#1. Law Teachers, Postsecondary
- Median annual income in 2024: $126,650
- Total employment in 2024: 22,800
Department of Labor job description: "Teach courses in law. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research."
