Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary Salary: How Much Do They Make? (2026)

Median pay, hourly rates, salary ranges, and best-paying states for Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary — from official U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data.

Official BLS wage data · Unknown vintage
Median Salary
$78,620
per year, national
Hourly Rate
$37.80
based on 2,080 hrs/yr
Top 10% Earn
$163,350
entry level starts ~$47,570
Pay Grade
B+
strong pay · 94,000 employed

How much do Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary make?

Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary earn a median annual salary of $78,620 in the United States, which works out to roughly $37.80 per hour for full-time work. Most earn between $47,570 at the entry level and $163,350 at the senior end, with the middle 50% taking home between $61,620 and $103,850 a year.

That is $17,230 more than the median across all occupations in BLS data ($61,390).

Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary salary range by percentile

Half of all Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary earn between $61,620 and $103,850 a year.

Pay levelAnnual salaryHourly rate
10th percentile (entry level)$47,570$22.87
25th percentile (early career)$61,620$29.63
50th percentile (median)$78,620$37.80
75th percentile (experienced)$103,850$49.93
90th percentile (top earners)$163,350$78.53

Highest-paying states for Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary

Where you work matters more than almost anything else. Delaware leads the country for Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary pay at $103,320 a year, followed by California ($99,410) and New York ($98,850). At the other end, Nevada posts the lowest median at $52,870 — a gap of $50,450 for the same job, driven by local demand, industry mix, and cost of living.

#StateMedian salaryHourlyvs national
1Delaware$103,320$49.67+31%
2California$99,410$47.79+26%
3New York$98,850$47.52+26%
4Vermont$97,980$47.11+25%
5Rhode Island$97,580$46.91+24%

Workforce and education

About 94,000 people work as Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary in the United States. The mean (average) wage is $94,700 — above the median, which means high earners pull the average up. On qualifications: a bachelor's degree (about 4 years of college) is the standard entry requirement, per O*NET occupation data.

Frequently asked questions

How much do Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary make in the United States?
The median Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary salary in the United States is $78,620 per year, or about $37.80 per hour, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates. Entry-level pay (10th percentile) starts around $47,570, while the top 10% of earners make $163,350 or more.
How does Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary pay compare to other jobs?
With a pay grade of B+ (strong pay), the Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary median of $78,620 is above the national median across all occupations tracked in BLS data ($61,390).
Which state pays Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary the most?
Delaware is the highest-paying state for Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary, with a median salary of $103,320 per year, based on official state-level BLS wage estimates.
What education do Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary need?
For most positions, a bachelor's degree (about 4 years of college) is the standard entry requirement, according to O*NET occupation data from the U.S. Department of Labor.
How many Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary work in the United States?
About 94,000 people were employed as Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary in the United States in the latest BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics estimates.

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Business Teacher, Postsecondary

$99,080
median pay · 82,000 employed

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$80,340
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Kindergarten Teacher, Except Special Education

$62,680
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Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary

$80,250
median pay · 78,000 employed
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Unknown vintage. Education requirements: O*NET (U.S. Department of Labor). Percentiles, employment, and state figures are official BLS estimates; hourly figures assume 2,080 hours/year. Individual pay varies by employer, experience, and location.