Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary: Career Overview
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.
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The Daily Work of Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary Do?
The core tasks performed by art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary cover:
- Explain and demonstrate artistic techniques.
- Evaluate and grade students' class work, performances, projects, assignments, and papers.
- Prepare students for performances, exams, or assessments.
- Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
- Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as acting techniques, fundamentals of music, and art history.
- Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
- Maintain student attendance records, grades, and other required records.
- Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.
Key Skills and Knowledge
Top art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Most Important Skills
The abilities most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Top Knowledge Areas
Other Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary Job Titles
People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:
- Adjunct Art Instructor
- Adjunct College Instructor
- Adjunct Graphic Design Instructor
- Adjunct Instructor
- Adjunct Lecturer
- Adjunct Music Instructor
- Adjunct Music Professor
- Adjunct Professor
Job Outlook
The U.S. employs around 984,143 art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary working in the United States today. This occupation is expected to grow by +9.1% over the projection horizon.
How Much Do Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary Make?
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $46,983 |
| Hourly median | $22.59 |
| 10th percentile | $33,863 |
| 25th percentile | $40,423 |
| 75th percentile | $53,543 |
| 90th percentile | $60,103 |
Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.
Pay by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Hawaii | $129,330 |
| New York | $110,000 |
| California | $105,980 |
| New Jersey | $99,110 |
| Rhode Island | $98,960 |
| Connecticut | $98,420 |
| Vermont | $86,570 |
| Massachusetts | $83,490 |
| New Hampshire | $83,100 |
| District of Columbia | $83,000 |
| Maine | $81,810 |
| Maryland | $81,530 |
| Pennsylvania | $81,250 |
| Alaska | $80,190 |
| Georgia | $79,240 |
| Puerto Rico | $79,060 |
| Missouri | $77,770 |
| Washington | $77,310 |
| Indiana | $76,790 |
| Michigan | $76,760 |
| Minnesota | $76,540 |
| Texas | $76,290 |
| Louisiana | $75,930 |
| Montana | $75,710 |
| Iowa | $75,600 |
| Oregon | $74,800 |
| Ohio | $73,050 |
| Arizona | $68,350 |
| Virginia | $67,950 |
| North Carolina | $67,220 |
| Nebraska | $67,180 |
| Illinois | $66,670 |
| North Dakota | $66,080 |
| Delaware | $65,120 |
| Tennessee | $65,000 |
| Florida | $64,840 |
| West Virginia | $64,810 |
| Alabama | $64,060 |
| New Mexico | $63,990 |
| Wisconsin | $63,650 |
| Arkansas | $63,620 |
| Kentucky | $63,540 |
| Utah | $63,500 |
| Colorado | $63,390 |
| Idaho | $63,290 |
| South Carolina | $63,290 |
| South Dakota | $61,970 |
| Mississippi | $61,670 |
| Oklahoma | $61,240 |
| Wyoming | $59,820 |
| Kansas | $58,910 |
| Nevada | $49,520 |
Top-Paying U.S. Regions
Earnings for art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary differ across the country. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middle Atlantic | $102,091 | 27.4% | 2.26 |
| Far Western US | $100,249 | 13.8% | 0.86 |
| New England | $86,105 | 8.3% | 2.07 |
| Other U.S. Territories | $79,060 | 0.1% | 0.16 |
| Southwest | $73,597 | 9.7% | 0.78 |
| Plains States | $72,860 | 5.2% | 0.76 |
| Great Lakes | $71,604 | 14.4% | 1.02 |
| Southeast | $67,435 | 17.7% | 0.76 |
Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | CA | $133,190 | 700 |
| Fresno, CA | CA | $131,450 | 150 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $130,660 | 1,010 |
| Urban Honolulu, HI | HI | $129,330 | 560 |
| Ithaca, NY | NY | $127,430 | 1,120 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $126,880 | 1,260 |
| Visalia, CA | CA | $126,680 | 40 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | NY | $126,100 | 15,040 |
Industry Breakdown
Most art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary work in these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Educational Services | 97,720 | n/a |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 150 | n/a |
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Software Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary Use
- Document management software: Adobe Acrobat (hot technology)
- Video creation and editing software: Adobe After Effects (hot technology)
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Creative Cloud software (hot technology)
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Illustrator (hot technology)
- Desktop publishing software: Adobe InDesign (hot technology)
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Photoshop (hot technology)
- Web platform development software: Cascading style sheets CSS (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Google Docs (hot technology)
- Web platform development software: Hypertext markup language HTML (hot technology)
- Web platform development software: JavaScript (hot technology)
- Operating system software: Linux (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
The Day-to-Day Environment
The on-the-job environment of art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary is shaped by the following characteristics:
- Contact With Others
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Freedom to Make Decisions
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
Getting Started in This Career
Entry-level art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary positions require a doctoral or professional degree as the typical entry-level education. The role falls in Extensive Preparation Needed (Job Zone 5), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
Other Careers to Consider
Similar Occupations
- Architecture Teachers, Postsecondary (Primary-Short)
- Anthropology and Archeology Teachers, Postsecondary (Supplemental)
- Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary (Primary-Short)
- Education Teachers, Postsecondary (Primary-Long)
- Library Science Teachers, Postsecondary (Supplemental)
- Communications Teachers, Postsecondary (Primary-Long)
- English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary (Primary-Short)
- History Teachers, Postsecondary (Supplemental)
Where to Study
Future art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary typically earn programs in:
Education
3 programs across 1 majors
About the Data
Statistics shown above are sourced from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 25-1121.00 (Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary).
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