Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary
SOC code 25-1072 · O*NET-SOC 25-1072.00 · Extensive preparation needed · Education and library
Bright Outlook — O*NET expects rapid growth for this occupation
Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary pay
U.S. national figures, May 2025 BLS survey · How we got this number
Median pay
$80,250
a year
Hourly
—
per hour
The solid band is the middle 50% of workers; the bar spans the 10th to 90th percentile.
Average pay
$86,410
— per hour
Middle 50%
$63,510 – $101,090
25th to 75th percentile
Full spread
$48,800 – $129,500
10th to 90th percentile
People employed
77,960
nationwide
National U.S. figure, May 2025. Local pay can be higher or lower.
- 10th percentile
- $48,800
- —/hr
- 25th percentile
- $63,510
- —/hr
- Median percentile
- $80,250
- —/hr
- 75th percentile
- $101,090
- —/hr
- 90th percentile
- $129,500
- —/hr
What do nursing instructors and teachers, postsecondary do?
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.
The tasks that matter most day to day
- Evaluate and grade students' class work, laboratory and clinic work, assignments, and papers.
- Supervise students' laboratory and clinical work.
- Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
- Assess clinical education needs and patient and client teaching needs using a variety of methods.
- Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
- Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as pharmacology, mental health nursing, and community health care practices.
- Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
- Demonstrate patient care in clinical units of hospitals.
How to qualify for this work
Most people in this role hold master's degree — 50% of workers surveyed reported it as their level of education.
Preparation level: zone 5 — Extensive preparation needed
- Education
- Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
- Experience
- Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
- Training
- Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.
Education reported by people doing this job
- Master's Degree50%
- Doctoral Degree36%
- Post-Doctoral Training7%
- Bachelor's Degree5%
Common questions
How much does a nursing instructors and teachers, postsecondary earn?
The national median is $80,250 a year. The full range runs from $48,800 at the 10th percentile to $129,500 at the 90th — entry pay sits closer to the lower figure, and experience, licensing and specialisation move you up the range.
Can you become a nursing instructors and teachers, postsecondary without a degree?
Not usually — this occupation sits in preparation zone 5, where the typical entry route is most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree). The education breakdown above shows what people in the role actually reported.
Skills and knowledge you need
Core skills
- Speaking4.1/5
- Learning Strategies4.1/5
- Reading Comprehension4.0/5
- Active Listening4.0/5
- Writing4.0/5
- Critical Thinking3.9/5
- Active Learning3.9/5
- Monitoring3.9/5
Knowledge areas
- Medicine and Dentistry4.6/5
- Education and Training4.5/5
- Psychology4.5/5
- English Language4.4/5
- Biology4.1/5
- Customer and Personal Service3.9/5
- Mathematics3.9/5
- Therapy and Counseling3.8/5
Transferable strengths: Instructing, Judgment and Decision Making.