Social Work Teachers, Postsecondary
SOC code 25-1113 · O*NET-SOC 25-1113.00 · Extensive preparation needed · Education and library
Social Work Teachers, Postsecondary pay
U.S. national figures, May 2025 BLS survey · How we got this number
Median pay
$77,570
a year
Hourly
—
per hour
The solid band is the middle 50% of workers; the bar spans the 10th to 90th percentile.
Average pay
$83,940
— per hour
Middle 50%
$61,170 – $100,400
25th to 75th percentile
Full spread
$48,200 – $126,790
10th to 90th percentile
People employed
12,610
nationwide
National U.S. figure, May 2025. Local pay can be higher or lower.
- 10th percentile
- $48,200
- —/hr
- 25th percentile
- $61,170
- —/hr
- Median percentile
- $77,570
- —/hr
- 75th percentile
- $100,400
- —/hr
- 90th percentile
- $126,790
- —/hr
What do social work teachers, postsecondary do?
Teach courses in social work. 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
- Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
- Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, or handouts.
- Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
- Conduct research in a particular field of knowledge and publish findings in professional journals, books, or electronic media.
- Supervise students' laboratory and field work.
- Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as family behavior, child and adolescent mental health, or social intervention evaluation.
- Supervise undergraduate or graduate teaching, internship, and research work.
- Evaluate and grade students' class work, assignments, and papers.
How to qualify for this work
Most people in this role hold doctoral degree — 61% 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
- Doctoral Degree61%
- Master's Degree29%
- First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession.6%
- Post-Doctoral Training5%
Common questions
How much does a social work teachers, postsecondary earn?
The national median is $77,570 a year. The full range runs from $48,200 at the 10th percentile to $126,790 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 social work 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
- Speaking4.6/5
- Learning Strategies4.3/5
- Reading Comprehension4.0/5
- Active Listening4.0/5
- Writing4.0/5
- Critical Thinking4.0/5
- Active Learning4.0/5
- Monitoring3.8/5
Knowledge areas
- Education and Training4.7/5
- Sociology and Anthropology4.5/5
- Therapy and Counseling4.3/5
- Psychology4.1/5
- English Language4.1/5
- Administration and Management3.6/5
- Computers and Electronics3.6/5
- Customer and Personal Service3.4/5
Transferable strengths: Instructing, Social Perceptiveness.