Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary Salary
Educational Instruction and Library Occupations · 94K employed in the U.S.
Median annual
$78,620
Median hourly
$38
Average annual
$94,700
Typical range
$47,570–$163,350
Pay distribution
10th to 90th percentile, with the median marked.
What this role pays
The median annual salary for Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary is $78,620 as of May 2025, based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. That works out to about $38 an hour at a full-time schedule.
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..
Most earn between $47,570 and $163,350 a year. There are roughly 94K people employed as art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary in the United States. Use the state and metro pages below to see how pay changes by location, and the calculator to convert any hourly or annual figure.
Salary calculator
Convert your pay and see where it lands for Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary.
- Hourly
- $37.80
- Daily
- $302
- Weekly
- $1,512
- Bi-weekly
- $3,024
- Monthly
- $6,552
- Annual
- $78,620
$78,620 a year is around the 50th percentile for Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondarys. The median is $78,620.
Highest-paying states
Median annual wage by state.
- 1Delaware$103,320
- 2California$99,410
- 3New York$98,850
- 4Vermont$97,980
- 5Rhode Island$97,580
- 6District of Columbia$96,900
- 7Massachusetts$85,820
- 8Maryland$85,590
- 9Michigan$82,990
- 10New Jersey$80,100
- 11Georgia$79,870
- 12Maine$79,860
Top-paying metro areas
Median annual wage by metro area.
- 1Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA$163,750
- 2Fresno, CA$135,970
- 3Visalia, CA$128,910
- 4San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$127,800
- 5Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA$124,680
- 6Trenton-Princeton, NJ$104,910
- 7Charlottesville, VA$104,570
- 8Ithaca, NY$102,910
- 9Eugene-Springfield, OR$101,270
- 10San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$101,010
- 11New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$100,950
- 12Pittsfield, MA$100,490
Related job titles
Employers advertise Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary roles under these titles.
- Adjunct Art Instructor
- Adjunct College Instructor
- Adjunct Music Instructor
- Adjunct Professor
- Art History Professor
- Art Professor
- Artist Instructor
- Arts and Crafts Instructor
- Arts Teacher
- Ballet Professor
- Dance Professor
- Digital Arts Instructor
- Drama Professor
- Dramatic Art Teacher
- Elementary Art Instructor
- Fine Arts Professor
Related occupations
- Self-Enrichment Teachers$46,800
- English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary$78,760
- Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary$85,020
- Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary$42,910
- Architecture Teachers, Postsecondary$96,870
- Communications Teachers, Postsecondary$78,580
- Education Teachers, Postsecondary$75,350
- Instructional Coordinators$77,440
What a Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary does
- Explain and demonstrate artistic techniques.
- Evaluate and grade students' class work, performances, projects, assignments, and papers.
- Prepare students for performances, exams, or assessments.
- 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.
- Participate in student recruitment, registration, and placement activities.
- Participate in campus and community events.
- Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as acting techniques, fundamentals of music, and art history.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary make?
- The median annual wage for Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary is $78,620 ($38 per hour). Pay ranges from about $47,570 at the 10th percentile to $163,350 at the 90th percentile.
- What is the average salary for a Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary?
- The average (mean) annual salary is $94,700, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.
- Which state pays Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondarys the most?
- Delaware has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $103,320.
- Is Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary a growing occupation?
- BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 94K people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.
- What does a Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary do?
- Explain and demonstrate artistic techniques.; Evaluate and grade students' class work, performances, projects, assignments, and papers.; Prepare students for performances, exams, or assessments..