Education · Career brief

Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary

Is it a good career to pursue?

The 30-second read

Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary at a glance

Six signals to look at before you spend time on the full guide.

1Pay

$80,250

Above the middle on pay

2025 national median. Above the middle of ChooseField careers for pay.

2Demand

17.1%

Very fast projected growth

Projected employment growth for 2025–2035. Top 10% for growth among careers on ChooseField.

3Openings

8,500

Above the middle on opening volume

Average openings per year in 2025–2035, including replacement hiring. Above the middle of ChooseField careers for openings.

4Route in

Professional degree

Long formal preparation is part of the path

Doctoral or professional degree + related experience. Related work experience is typically required.

5The work

People-centered

Helping, teaching, or working directly with people matters

Evaluate and grade students' class work, laboratory and clinic work, assignments, and papers.

6The catch

Know this first

What could make this a poor fit

BLS lists less than 5 years of related experience. This is normally reached through feeder roles, not directly from school.

ChooseField take

The standout national signal is growth; it ranks in the top quarter of ChooseField careers. It makes the most sense if people-centered work appeals to you and you are comfortable with a professional-degree path. Main tradeoff: BLS lists less than 5 years of related experience. This is normally reached through feeder roles, not directly from school.

Before choosing, compare:Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary Education Teachers, Postsecondary

National labor-market measures: BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. Work-profile signals: O*NET. See sources and caveats.

Compare Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary with another field Explore rankings in Education Open shareable infographic

Want the evidence behind the snapshot?

Market and path

Pay, outlook, and the route in

National median pay (2025)

$80,250

A midpoint for workers nationwide, not a starting salary.

2025–2035 outlook

17.1%employment growth8,500openings per year

Openings include replacement hiring, not only newly created jobs.

Typical entry route

Doctoral or professional degree; Prior related experience: less than 5 years

BLS reports the usual education, related experience, and on-the-job training, not a guaranteed minimum for every employer.

2025 employment

96,100

Estimated workers in this occupation across the United States.

Source: BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 occupational projections ↗ · Nursing instructors and teachers, postsecondary (25-1072).

Actual responsibilities

What you would be trusted to own

Selected O*NET task statements, not a list of traits that applies to almost every career.

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.

Decision-changing realities

What could make this a poor fit

BLS lists less than 5 years of related experience. This is normally reached through feeder roles, not directly from school.
The helping mission includes documentation, direct care, and safety-critical routines where a missed detail can affect a patient.

Work profile

What the work emphasizes

O*NET importance scores. Bars are relative to the highest score shown within this chart.

Training and Teaching Others4.9
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge4.7
Getting Information4.7
Assisting and Caring for Others4.6
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships4.6

Interest profile

Career interests

O*NET interest scores describe work someone may enjoy, not personality requirements. Bars are relative to the highest score shown within this chart.

Relative mix of the interest scores below, not percentages of your workday.

Social7.0
Investigative4.9
Artistic3.3
Conventional3.2
Realistic2.9
Enterprising2.1

Preparation

What the training must make you competent at

Subject matter

Medicine and Dentistry Psychology Biology Mathematics

Software and tools named in job postings

Learning management system LMS

Before choosing the major or training

Run a cheaper test first

Tutor the same learner more than once, check what they actually understood, and change the explanation when the first approach fails.
Ask someone doing this job which feeder role built the required experience, what that earlier job paid, and how long the transition actually took.

The fuller career guide

How the evidence fits together

Pay and demand: reading the benchmark

The pay and outlook figures describe Nursing instructors and teachers, postsecondary nationally. They do not establish the salary or number of vacancies available in your area.

Median pay is the middle wage across workers, not a starting offer. Projected openings include replacements as well as growth; neither measure predicts an individual worker's job security.

Before choosing a program

O*NET lists Learning Strategies, Speaking, Active Listening among this occupation's skills. Ask a program to show the assignments, supervised practice, and assessment that develop these skills. Compare those examples with local job descriptions. Examples of tools used in the occupation include Learning management system LMS; check which ones employers near you actually require.

Common questions

Questions people ask about this career

Can I enter this occupation without related work experience?

Prior related experience: less than 5 years. Look for the preceding roles and promotion route before treating this as a first job.

What should I check before paying for training?

Get the full prerequisite and completion timeline, total cost, placement arrangements, and any licensing eligibility in writing. Ask local employers whether they hire graduates from the route you are considering and whether paid training is available.

Adjacent options