Economics Teachers, Postsecondary vs Law Teachers, Postsecondary: Similar Median Pay, Different Work

Economics Teachers, Postsecondary vs Law Teachers, Postsecondary: what changes?

Consider Economics Teachers, Postsecondary if you want to teach courses in economics. Consider Law Teachers, Postsecondary if you would rather teach courses in law. Both list doctoral or professional degree; compare training and prior experience separately. Prior experience in a related occupation is typically needed for Law Teachers, Postsecondary (less than 5 years).

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Economics Teachers, Postsecondary and Law Teachers, Postsecondary. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences

Economics Teachers, Postsecondary

National median pay (2025): $123,920
Route into the job: Doctoral or professional degree
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate: Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as econometrics, price theory, and macroeconomics.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 1,000

Know before you choose

This is a small national occupation (14,600 jobs in 2025), so location and employer concentration can matter more than the national median suggests.

See the full Economics Teachers, Postsecondary brief

Law Teachers, Postsecondary

National median pay (2025): $128,500
Route into the job: Doctoral or professional degree; Prior related experience: less than 5 years
Prior related experience: Prior related experience: less than 5 years.
Training and licensing: BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate: Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 1,800

Know before you choose

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

See the full Law Teachers, Postsecondary brief

How the national numbers differ

Law Teachers, Postsecondary has the edge on annual openings

Law Teachers, Postsecondary is at 1,800 annual openings, compared with 1,000 annual openings for Economics Teachers, Postsecondary.

Law Teachers, Postsecondary has the edge on projected growth

Law Teachers, Postsecondary is at 2.6% projected growth, compared with 2.4% projected growth for Economics Teachers, Postsecondary.

Law Teachers, Postsecondary has the edge on median pay

Law Teachers, Postsecondary is at $128,500, compared with $123,920 for Economics Teachers, Postsecondary.

45.1/ 100

Economics Teachers, Postsecondary

49.7/ 100

Law Teachers, Postsecondary

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence

Economics Teachers, Postsecondary vs Law Teachers, Postsecondary

Dimension	Economics Teachers, Postsecondary	Law Teachers, Postsecondary
Median pay (2025)	$123,920	$128,500
Pay percentile	90.2 percentile	91.5 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)	2.4%	2.6%
Annual openings (2025–2035)	1,000	1,800
2025 employment	14,600	25,800
How you qualify	Doctoral or professional degree	Doctoral or professional degree; Prior related experience: less than 5 years
O*NET preparation group	Job Zone 5	Job Zone 5
Related work experience	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.	Prior related experience: less than 5 years.
On-the-job training	BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.	BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.

The table reports national benchmarks and reviewed work descriptions. It does not rate personal suitability, job security, or physical safety.

Read Economics Teachers, Postsecondary brief Read Law Teachers, Postsecondary brief

Economics Teachers, Postsecondary vs Law Teachers, Postsecondary: what changes?

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Economics Teachers, Postsecondary

Law Teachers, Postsecondary

How the national numbers differ

Law Teachers, Postsecondary has the edge on annual openings

Law Teachers, Postsecondary has the edge on projected growth

Law Teachers, Postsecondary has the edge on median pay

Economics Teachers, Postsecondary vs Law Teachers, Postsecondary

Try another comparison

Economics Teachers, Postsecondary vs Business Teachers, Postsecondary

Economics Teachers, Postsecondary vs Mathematical Science Teachers, Postsecondary

Law Teachers, Postsecondary vs Library Science Teachers, Postsecondary

Law Teachers, Postsecondary vs Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary