Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary: Career Overview
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.
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What Tasks Do Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary Perform?
The core tasks performed by art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary include:
- Explain and demonstrate artistic techniques.
- Evaluate and grade students' class work, performances, projects, assignments, and papers.
- Prepare students for performances, exams, or assessments.
- Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
- Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as acting techniques, fundamentals of music, and art history.
- Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
- 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.
Skills and Knowledge
Effective art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Most Important Skills
The competencies most important for this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Top Knowledge Areas
Other Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary Job Titles
People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:
- Adjunct Art Instructor
- Adjunct College Instructor
- Adjunct Graphic Design Instructor
- Adjunct Instructor
- Adjunct Lecturer
- Adjunct Music Instructor
- Adjunct Music Professor
- Adjunct Professor
Job Outlook
There are about 984,143 art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to grow by +9.1% over the projection horizon.
Salary for Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $46,983 |
| Hourly median | $22.59 |
| 10th percentile | $33,863 |
| 25th percentile | $40,423 |
| 75th percentile | $53,543 |
| 90th percentile | $60,103 |
Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.
Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary Salary by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Hawaii | $129,330 |
| New York | $110,000 |
| California | $105,980 |
| New Jersey | $99,110 |
| Rhode Island | $98,960 |
| Connecticut | $98,420 |
| Vermont | $86,570 |
| Massachusetts | $83,490 |
| New Hampshire | $83,100 |
| District of Columbia | $83,000 |
| Maine | $81,810 |
| Maryland | $81,530 |
| Pennsylvania | $81,250 |
| Alaska | $80,190 |
| Georgia | $79,240 |
| Puerto Rico | $79,060 |
| Missouri | $77,770 |
| Washington | $77,310 |
| Indiana | $76,790 |
| Michigan | $76,760 |
| Minnesota | $76,540 |
| Texas | $76,290 |
| Louisiana | $75,930 |
| Montana | $75,710 |
| Iowa | $75,600 |
| Oregon | $74,800 |
| Ohio | $73,050 |
| Arizona | $68,350 |
| Virginia | $67,950 |
| North Carolina | $67,220 |
| Nebraska | $67,180 |
| Illinois | $66,670 |
| North Dakota | $66,080 |
| Delaware | $65,120 |
| Tennessee | $65,000 |
| Florida | $64,840 |
| West Virginia | $64,810 |
| Alabama | $64,060 |
| New Mexico | $63,990 |
| Wisconsin | $63,650 |
| Arkansas | $63,620 |
| Kentucky | $63,540 |
| Utah | $63,500 |
| Colorado | $63,390 |
| Idaho | $63,290 |
| South Carolina | $63,290 |
| South Dakota | $61,970 |
| Mississippi | $61,670 |
| Oklahoma | $61,240 |
| Wyoming | $59,820 |
| Kansas | $58,910 |
| Nevada | $49,520 |
Top-Paying U.S. Regions
Pay for art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary differ across the country. The following regions pay the most:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middle Atlantic | $102,091 | 27.4% | 2.26 |
| Far Western US | $100,249 | 13.8% | 0.86 |
| New England | $86,105 | 8.3% | 2.07 |
| Other U.S. Territories | $79,060 | 0.1% | 0.16 |
| Southwest | $73,597 | 9.7% | 0.78 |
| Plains States | $72,860 | 5.2% | 0.76 |
| Great Lakes | $71,604 | 14.4% | 1.02 |
| Southeast | $67,435 | 17.7% | 0.76 |
Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | CA | $133,190 | 700 |
| Fresno, CA | CA | $131,450 | 150 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $130,660 | 1,010 |
| Urban Honolulu, HI | HI | $129,330 | 560 |
| Ithaca, NY | NY | $127,430 | 1,120 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $126,880 | 1,260 |
| Visalia, CA | CA | $126,680 | 40 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | NY | $126,100 | 15,040 |
Which Industries Hire Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary
The bulk of art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary are found across these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Educational Services | 97,720 | n/a |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 150 | n/a |
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Tools and Technology
- Document management software: Adobe Acrobat (hot technology)
- Video creation and editing software: Adobe After Effects (hot technology)
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Creative Cloud software (hot technology)
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Illustrator (hot technology)
- Desktop publishing software: Adobe InDesign (hot technology)
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Photoshop (hot technology)
- Web platform development software: Cascading style sheets CSS (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Google Docs (hot technology)
- Web platform development software: Hypertext markup language HTML (hot technology)
- Web platform development software: JavaScript (hot technology)
- Operating system software: Linux (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
Work Environment
The on-the-job environment of art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary is shaped by the following characteristics:
- Contact With Others
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Freedom to Make Decisions
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
Education and Training
Typical art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary positions require a doctoral or professional degree as the typical entry-level education. The role falls in Extensive Preparation Needed (Job Zone 5), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.
Other Careers to Consider
Similar Occupations
- Architecture Teachers, Postsecondary (Primary-Short)
- Anthropology and Archeology Teachers, Postsecondary (Supplemental)
- Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary (Primary-Short)
- Education Teachers, Postsecondary (Primary-Long)
- Library Science Teachers, Postsecondary (Supplemental)
- Communications Teachers, Postsecondary (Primary-Long)
- English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary (Primary-Short)
- History Teachers, Postsecondary (Supplemental)
Top Programs to Study For This Career
Future art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary often complete programs in:
Visual and Performing Arts
64 programs across 11 majors
- Fine & Studio Arts
- Design & Applied Arts
- Film, Video & Photographic Arts
- Drama & Theater Arts
- Music
- General Visual & Performing Arts
- Arts & Media Management
- Dance
- Other Visual Art
- Crafts, Folk Art & Artisanry
- Community/Environmental/Socially-Engaged Art
Education
3 programs across 1 majors
Sources
This profile draws on the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 25-1121.00 (Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary).
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