Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary: Salary, Job Outlook & How to Become One (2026 Parent Guide)
Education, Training, and Library · SOC 25-1121 · O*NET 25-1121.00
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.
Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary fall under the Education, Training, and Library category in the U.S. occupational classification. Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary earn a median salary of $80,190 per year, ranking in the top 23% of all U.S. occupations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects +1.7% job growth through 2034, projected to grow slower than the US average. Entry into this field typically requires a bachelor's degree, with specific licensing or certification depending on the state and employer. For parents whose teenager is exploring this path, the most actionable step is mapping the education requirements to specific colleges and majors before junior year — not waiting until application season.
What do art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary earn?
The median annual wage for art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary is $80,190. That puts art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary at #189 on the BLS ranked list of all U.S. occupations by median pay. This salary is above the U.S. median for individual workers and reflects a stable, credentialed occupation. Actual pay varies meaningfully by state, employer type, and years of experience — entry-level salaries are typically 30–40% below the median, while top-decile earners often exceed it by 50% or more.
| 10th percentile (entry-level) | $47,040 |
| 25th percentile | $60,730 |
| 50th percentile (median) | $80,190 |
| 75th percentile | $121,600 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $194,530 |
Is art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary a growing career?
The 10-year outlook for art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary is +1.7%, projected to grow slower than the US average. Employment is projected to move from approximately 122K positions in 2024 to 124K in 2034, a net change of 2K. Flat growth typically reflects a mature, stable field. Most openings will come from retirements rather than new positions, which can favor candidates with strong networks and willingness to relocate.
What do art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary do every day?
According to O*NET task surveys of working art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary, these are the core responsibilities most professionals perform. This is what your teen would actually be doing in this role.
- 1.Evaluate and grade students' class work, performances, projects, assignments, and papers.
- 2.Maintain regularly scheduled office hours to advise and assist students.
- 3.Prepare students for performances, exams, or assessments.
- 4.Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as acting techniques, fundamentals of music, and art history.
- 5.Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.
- 6.Select and obtain materials and supplies, such as textbooks and performance pieces.
- 7.Display students' work in schools, galleries, and exhibitions.
- 8.Act as advisers to student organizations.
Top skills for art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary
O*NET ranks these as the most important skills for this occupation, on a 1–5 importance scale derived from worker surveys.
What education does my child need to become art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary?
The standard path into art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary begins with a bachelor's degree in a related field, followed by entry-level experience or internships during college. For parents helping a teen prepare, the highest-leverage step before junior year is identifying colleges and programs that feed reliably into this occupation — Solyo's college search lets parents filter by major and admissions data side by side.
Based on O*NET surveys of incumbents — what people in this job actually have, not what employers list as required.
Related careers your child might also consider
- Law Teachers, Postsecondary$126,650 median
- Economics Teachers, Postsecondary$119,980 median
- Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary$106,120 median
- Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary$105,620 median
- Architecture Teachers, Postsecondary$101,480 median
- Atmospheric, Earth, Marine, and Space Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary$101,390 median
How parents help teens explore careers like this
Solyo helps parents map a teen's interests to specific careers, then back to the colleges and majors that lead there. Salary, outlook, and education data come from BLS and O*NET — the same sources high school counselors use — but presented for the parent's planning lens, not the student's exploration view.
Common questions parents ask about art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary
What is the median salary for art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary?
The median annual salary for art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary is $80,190 according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Is art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary a growing career?
BLS projects +1.7% growth for art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary from 2024 through 2034, which is flat growth projected to grow slower than the US average.
What education does my child need to become art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary?
The typical entry path requires a bachelor's degree, plus any state licensure or certification specific to the role. Programs that align well with this career can be filtered inside Solyo's college search.
What careers are similar to art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary?
Related occupations within the Education, Training, and Library category share education paths and skill profiles, so they're a useful starting set when a teen is uncertain. The "Related careers" section below lists nearby options.
Salary data sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics program. Skills, tasks, and education distribution from the O*NET database. Job outlook from the BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 release.