Business Teachers, Postsecondary: Salary, Job Outlook & How to Become One (2026 Parent Guide)
Education, Training, and Library · SOC 25-1011 · O*NET 25-1011.00
Teach courses in business administration and management, such as accounting, finance, human resources, labor and industrial relations, marketing, and operations research. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
Business Teachers, Postsecondary fall under the Education, Training, and Library category in the U.S. occupational classification. Business Teachers, Postsecondary earn a median salary of $97,270 per year, ranking in the top 15% of all U.S. occupations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects +5.7% job growth through 2034, projected to grow at roughly 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 parents should know about business teachers, postsecondary right now
Business teachers, postsecondary, instruct students in subjects such as accounting, finance, marketing, management, entrepreneurship, and economics at colleges, universities, and community colleges. The Bureau of Labor Statistics groups them with all postsecondary teachers and projects overall employment to grow 7 percent from 2024 to 2034, much faster than the average for all occupations, with about 114,000 openings each year over the decade. Pay is one of the strongest spots in academia: the median annual wage for business teachers, postsecondary, was $113,840 in May 2024, well above the $83,980 median for postsecondary teachers as a whole. Tenure-track positions at four-year universities almost always require a doctorate (PhD or DBA) in a business discipline, while community colleges and adjunct roles often accept a master's degree, especially when paired with significant industry experience or an MBA. There is no state license for college-level teaching. The trend parents should know is twofold: business schools are racing to add data analytics, AI, ESG, and entrepreneurship content to their curricula, which raises demand for faculty who blend academic credentials with real-world consulting or startup experience; at the same time, the academic job market is bifurcated, with strong demand for teaching-track and professional faculty even as tenure-track research positions remain very competitive. Teens drawn to this path often start as strong students of economics or business in high school, double down in college with a quantitative major, work a few years in industry, and then pursue a graduate degree.
What do business teachers, postsecondary earn?
The median annual wage for business teachers, postsecondary is $97,270. That puts business teachers, postsecondary at #122 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) | $46,460 |
| 25th percentile | $63,040 |
| 50th percentile (median) | $97,270 |
| 75th percentile | $140,360 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $210,530 |
Is business teachers, postsecondary a growing career?
The 10-year outlook for business teachers, postsecondary is +5.7%, projected to grow at roughly the US average. Employment is projected to move from approximately 103K positions in 2024 to 109K in 2034, a net change of 6K. Average growth signals a healthy, resilient occupation that mirrors broader U.S. employment trends. Job availability tends to track regional economic conditions.
What do business teachers, postsecondary do every day?
According to O*NET task surveys of working business teachers, postsecondary, these are the core responsibilities most professionals perform. This is what your teen would actually be doing in this role.
- 1.Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as financial accounting, principles of marketing, and operations management.
- 2.Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
- 3.Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
- 4.Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional organizations and conferences.
- 5.Plan, evaluate, and revise curricula, course content, and course materials and methods of instruction.
- 6.Maintain student attendance records, grades, and other required records.
- 7.Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
- 8.Collaborate with colleagues to address teaching and research issues.
Top skills for business 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 business teachers, postsecondary?
The standard path into business 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 business teachers, postsecondary
What is the median salary for business teachers, postsecondary?
The median annual salary for business teachers, postsecondary is $97,270 according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Is business teachers, postsecondary a growing career?
BLS projects +5.7% growth for business teachers, postsecondary from 2024 through 2034, which is average growth projected to grow at roughly the US average.
What education does my child need to become business 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 business 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.