Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary: Salary, Job Outlook & How to Become One (2026 Parent Guide)

Education, Training, and Library · SOC 25-1032 · O*NET 25-1032.00

Median salary
$106,120
Rank #75 of ~830 BLS occupations
10-year growth
+8.1%
2024–2034, fast
Employment
39.9M
BLS 2024
Projected 2034
54K
BLS projection
Official O*NET description

Teach courses pertaining to the application of physical laws and principles of engineering for the development of machines, materials, instruments, processes, and services. Includes teachers of subjects such as chemical, civil, electrical, industrial, mechanical, mineral, and petroleum engineering. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.

Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary fall under the Education, Training, and Library category in the U.S. occupational classification. Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary earn a median salary of $106,120 per year, ranking in the top 9% of all U.S. occupations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects +8.1% job growth through 2034, projected to grow faster 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 engineering teachers, postsecondary earn?

The median annual wage for engineering teachers, postsecondary is $106,120. That puts engineering teachers, postsecondary at #75 on the BLS ranked list of all U.S. occupations by median pay. Pay at this level is well above the U.S. median household income, signaling sustained demand and meaningful credential requirements. 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.

Full salary distribution (national, BLS 2024)
10th percentile (entry-level)$59,790
25th percentile$80,060
50th percentile (median)$106,120
75th percentile$136,400
90th percentile (top earners)$200,650

Is engineering teachers, postsecondary a growing career?

The 10-year outlook for engineering teachers, postsecondary is +8.1%, projected to grow faster than the US average. Employment is projected to move from approximately 50K positions in 2024 to 54K in 2034, a net change of 4K. Faster-than-average growth means hiring is consistently outpacing the labor market overall. New entrants generally find their first roles faster than peers in stable fields.

What do engineering teachers, postsecondary do every day?

According to O*NET task surveys of working engineering teachers, postsecondary, these are the core responsibilities most professionals perform. This is what your teen would actually be doing in this role.

  1. 1.Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
  2. 2.Initiate, facilitate, and moderate class discussions.
  3. 3.Collaborate with colleagues to address teaching and research issues.
  4. 4.Plan, evaluate, and revise curricula, course content, and course materials and methods of instruction.
  5. 5.Maintain regularly scheduled office hours to advise and assist students.
  6. 6.Advise students on academic and vocational curricula and on career issues.
  7. 7.Conduct research in a particular field of knowledge and publish findings in professional journals, books, or electronic media.
  8. 8.Evaluate and grade students' class work, laboratory work, assignments, and papers.

Top skills for engineering teachers, postsecondary

O*NET ranks these as the most important skills for this occupation, on a 1–5 importance scale derived from worker surveys.

Learning Strategies
4.1
Instructing
4.1
Speaking
4.1
Active Listening
4.0
Reading Comprehension
4.0
Critical Thinking
3.9
Mathematics
3.9

What education does my child need to become engineering teachers, postsecondary?

The standard path into engineering 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.

Actual education levels of working engineering teachers, postsecondary

Based on O*NET surveys of incumbents — what people in this job actually have, not what employers list as required.

Doctoral degree
58.6%
Post-master certificate
17.3%
Post-doctoral training
17.3%
Master's degree
5.1%
Bachelor's degree
0.8%
Post-bachelor certificate
0.8%

Related careers your child might also consider

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 engineering teachers, postsecondary

What is the median salary for engineering teachers, postsecondary?

The median annual salary for engineering teachers, postsecondary is $106,120 according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data.

Is engineering teachers, postsecondary a growing career?

BLS projects +8.1% growth for engineering teachers, postsecondary from 2024 through 2034, which is fast growth projected to grow faster than the US average.

What education does my child need to become engineering 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 engineering 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.