Family and Consumer Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary: Salary, Job Outlook & How to Become One (2026 Parent Guide)

Education, Training, and Library · SOC 25-1192 · O*NET 25-1192.00

Median salary
$77,280
Rank #218 of ~830 BLS occupations
10-year growth
+3.4%
2024–2034, average
Employment
2.6M
BLS 2024
Projected 2034
3K
BLS projection
Official O*NET description

Teach courses in childcare, family relations, finance, nutrition, and related subjects pertaining to home management. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.

Family and Consumer Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary fall under the Education, Training, and Library category in the U.S. occupational classification. Family and Consumer Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary earn a median salary of $77,280 per year, ranking in the top 27% of all U.S. occupations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects +3.4% 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 do family and consumer sciences teachers, postsecondary earn?

The median annual wage for family and consumer sciences teachers, postsecondary is $77,280. That puts family and consumer sciences teachers, postsecondary at #218 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.

Full salary distribution (national, BLS 2024)
10th percentile (entry-level)$47,580
25th percentile$56,870
50th percentile (median)$77,280
75th percentile$99,530
90th percentile (top earners)$133,180

Is family and consumer sciences teachers, postsecondary a growing career?

The 10-year outlook for family and consumer sciences teachers, postsecondary is +3.4%, projected to grow at roughly the US average. Employment is projected to move from approximately 3K positions in 2024 to 3K in 2034, a net change of 0K. Average growth signals a healthy, resilient occupation that mirrors broader U.S. employment trends. Job availability tends to track regional economic conditions.

What do family and consumer sciences teachers, postsecondary do every day?

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

  1. 1.Evaluate and grade students' class work, laboratory work, projects, assignments, and papers.
  2. 2.Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
  3. 3.Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
  4. 4.Maintain regularly scheduled office hours to advise and assist students.
  5. 5.Participate in campus and community events.
  6. 6.Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as food science, nutrition, and child care.
  7. 7.Advise students on academic and vocational curricula and on career issues.
  8. 8.Supervise undergraduate or graduate teaching, internship, and research work.

Top skills for family and consumer sciences teachers, postsecondary

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

Speaking
4.1
Learning Strategies
4.0
Reading Comprehension
4.0
Instructing
4.0
Active Listening
4.0
Critical Thinking
3.8
Writing
3.6

What education does my child need to become family and consumer sciences teachers, postsecondary?

The standard path into family and consumer sciences 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 family and consumer sciences teachers, postsecondary

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

Doctoral degree
48.0%
Master's degree
36.5%
Post-bachelor certificate
7.9%
Bachelor's degree
3.7%
Post-secondary certificate
1.9%
Some college courses
1.0%
Post-doctoral training
0.8%
First professional degree
0.3%

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 family and consumer sciences teachers, postsecondary

What is the median salary for family and consumer sciences teachers, postsecondary?

The median annual salary for family and consumer sciences teachers, postsecondary is $77,280 according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data.

Is family and consumer sciences teachers, postsecondary a growing career?

BLS projects +3.4% growth for family and consumer sciences 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 family and consumer sciences 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 family and consumer sciences 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.