History Teachers, Postsecondary Salary

SOC Code: 25-1125 • Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2024

Median Salary
$81,500
Mean Salary
$93,710
Employment
19,860
Entry Level (10th %ile)
$47,730
Top Earners (90th %ile)
$158,140

Pay Range Distribution

10th percentile
$47,730 25th percentile
$62,370 Median (50th)
$81,500 75th percentile
$106,770 90th percentile
$158,140

History Teachers, Postsecondary Salary by State

StateMedianMeanEmploymentEntry (10th)Top (90th)
California$121,020$130,6701,680$60,710$223,170
New Hampshire$106,810$114,090110$61,930$160,780
Rhode Island$106,240$119,030150$63,900$219,620
Arizona$101,510$111,770170$51,590$187,050
New York$101,180$113,8001,780$60,700$193,170
Massachusetts$100,780$108,880850$59,840$170,100
New Jersey$100,320$111,180640$50,540$203,050
Connecticut$100,220$127,020330$63,100$227,410
Oregon$97,680$94,540170$54,700$126,270
Montana$92,550$100,60060$61,210$137,770
Maryland$87,520$101,190320$50,640$152,280
Michigan$86,230$97,410380$57,010$159,670
Maine$85,950$92,310100$51,890$137,790
Illinois$84,620$90,260630$51,320$131,270
Virginia$82,930$96,900810$47,650$171,970
Wisconsin$82,300$93,460280$49,400$142,140
Minnesota$82,200$92,810280$59,430$132,610
Texas$82,080$93,7902,170$41,830$159,050
Pennsylvania$81,640$92,760890$50,550$135,850
New Mexico$80,940$96,230140$61,350$155,440
Missouri$80,430$84,710390$42,230$134,670
Vermont$80,080$86,500100$48,580$131,970
Ohio$79,870$75,100500$24,550$101,960
Indiana$79,860$87,690420$50,040$130,210
Washington$79,470$81,260320$51,800$109,850
Kansas$79,380$91,710130$51,940$141,890
District of Columbia$78,880$91,330160$59,150$127,360
Nebraska$78,820$78,600110$44,860$106,470
Nevada$78,620$80,24090$42,100$129,510
Utah$78,110$80,670160$50,400$105,670
Colorado$77,910$75,370380$29,990$108,110
Georgia$77,500$78,880620$48,800$106,510
Iowa$77,460$80,620180$49,240$127,380
South Carolina$77,150$77,970340$48,870$109,820
North Carolina$76,870$79,670790$43,620$125,900
Kentucky$73,320$77,800260$44,780$119,830
Louisiana$72,950$78,350130$45,890$107,120
Wyoming$72,120$66,12030$38,070$77,630
Tennessee$66,770$75,330530$47,750$103,890
Idaho$66,240$74,08050$49,170$98,840
Oklahoma$65,600$67,650170$33,240$99,120
South Dakota$65,370$69,74030$50,260$96,300
Alaska$65,060$65,96030$43,810$92,870
West Virginia$64,710$67,13090$45,980$100,500
Mississippi$64,660$68,180210$48,530$83,130
Alabama$61,000$64,800390$44,810$89,100
Hawaii$50,150$65,240150$49,230$82,620
Florida$49,250$62,000630$45,300$101,480
Arkansas$47,570$55,560460$22,880$81,650

Highest Paying Metro Areas

Metro AreaMedianMeanEmployment
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA$162,950$163,680120
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$133,070$139,390160
Ann Arbor, MI$131,090$144,63080
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$130,460$145,530250
Fresno, CA$127,360$126,69040
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA$122,400$124,690100
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$119,920$130,450110
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$108,480$128,910580
Madison, WI$108,310$122,30090
Lansing-East Lansing, MI$105,390$102,63040
Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ$105,280$107,780N/A
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX$105,230$109,030210
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$104,300$119,7101,530
Providence-Warwick, RI-MA$103,970$113,980180
Amherst Town-Northampton, MA$102,520$113,45090
Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY$102,120$100,34040
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$101,520$114,120600
El Paso, TX$101,140$102,14070
Springfield, MA$100,660$96,26030
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX$99,310$109,900430

About History Teachers, Postsecondary Salary Data

This data comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The median salary represents the midpoint — half of history teachers, postsecondarys earn more and half earn less. The 10th percentile represents entry-level pay, while the 90th percentile represents the highest earners in this occupation. Employment counts represent estimated total jobs in May 2024.

Understanding Salary Percentiles

Salary percentiles show how wages are distributed across workers in this occupation. The 10th percentile represents entry-level pay — only 10% earn less. The median (50th percentile) is the true midpoint of all wages. The 90th percentile reflects top earners, typically in senior roles or high-cost metro areas. A wide gap between the 10th and 90th percentiles indicates that experience, location, and specialization significantly affect pay.

Factors That Affect Pay

Several factors influence salary for this occupation. Location is one of the biggest — the same job can pay 50% more in a high-cost metro area like San Francisco or New York compared to a rural area. Experience matters significantly; workers at the 90th percentile typically have 10-20+ years in the field. Industry also plays a role — the same occupation often pays differently in finance, technology, healthcare, or government. Education and certifications can boost pay, especially in fields that require advanced degrees or specialized licenses.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between median and mean salary?

The median is the midpoint — half earn more, half earn less. The mean (average) is the total of all salaries divided by the number of workers. The median is generally more useful because it is not skewed by a small number of extremely high earners.

Do these figures include bonuses and benefits?

No. BLS OEWS data measures base wages and salaries only. It does not include bonuses, commissions, tips, overtime, stock options, health insurance, retirement contributions, or other benefits. Total compensation may be 20-40% higher than base salary.

How reliable is this data?

The BLS OEWS survey covers approximately 1.1 million business establishments across the U.S. and uses rigorous statistical sampling methods. It is considered one of the most reliable sources of occupational wage data available. Self-employed workers and certain agricultural positions are not included.

How often is this data updated?

The BLS publishes new OEWS data annually, typically in the spring for the previous May reference period. This page shows May 2024 data, the most recent release.