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How Much Does an Art, Drama, and Music Teacher, Postsecondary Make?

An art, drama, and music teacher, postsecondary in the US earns a median salary of $78,620 a year (BLS, May 2025). The average is $94,700, and the middle half earn between $61,620 and $103,850.

Median a year $78,620
Median a week $1,512
Median a month $6,552
Average a year $94,700

Art, drama, and music teacher, postsecondary pay range

What art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary earn at each point of the pay scale. The 10th percentile is a rough guide to starting pay.

Percentile A year An hour
10th (lowest 10%) $47,570 –
25th $61,620 –
Median (50th) $78,620 –
75th $103,850 –
90th (top 10%) $163,350 –

The median is 54% more than the $50,980 median for all US jobs. About 93,560 people work as art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary in the US.

After tax and by period

A week
$1,512
Every two weeks
$3,024
Twice a month
$3,276
A month
$6,552

At the median salary, before tax.

Art, drama, and music teacher, postsecondary salary by state

Sorted by average pay. New York pays art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary the most, at $128,810 a year on average.

State Average Median Jobs After tax
New York $128,810 $98,850 14,920 After tax
California $114,430 $99,410 9,820 After tax
Maryland $106,790 $85,590 1,280 After tax
New Jersey $106,020 $80,100 3,300 After tax
Maine $105,660 $79,860 340 After tax
Delaware $105,430 $103,320 150 After tax
Massachusetts $102,790 $85,820 4,960 After tax
Oregon $100,640 $76,770 1,440 After tax
District of Columbia $100,300 $96,900 350 After tax
Rhode Island $99,410 $97,580 440 After tax
Connecticut $98,780 $78,600 1,430 After tax
Vermont $98,590 $97,980 180 After tax
Louisiana $92,510 $78,710 720 After tax
Iowa $90,180 $77,740 910 After tax
Michigan $89,290 $82,990 2,410 After tax
New Hampshire $88,570 $79,090 440 After tax
Indiana $87,730 $76,050 1,920 After tax
Puerto Rico $86,330 $63,500 110
Nebraska $85,880 $75,200 490 After tax
Texas $84,800 $77,560 6,730 After tax
Ohio $84,700 $78,050 3,940 After tax
Montana $84,390 $78,420 190 After tax
New Mexico $82,990 $76,240 380 After tax
Missouri $82,760 $75,960 1,450 After tax
Virginia $81,160 $74,870 2,840 After tax
Arizona $80,770 $72,060 1,040 After tax
Minnesota $80,340 $77,760 1,310 After tax
Tennessee $80,020 $72,030 1,370 After tax
Georgia $79,880 $79,870 1,910 After tax
Washington $79,670 $77,950 1,400 After tax
Pennsylvania $79,170 $77,280 4,170 After tax
Florida $77,190 $63,820 2,490 After tax
Arkansas $76,950 $60,650 360 After tax
Wisconsin $76,750 $77,560 1,840 After tax
Idaho $76,400 $72,300 250 After tax
Kansas $75,220 $61,260 640 After tax
North Carolina $74,820 $73,800 2,880 After tax
Colorado $74,780 $70,060 1,950 After tax
Utah $74,560 $66,220 790 After tax
West Virginia $73,830 $73,280 340 After tax
North Dakota $73,000 $67,190 130 After tax
Illinois $72,810 $62,960 4,170 After tax
Alabama $71,270 $63,540 900 After tax
South Carolina $69,230 $62,420 1,290 After tax
Kentucky $68,910 $64,440 900 After tax
Nevada $67,220 $52,870 260 After tax
South Dakota $66,920 $63,380 200 After tax
Wyoming $63,900 $59,190 180 After tax
Mississippi $61,940 $60,580 540 After tax
Oklahoma $60,230 $62,200 760 After tax

A dash means BLS did not publish that figure for the state.

Other education and library jobs

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (published 2026), for “Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary” (SOC 25-1121). Wages are before tax and leave out self-employed workers. All job salaries

About the Job Salaries

Job Salaries shows what more than 500 US jobs pay, from nurses and electricians to software developers and truck drivers. Each job has its median and average salary, hourly and monthly pay, the pay range from the lowest-paid 10% to the top 10%, and a table of pay in every state. The figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, the largest survey of US pay, in its latest release.

How to use it

  1. 1 Search for a job or pick one from the list.
  2. 2 Read the median salary, hourly pay and the pay range.
  3. 3 Check the salary by state to see where the job pays most.
  4. 4 Open the take-home pay calculator to see the salary after tax.

Frequently asked questions

How much does an art, drama, and music teacher, postsecondary make a month?

At the median salary of $78,620, an art, drama, and music teacher, postsecondary earns about $6,552 a month before tax, or $3,024 every two weeks.

Which state pays art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary the most?

New York has the highest average pay for an art, drama, and music teacher, postsecondary, at $128,810 a year. Next are California and Maryland. Pay is usually higher where living costs are higher, so compare take-home pay too.

What is the starting salary for an art, drama, and music teacher, postsecondary?

The lowest-paid 10% of art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary earn less than $47,570 a year, and the lowest 25% less than $61,620. That is a fair guide to starting pay, which depends on the state, the employer and your experience.

How much do the highest-paid art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary make?

The top 10% earn more than $163,350 a year, and the top 25% more than $103,850.