From hardworking teachers buying school supplies for their students to genius professors shaping future leaders, it’s fair to say that the field of education encompasses a wide range of jobs.
It’s a long-held belief that those who start a career in education do it because they love it, seeing as two of the three lowest-paying jobs in the U.S. that require a bachelor’s degree are in the education sector (short-term substitute teachers and postsecondary teaching assistants), according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
In general, teachers’ salaries have not kept up with inflation in recent years, according to a 2025 report from the National Education Association. When adjusted for inflation, teachers make 5% less than they did on average a decade ago. However, those salaries differ sharply across the country. WalletHub’s 2025 Best & Worst States for Teachers ranking found that wages are twice as high in the #1 state (New York) as in the state with the lowest salaries (Hawai’i). Other states that pay teachers better include Washington, Illinois, Michigan and Pennsylvania, while North Carolina, Florida, Maine, and Washington, D.C., rank at the bottom.
Along with location, the exact job you hold in the education field makes a big difference in salary, too. The truth is, education can be very lucrative—particularly within specialty fields. To identify these opportunities, Stacker analyzed data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics to compile a list, ranked from lowest to highest, of the highest-paying jobs in education. Major, minor, and broad occupation groups were excluded from the data, leaving only detail-level groups. The median annual salary, number of employees at each job in 2024, and the Department of Labor description for each job are also provided.
Read on to find the seven jobs in education that pay at least $100,000 and the rest of the 10 highest-paying titles.
#10. Computer Science Teachers, Postsecondary
– Median annual income in 2024: $96,690
– Total employment in 2024: 36,240
Department of Labor job description: “Teach courses in computer science. May specialize in a field of computer science, such as computer design and function or operations and research analysis. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.”
#9. Business Teachers, Postsecondary
– Median annual income in 2024: $97,270
– Total employment in 2024: 81,780
Department of Labor job description: “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.”
#8. Physics Teachers, Postsecondary
– Median annual income in 2024: $97,360
– Total employment in 2024: 13,590
Department of Labor job description: “Teach courses pertaining to the laws of matter and energy. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.”
#7. Forestry and Conservation Science Teachers, Postsecondary
– Median annual income in 2024: $100,830
– Total employment in 2024: 1,310
Department of Labor job description: “Teach courses in forestry and conservation science. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.”
#6. Atmospheric, Earth, Marine, and Space Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary
– Median annual income in 2024: $101,390
– Total employment in 2024: 11,480
Department of Labor job description: “Teach courses in the physical sciences, except chemistry and physics. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.”
#5. Architecture Teachers, Postsecondary
– Median annual income in 2024: $101,480
– Total employment in 2024: 9,120
Department of Labor job description: “Teach courses in architecture and architectural design, such as architectural environmental design, interior architecture/design and landscape architecture. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.”
#4. Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary
– Median annual income in 2024: $105,620
– Total employment in 2024: 229,720
Department of Labor job description: “Teach courses in health specialties, in fields such as dentistry, laboratory technology, medicine, pharmacy, public health, therapy and veterinary medicine.”
#3. Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary
– Median annual income in 2024: $106,120
– Total employment in 2024: 39,910
Department of Labor job 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.”
#2. Economics Teachers, Postsecondary
– Median annual income in 2024: $119,980
– Total employment in 2024: 12,420
Department of Labor job description: “Teach courses in economics. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.”
#1. Law Teachers, Postsecondary
– Median annual income in 2024: $126,650
– Total employment in 2024: 22,800
Department of Labor job description: “Teach courses in law. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.”
Article written by Stacker.