High paying teaching and library jobs in America

Every teaching and library occupation below is ranked by its median annual wage in America. Read the percentile range, not just the median: the gap between the 10th and 90th inside a single teaching and library job is usually wider than the gap between two different ones, so where you land in a field matters more than which field you pick.

Wages: BLS OEWS, May 2025

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OccupationMedian, America · Employed

1Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary$107,310
Doctoral or professional degree
$59,270 – $322,020221,270
2Business Teachers, Postsecondary$99,080
Doctoral or professional degree
$47,180 – $209,47082,150
3Biological Science Teachers, Postsecondary$84,620
Doctoral or professional degree
$52,150 – $169,90050,190
4Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary$80,250
Doctoral or professional degree
$48,800 – $129,50077,960
5English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary$78,760
Doctoral or professional degree
$48,270 – $137,25057,720
6Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary$78,620
Master's degree
$47,570 – $163,35093,560
7Postsecondary Teachers, All Other$77,640
Doctoral or professional degree
$44,300 – $160,700149,840
8Instructional Coordinators$77,440
Master's degree
$47,980 – $121,670227,760
9Education Teachers, Postsecondary$75,350
Doctoral or professional degree
$39,530 – $126,86060,830
10Special Education Teachers, Secondary School$74,260
Bachelor's degree
$49,800 – $109,100163,930
11Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$72,040
Bachelor's degree
$48,780 – $107,6001.1M
12Librarians and Media Collections Specialists$68,270
Master's degree
$43,660 – $103,990133,790
13Special Education Teachers, Middle School$66,810
Bachelor's degree
$49,420 – $102,51095,200
14Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School$66,270
Bachelor's degree
$50,040 – $101,340111,420
15Teachers and Instructors, All Other$66,140
Bachelor's degree
$37,010 – $118,020113,790
16Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School$65,120
Bachelor's degree
$49,350 – $103,010260,870
17Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$64,370
Bachelor's degree
$48,080 – $102,540620,090
18Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education$63,970
Bachelor's degree
$47,960 – $104,3401.4M
19Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary$63,820
Bachelor's degree
$41,960 – $108,620114,110
20Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education$62,680
Bachelor's degree
$46,990 – $101,830108,870
21Educational Instruction and Library Workers, All Other$50,890
Bachelor's degree
$25,180 – $98,740118,590
22Self-Enrichment Teachers$46,800
High school diploma or equivalent
$30,050 – $92,840332,110
23Library Technicians$44,580
Postsecondary nondegree award
$29,300 – $63,08068,690
24Tutors$43,350
Some college, no degree
$29,430 – $75,990175,070
25Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary$42,910
Bachelor's degree
$28,600 – $76,420164,090
26Substitute Teachers, Short-Term$41,670
Bachelor's degree
$28,560 – $65,790524,770
27Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education$38,140
Associate's degree
$28,990 – $61,390478,780
28Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary$36,780
Some college, no degree
$27,150 – $50,0401.4M

Bars run from the 10th to the 90th percentile; the middle half is shaded darker, and the tick is the median.

#	Occupation	MedianAmerica	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	Health Specialties Teachers, PostsecondaryDoctoral or professional degree	$107,310	$59,270 – $322,020	221,270
2	Business Teachers, PostsecondaryDoctoral or professional degree	$99,080	$47,180 – $209,470	82,150
3	Biological Science Teachers, PostsecondaryDoctoral or professional degree	$84,620	$52,150 – $169,900	50,190
4	Nursing Instructors and Teachers, PostsecondaryDoctoral or professional degree	$80,250	$48,800 – $129,500	77,960
5	English Language and Literature Teachers, PostsecondaryDoctoral or professional degree	$78,760	$48,270 – $137,250	57,720
6	Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, PostsecondaryMaster's degree	$78,620	$47,570 – $163,350	93,560
7	Postsecondary Teachers, All OtherDoctoral or professional degree	$77,640	$44,300 – $160,700	149,840
8	Instructional CoordinatorsMaster's degree	$77,440	$47,980 – $121,670	227,760
9	Education Teachers, PostsecondaryDoctoral or professional degree	$75,350	$39,530 – $126,860	60,830
10	Special Education Teachers, Secondary SchoolBachelor's degree	$74,260	$49,800 – $109,100	163,930
11	Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical EducationBachelor's degree	$72,040	$48,780 – $107,600	1.1M
12	Librarians and Media Collections SpecialistsMaster's degree	$68,270	$43,660 – $103,990	133,790
13	Special Education Teachers, Middle SchoolBachelor's degree	$66,810	$49,420 – $102,510	95,200
14	Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary SchoolBachelor's degree	$66,270	$50,040 – $101,340	111,420
15	Teachers and Instructors, All OtherBachelor's degree	$66,140	$37,010 – $118,020	113,790
16	Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary SchoolBachelor's degree	$65,120	$49,350 – $103,010	260,870
17	Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical EducationBachelor's degree	$64,370	$48,080 – $102,540	620,090
18	Elementary School Teachers, Except Special EducationBachelor's degree	$63,970	$47,960 – $104,340	1.4M
19	Career/Technical Education Teachers, PostsecondaryBachelor's degree	$63,820	$41,960 – $108,620	114,110
20	Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special EducationBachelor's degree	$62,680	$46,990 – $101,830	108,870
21	Educational Instruction and Library Workers, All OtherBachelor's degree	$50,890	$25,180 – $98,740	118,590
22	Self-Enrichment TeachersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$46,800	$30,050 – $92,840	332,110
23	Library TechniciansPostsecondary nondegree award	$44,580	$29,300 – $63,080	68,690
24	TutorsSome college, no degree	$43,350	$29,430 – $75,990	175,070
25	Teaching Assistants, PostsecondaryBachelor's degree	$42,910	$28,600 – $76,420	164,090
26	Substitute Teachers, Short-TermBachelor's degree	$41,670	$28,560 – $65,790	524,770
27	Preschool Teachers, Except Special EducationAssociate's degree	$38,140	$28,990 – $61,390	478,780
28	Teaching Assistants, Except PostsecondarySome college, no degree	$36,780	$27,150 – $50,040	1.4M

Ranked among the occupations common enough to employ roughly one in every three thousand workers in America. The rarer ones are real jobs — but a 1,190-person occupation at the top of a list answers a different question than the one most readers are asking.

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The same fields, narrowed to what you can enter without one. Fields missing here have too few such occupations in America to rank honestly.

High paying teaching and library jobs in America

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