Communications Teachers, Postsecondary Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for communications teachers, postsecondary in the U.S. is $78,580, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 estimates.
- Median annual wage
- $78,580
- Mean annual wage
- $90,010
- Median hourly wage
- —
- Employment
- 29,420
29,420 employed
Wage percentiles
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $47,590 | — |
| 25th percentile | $61,250 | — |
| Median (50th) | $78,580 | — |
| 75th percentile | $102,450 | — |
| 90th percentile | $143,720 | — |
Highest-paying states for communications teachers, postsecondary
| State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| California | $135,000 | 3,140 |
| Delaware | $100,260 | 60 |
| Oregon | $98,900 | 490 |
| Connecticut | $97,210 | 280 |
| Rhode Island | $95,910 | 110 |
| New Hampshire | $95,760 | 40 |
| Michigan | $87,670 | 630 |
| New York | $84,690 | 2,490 |
| District of Columbia | $83,910 | 180 |
| Maryland | $83,510 | 440 |
Lowest-paying states
- New Mexico: $49,880 median annual wage
- Arkansas: $59,810 median annual wage
- Mississippi: $61,290 median annual wage
- Kentucky: $62,380 median annual wage
- Alabama: $63,760 median annual wage
About this occupation
Teach courses in communications, such as organizational communications, public relations, radio/television broadcasting, and journalism. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
Typical tasks
- Plan, evaluate, and revise curricula, course content, course materials, and methods of instruction.
- Participate in campus and community events.
- Maintain regularly scheduled office hours to advise and assist students.
- Keep abreast of developments and technological advances in the communication field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.
- Compile bibliographies of specialized materials for outside reading assignments.
- Evaluate and grade students' class work, assignments, and papers.
Education of the current workforce — typical entry: Doctoral or professional degree
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Less than high school diploma | 0.6% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 1.7% |
| Some college, no degree | 2.0% |
| Associate's degree | 1.5% |
| Bachelor's degree | 15.1% |
| Master's degree | 30.6% |
| Doctoral or professional degree | 48.5% |
Occupation profile data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.
Related occupations
- Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary$36,780
- Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education$63,970
- Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$72,040
- Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$64,370
- Substitute Teachers, Short-Term$41,670
- Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education$38,140
- Self-Enrichment Teachers$46,800
- Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School$65,120
About this data
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- CareerOneStop Occupation Profiles — data period 2026-08, retrieved August 14, 2026.
Figures are shown exactly as published by the source or derived by the documented formulas on our methodology page. Where a source suppresses an estimate, we show “—” rather than a substitute value.