Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary Salary
The median nursing instructors and teachers, postsecondary salary in the United States is $80,250 per year. Salaries range from $48,800 at the entry level to $129,500+ for the top 10% of earners. There are 77,960 nursing instructors and teachers, postsecondary jobs nationwide. Employment is projected to grow 16.8% through 2034.
Last updated: June 2026 Β· Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Salary Distribution
Job Growth (2024-2034)
Annual Openings
Education Required
Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary Career Guide
Interview questions, resume templates, and a career ladder written specifically for nursing instructors and teachers, postsecondarys.
Nursing faculty teach RNs-in-training at BSN, MSN, DNP, and PhD programs at universities (Johns Hopkins, Emory, Duke, UPenn, Yale, U-Michigan, UCSF), ASN programs at community colleges (Ivy Tech, Miami Dade College, Lone Star, Pima), and hospital-based diploma programs (NYU Langone Rory Meyers, Rochester General, Jefferson). BLS pegs the occupation at 77,960 employed with median $80,250, p10 $49,150, p90 $135,860. Faculty split into two tracks: didactic (classroom + lab) and clinical (bedside supervision at hospital + community sites). Prerequisites: active RN license + graduate degree (MSN minimum for ADN / BSN programs; DNP or PhD required for tenure-track at most universities). AACN reports a national faculty shortage of 1,900+ unfilled positions with the median age of nursing PhDs at 61 β meaning strong compensation levers exist. Entry Clinical Instructor $52-72k (9-mo contract with hospital-based clinical supplements); Assistant Professor $72-105k; Associate + Full Professor $95-155k+ at BSN / MSN / DNP programs; Dean of Nursing $175-315k+ at established schools. NLN + CCNE + ACEN accreditation drives program structure; state Board of Nursing approval sets minimum faculty qualifications.
Core Skills Hiring Managers Screen For
How to Become a Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary
- 1Earn a BSN + get an active RN license + gain 3-5 years bedside experienceBSN from a CCNE / ACEN-accredited program (4 years, $30-160k depending on public / private). Pass NCLEX-RN + license through state Board of Nursing. Practice 3-5 years bedside β most nursing faculty come from critical care, med-surg, OB, peds, or ED backgrounds. Specialty certification (CCRN, CEN, RNC-OB, CPN, PMHNP-BC) is a strong signal for teaching that specialty.
- 2Earn MSN with Education focus (or DNP / PhD for university faculty)MSN with Nurse Educator concentration (2 years, $18-65k) β required minimum for ADN / BSN faculty at community colleges + many BSN programs. DNP (3-4 years post-BSN or 1.5-2 years post-MSN, $35-135k) for practice-focused doctoral track + required at most tenure-track BSN + MSN programs. PhD in Nursing (4-6 years, typically funded at R1 nursing schools with stipend + tuition remission) for research-focused tenure-track at BSN + MSN + PhD programs. Online + hybrid options at WGU, Chamberlain, Grand Canyon, University of Phoenix at the MSN + DNP levels; PhD programs typically on-campus or hybrid at R1s (Johns Hopkins, Emory, Duke, UPenn, U-Michigan, UCSF).
- 3Start as Clinical Instructor / Adjunct Clinical Faculty$52-72k on 9-month contract (full-time clinical instructor) or $65-120/hour (adjunct clinical). Clinical instructor role at BSN or ASN program teaching a specialty rotation (med-surg, OB, peds, critical care, mental-health, community). Requires active RN license + specialty certification + bedside experience. Some programs hire full-time; many start as adjunct + move to full-time over 1-3 years.
- 4Advance to Assistant Professor / Course Coordinator (tenure or clinical track)$72-105k on 9-month contract. Full teaching load β typically 2-3 didactic courses + 1 clinical group per semester at BSN programs; 3-4 courses at ASN programs. Course-coordinator role for a specific course (Adult Health I, OB, Peds, Community Health, etc.) with responsibility for syllabus, exam design, and lecture delivery. Assistant Professor tenure-track requires DNP or PhD at most 4-year universities.
- 5Advance to Associate Prof / Full Prof / Program Director / Dean of Nursing$95-315k+. Associate Professor with tenure ($95-125k). Full Professor ($115-165k). Program Director (BSN / MSN / DNP) adds $8-25k stipend + course release. Chair of Nursing ($155-215k, 12-month). Dean of Nursing at established schools ($185-315k+, 12-month + endowed / named deanship supplements). Executive Fellow in Nursing Education (AACN) is the top-tier academic-leadership credential for dean-track candidates.
Career Progression
- β’Supervise 4-10 students in a clinical rotation (state BoN sets faculty-student ratio, typically 1:8 for med-surg + 1:10 for community + 1:6 for critical care and OB)
- β’Facilitate pre-clinical conference + post-clinical debrief on each clinical day
- β’Evaluate student clinical performance against course rubric + document in clinical evaluation tool
- β’Coordinate with hospital-based preceptors + charge nurses at the affiliated clinical site
- β’Teach 2-3 didactic courses + 1 clinical group per semester (BSN program) or 3-4 courses (ASN program)
- β’Course Coordinator for a specific course β own syllabus, exam design, and content updates
- β’Serve on program-level committees (curriculum, admissions, evaluation)
- β’Sustain scholarly output for the tenure dossier (typically 3-6 peer-reviewed articles + 1-3 grant applications across 6-year tenure clock at tenure-track programs)
- β’Lead specialty tracks or advanced practice courses (Nurse Practitioner didactic courses, DNP capstone advising)
- β’Chair or co-chair DNP / PhD thesis or capstone committees
- β’Mentor junior faculty and adjunct clinical instructors
- β’Lead program-level accreditation self-study workgroups (CCNE / ACEN) + state BoN approval renewals
- β’Lead a nursing department or specific program (BSN, MSN, DNP, PhD)
- β’Own accreditation cycle (CCNE / ACEN) + state Board of Nursing program approval
- β’Own faculty hiring, evaluation, and workload assignments
- β’Represent the program at university leadership + AACN + NLN + state nursing-workforce meetings
- β’Full P&L for school of nursing β operating budget ($8M-$85M+), capital budget, faculty comp
- β’Own the school's NIH + HRSA + AACN + foundation grant strategy
- β’Advance donor relationships (nursing schools attract significant philanthropic support post-COVID)
- β’Report to Provost / Chancellor / University President; represent the school at AACN + NLN + national policy
Interview Questions & Answers
5 free questions below. Career Kit unlocks 15 total plus resume bullets for every level.
Q1. Walk us through your teaching philosophy in a clinical rotation.technical
Q2. How do you prepare students for NCLEX-RN?technical
Q3. A clinical student makes a medication error on your rotation. Walk me through how you handle it.situational
Q4. Why nursing education β you'd earn more staying at the bedside or moving to a Nurse Practitioner role.culture
Q5. Where do you see yourself in 5-10 years?closer
Resume Template β Assistant Professor / Course Coordinator (0-6 yrs)
Copy these bullets into your resume as a starting point. Career Kit includes bullets for every level of the ladder.
- βΈAssistant Professor of Nursing at [BSN program at CCNE-accredited SLAC or state university]; teach 3 didactic courses (Adult Health I + Community Health + Pharmacology) + 1 clinical group per semester; carry 8 students in med-surg clinical rotation per state BoN faculty-student ratio.
- βΈCourse Coordinator for Adult Health I (junior-year cornerstone); redesigned course to align with revised AACN Essentials sub-competencies; student NCLEX-tagged content-area subscore rose 68% β 82% over 3 cohorts.
- βΈ3 peer-reviewed publications in Nurse Educator + Nursing Education Perspectives; 1 HRSA Advanced Nursing Education Workforce grant application submitted (pending review).
- βΈDNP + RN + CCRN (Critical Care) + CNE (Certified Nurse Educator). $84k (9-mo) + $10k summer teaching option + full benefits + $6k research budget + PSLF-eligible.
What Gets You Rejected
- βExpired RN license or license from a compact state without endorsement to the teaching state β screens out at HR verification. Programs must show active unencumbered licensure for every faculty member.
- βLess than 3-5 years bedside experience β state BoN preceptor rules require minimum practice hours. Fresh graduates or short-tenure staff nurses don't meet the threshold and screen out.
- βNo specialty certification aligned with the teaching assignment β a candidate teaching critical care without CCRN or a candidate teaching OB without RNC-OB signals depth gaps to the search committee.
- βWeak documentation habits β nursing education is a heavily-documented enterprise (clinical evaluations, incident reports, program committee minutes, accreditation self-study). Candidates who describe informal or catch-up documentation habits fail the screen.
- βCannot articulate NCLEX preparation strategy β every hiring loop tests this. Vague 'I use NCLEX-style questions' answers fail; specific ATI / HESI / Kaplan tool naming + benchmark specificity wins.
- βNo fluency in CCNE / ACEN accreditation cycle β screens out for any tenure-track or program-coordinator role. Programs live and die by accreditation cycle management.
- βRigid clinical-teaching style β nursing education post-2020 has moved toward simulation + INACSL Standards + Debriefing with Good Judgment. Candidates who dismiss simulation as 'not real clinical' signal outdated pedagogy.
- βHistory of student-conduct disputes at prior institutions β nursing faculty routinely evaluate students on high-stakes measures (clinical safety, medication administration, academic integrity). Faculty with a pattern of student-complaint escalation or reversed evaluations screen out.
Salary Negotiation Levers
- βFaculty shortage premium β AACN reports 1,900+ unfilled faculty positions with median age of PhD nurse faculty at 61. Hiring committees have real pressure to close offers. Ask for above-band salary + moving allowance + summer teaching option.
- βClinical practice supplement β many schools allow 1-2 shifts/week bedside practice at affiliated hospitals for a $12-40k supplement + maintains clinical currency + specialty certification. Ask explicitly.
- βTuition benefit β nursing faculty pursuing DNP / PhD often get $5,250-15,000 annual tuition remission at their employer institution or partner institutions. Confirm at hire.
- βSummer teaching option β 6-12 week summer sessions at $8-25k additional income above the 9-month base. Confirm eligibility + typical rate at hire.
- βPSLF eligibility β public + nonprofit universities are PSLF-eligible. Get the employer certification form signed at hire + re-submit annually. Nursing faculty with federal loans often see $50-150k+ forgiveness over 10 years.
- βState pension at public universities + University of California Retirement Plan + TIAA at nonprofits β significant total-comp lever. Confirm tier + vesting.
- βAACN Executive Fellow / NLN Certified Nurse Educator (CNE) / Sigma Theta Tau Fellow recognition β these designations often trigger salary-band adjustments + differentiate at promotion + tenure.
- βSign-on bonus β nursing-faculty hiring is chronic shortage. R1 universities + AAMC academic health systems + community-college BON approvals often offer $10-40k sign-on bonuses. Ask.
- βSim center + skills-lab budget access β sim faculty at growing programs often get $5-25k discretionary sim-scenario development budget + travel to INACSL / SSH conferences.
- βEndowed / named chair or professorship β at established BSN + MSN + DNP programs (Johns Hopkins, Emory, Duke, UPenn, Yale, U-Michigan), endowed chairs add $25-75k salary + $15-50k research budget. Available to Associate + Full Professor level typically but sometimes offered at hire for star candidates.
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Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary Salary by State
Best Cities (cost-adjusted) βSalary Map β Click a state for details
Top Paying States
| State | Median | vs. National |
|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $129,530 | +61.4% |
| District of Columbia | $107,770 | +34.3% |
| Delaware | $98,170 | +22.3% |
| Nevada | $96,500 | +20.2% |
| Connecticut | $95,500 | +19.0% |
| Idaho | $90,890 | +13.3% |
| Alaska | $85,650 | +6.7% |
| Massachusetts | $85,130 | +6.1% |
| Texas | $84,930 | +5.8% |
| Wisconsin | $84,700 | +5.5% |
Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary Salary by Metro Area
| Metro Area | Median | vs. National |
|---|---|---|
| Waco, TX | $206,810 | +157.7% |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $150,400 | +87.4% |
| Fresno, CA | $135,080 | +68.3% |
| Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC | $111,820 | +39.3% |
| Amherst Town-Northampton, MA | $111,440 | +38.9% |
| Wilmington, NC | $110,620 | +37.8% |
| Ann Arbor, MI | $109,080 | +35.9% |
| Fargo, ND-MN | $106,380 | +32.6% |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $103,900 | +29.5% |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $103,010 | +28.4% |