Postsecondary Teachers

How to become a Postsecondary Nursing Instructor or Teacher

Official title: Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary

Also called: Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Clinical Nursing Instructor, Faculty Member, Instructor, Lecturer, Nurse Educator, Nursing Instructor, Nursing Professor, Professor

Demonstrate and teach patient care in classroom and clinical units to nursing students. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.

Main tasks

Evaluate and grade students' class work, laboratory and clinic work, assignments, and papers.
Supervise students' laboratory and clinical work.
Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
Assess clinical education needs and patient and client teaching needs using a variety of methods.
Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as pharmacology, mental health nursing, and community health care practices.
Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
Demonstrate patient care in clinical units of hospitals.

How to become one

Educational requirements vary by subject and the type of educational institution. Typically, postsecondary teachers must have a Ph.D. However, a master's degree may be enough for some postsecondary teachers at community colleges, and others may need work experience in their field of expertise.

Typical education to start: Doctoral or professional degree

Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Ways in

College: Nursing & Midwifery degrees, Offered by 15 universities in the US

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

Median pay: $80,250 a year The middle half earn $63,510 to $101,090.
About 96,100 people work in this job now, and about 112,600 are projected by 2035. (+17.1%)
People already use generative AI for a good share of this work, which usually changes the job more than it replaces it. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as high.

Questions people ask

How do I become a Postsecondary Nursing Instructor or Teacher?

How much does a Postsecondary Nursing Instructor or Teacher earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $80,250 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $63,510 to $101,090.

Is a Postsecondary Nursing Instructor or Teacher a growing career in the US?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 17% by 2035, from about 96,100 to about 112,600 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Postsecondary Nursing Instructor or Teacher?

Usually. 94% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Will AI change the work of a Postsecondary Nursing Instructor or Teacher?

People already use generative AI for a good share of this work, which usually changes the job more than it replaces it. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as high.

Sources

Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.