# Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary

US SOC code 25-1072. Markdown version of https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/25-1072

Also called: Nursing faculty, Nursing instructor, Clinical nursing instructor, Nurse educator, Assistant professor of nursing.

## In brief

In May 2025, [BLS](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) counted **77,960** US postsecondary nursing instructors and teachers, with median pay of **$80,250** a year. Of the BLS counts since 2003, the May 2025 count is the highest. The earliest figure here is [an estimate](https://www.nursing.upenn.edu/nhhc/american-nursing-an-introduction-to-the-past/) of **2,000** from 1900, not measured the same way as today's count. The last full technology era for postsecondary nursing instructors and teachers: Learning management systems + adaptive NCLEX prep platforms, 2010 to 2023.

## What the sources say

### Official outlook

BLS projects employment to grow 17.1% from 2025 to 2035. Source: [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=25-1072&ioType=o).

### AI exposure studies

- **37.3%** of this job's tasks are exposed to large language models. Not a forecast of job losses. [Eloundou and others, 2023](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv)

Data as of BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35. BLS publishes these counts as yearly survey snapshots and cautions against reading them as a precise trend. In May 2021 BLS changed how it estimates these counts (a model-based method using three years of survey data) and moved fully to the 2018 occupation codes, so part of a change across 2021 can come from the method rather than the work.

## Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary employment and pay by year

- On record since: 1873
- Latest US employment: 77,960 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [5]
- Latest US median pay: $80,250 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [8]
- Outlook: +17.1% by 2035. Source: BLS Employment Projections 2025-35 [21]

### All 29 years of cited US data

| Year | US employment | Annual pay (median unless marked) | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1900 | 2,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., Penn Nursing NHH Center [1] |
| 1943 | 8,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., NPS [2] |
| 1960 | 12,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., Penn Nursing NHH Center [1] |
| 1965 | n/a | $6,200 (estimate) | Est., OJIN [6] |
| 1990 | 28,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., OJIN [3] |
| 2000 | 36,000 (estimate) | $42,000 (estimate) | Est., AACN [4] |
| 2003 | 36,330 | $50,920 | BLS OEWS May 2003 [5] |
| 2004 | 34,360 | $52,060 | BLS OEWS May 2004 [5] |
| 2005 | 37,020 | $53,160 | BLS OEWS May 2005 [5] |
| 2006 | 39,350 | $55,280 | BLS OEWS May 2006 [5] |
| 2007 | 42,660 | $57,500 | BLS OEWS May 2007 [5] |
| 2008 | 46,890 | $59,210 | BLS OEWS May 2008 [5] |
| 2009 | 49,140 | $61,360 | BLS OEWS May 2009 [5] |
| 2010 | 54,050 | $62,390 | BLS OEWS May 2010 [5] |
| 2011 | 55,930 | $63,900 | BLS OEWS May 2011 [5] |
| 2012 | 56,220 | $64,850 | BLS OEWS May 2012 [5] |
| 2013 | 56,270 | $65,940 | BLS OEWS May 2013 [5] |
| 2014 | 56,840 | $66,100 | BLS OEWS May 2014 [5] |
| 2015 | 57,390 | $67,480 | BLS OEWS May 2015 [5] |
| 2016 | 56,210 | $69,130 | BLS OEWS May 2016 [5] |
| 2017 | 55,580 | $71,260 | BLS OEWS May 2017 [5] |
| 2018 | 55,710 | $73,490 | BLS OEWS May 2018 [5] |
| 2019 | 59,680 | $74,600 | BLS OEWS May 2019 [5] |
| 2020 | 61,100 | $75,470 | BLS OEWS May 2020 [5] |
| 2021 | 68,060 | $77,440 | BLS OEWS May 2021 [5] |
| 2022 | 69,190 | $78,580 | BLS OEWS May 2022 [5] |
| 2023 | 72,700 | $80,780 | BLS OEWS May 2023 [5] |
| 2024 | 74,250 | $79,940 | BLS OEWS May 2024 [5] |
| 2025 | 77,960 | $80,250 | BLS OEWS May 2025 [5] |

## Sources (89)

### Employment series

1. [Penn Nursing NHH Center — "American Nursing: An Introduction to the Past" (growth to 400-800 schools by 1900)](https://www.nursing.upenn.edu/nhhc/american-nursing-an-introduction-to-the-past/), University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, Barbara Bates Center
2. [NPS — "Cadet Nurse Corps" (U.S. National Park Service history: 1,125 schools, 179,294 enrolled, Bolton Act 1943)](https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/cadet-nurse-corps.htm), U.S. National Park Service
3. [OJIN — "The Relevance of Associate Degree Nursing Education: Past, Present, Future" (ADN programs and 60% of RN graduates by 1990s)](https://ojin.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ANAMarketplace/ANAPeriodicals/OJIN/TableofContents/Volume72002/No2May2002/RelevanceofAssociateDegree.html), Online Journal of Issues in Nursing (OJIN)
4. [AACN — Faculty Shortages in Baccalaureate and Graduate Nursing Programs (White Paper, 2005)](https://www.aacnnursing.org/Portals/0/PDFs/White-Papers/facultyshortage-2005.pdf), American Association of Colleges of Nursing
5. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2024](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)

### Wage series

6. [OJIN — "Education for Professional Nursing Practice: Looking Backward into the Future" (1965 ANA position paper context; nursing education salary and credential disparities)](https://ojin.nursingworld.org/table-of-contents/volume-7-2002/number-2-may-2002/education-for-professional-nursing-practice/), Online Journal of Issues in Nursing (OJIN)
7. [AACN — Faculty Shortages in Baccalaureate and Graduate Nursing Programs (White Paper, 2005): nursing faculty salary context and the clinical-vs-academic compensation gap](https://www.aacnnursing.org/Portals/0/PDFs/White-Papers/facultyshortage-2005.pdf), American Association of Colleges of Nursing
8. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)
9. [BLS OEWS May 2024, national cross-industry estimates (flat file)](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

### Tool eras

10. [Penn Nursing NHH Center — "American Nursing: An Introduction to the Past" (Nightingale model, 1873 founding schools)](https://www.nursing.upenn.edu/nhhc/american-nursing-an-introduction-to-the-past/), University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, Barbara Bates Center
11. [UIC Mapping Care — "Nursing Education in the United States: An Historical Overview" (hospital training school pedagogical model)](https://www.mappingcare.digital.uic.edu/page/nursing-education-in-the-united-states-an-historical-overview.16), University of Illinois Chicago, Mapping Care Project
12. [Rockefeller Foundation — "Nursing Education" (Goldmark Report 1923, Yale School of Nursing founding, Rockefeller funding)](https://rockfound.rockarch.org/nursing-education), Rockefeller Foundation Archive
13. [NPS — "Cadet Nurse Corps" (Bolton Act 1943, instructor qualification standards across 1,125 schools)](https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/cadet-nurse-corps.htm), U.S. National Park Service
14. [OJIN — "The Relevance of Associate Degree Nursing Education: Past, Present, Future" (Montag 1952 ADN launch at Teachers College Columbia; Kellogg Foundation support; ADN expanded to 800+ programs by 2002; majority of RN graduates from ADN by 1980s)](https://ojin.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ANAMarketplace/ANAPeriodicals/OJIN/TableofContents/Volume72002/No2May2002/RelevanceofAssociateDegree.html), Online Journal of Issues in Nursing (OJIN)
15. [UVA School of Nursing — "Flashback Friday: Practice Makes Perfect: The History of Simulation" (Resusci Anne 1960, SimMan 2001, simulation in nursing education history)](https://nursing.virginia.edu/news/flashback-history-of-simulation/), University of Virginia School of Nursing
16. [HealthySimulation.com — "High Fidelity Simulation" (SimMan 2001 launch; fewer than 100 schools before 2005, nearly universal adoption by 2010s)](https://www.healthysimulation.com/high-fidelity-simulation/), HealthySimulation.com
17. [OJIN — "Simulation-Based Learning: No Longer a Novelty in Undergraduate Education" (history of simulation adoption in nursing programs)](https://ojin.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ANAMarketplace/ANAPeriodicals/OJIN/TableofContents/Vol-23-2018/No2-May-2018/Articles-Previous-Topics/Simulation-Based-Learning-Undergraduate-Education.html), Online Journal of Issues in Nursing (OJIN)
18. [ATI Nursing Education — AI-powered adaptive assessment, NCLEX-predictor analytics, and Focused Review platform history (2025 documentation)](https://www.atitesting.com/), ATI Testing
19. [NLN — "NLN Publishes New Vision Statement on Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Nursing Education" (Sept 2025): AI integration requires nurse educators to develop AI literacy and competency; simulation and clinical judgment development remain the irreplaceable faculty contribution](https://www.nln.org/detail-pages/news/2025/09/17/nln-publishes-new-vision-statement-on-artificial-intelligence-%28ai%29-in-nursing-education), National League for Nursing
20. [NCSBN — "NCSBN Launches Next Generation NCLEX Exam" (April 2023): clinical judgment measurement model as the core framework; over a decade of research; entry-level nurses must make complex clinical decisions](https://www.ncsbn.org/news/ncsbn-launches-next-generation-nclex-exam), National Council of State Boards of Nursing

### Forecasts and exposure studies

21. [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35, National Employment Matrix: 25-1072 Nursing instructors and teachers, postsecondary (2025: 96.1 thousand; 2035: 112.6 thousand; +17.1%)](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=25-1072&ioType=o), Bureau of Labor Statistics
22. [Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin & Rock (2023), "GPTs are GPTs", occupation-level exposure data occ\_level.csv (O\*NET-SOC 25-1072.00, human-rated β 0.373)](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv), OpenAI

### Historical notes

23. [Penn Nursing NHH Center — "American Nursing: An Introduction to the Past" (1873 founding of three Nightingale-model schools)](https://www.nursing.upenn.edu/nhhc/american-nursing-an-introduction-to-the-past/), University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, Barbara Bates Center
24. [Rockefeller Foundation Archive — "Nursing Education" (Goldmark Report 1923; Yale School of Nursing $150,000 founding grant; university-based nursing education)](https://rockfound.rockarch.org/nursing-education), Rockefeller Foundation Archive
25. [NPS — "Cadet Nurse Corps" (Bolton Act 1943, 1,125 participating schools, 179,294 enrolled, 80% of hospital care by 1945)](https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/cadet-nurse-corps.htm), U.S. National Park Service
26. [OJIN — "The Relevance of Associate Degree Nursing Education: Past, Present, Future" (Montag 1952 Cooperative Research Project at Teachers College Columbia; Kellogg Foundation support; seven pilot programs; ADN as dominant route to RN licensure)](https://ojin.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ANAMarketplace/ANAPeriodicals/OJIN/TableofContents/Volume72002/No2May2002/RelevanceofAssociateDegree.html), Online Journal of Issues in Nursing (OJIN)
27. [OJIN — "A Policy Perspective on the Entry into Practice Issue" (1965 ANA position paper; 85% diploma-trained nurses; BSN minimum entry debate history)](https://ojin.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ANAMarketplace/ANAPeriodicals/OJIN/TableofContents/Vol152010/No1Jan2010/Articles-Previous-Topic/Policy-and-Entry-into-Practice.html), Online Journal of Issues in Nursing (OJIN)
28. [AACN — Faculty Shortages in Baccalaureate and Graduate Nursing Programs (White Paper, 2005): 32,797 rejected applicants in 2004; 47.8% of schools cite faculty shortage as primary cause](https://www.aacnnursing.org/Portals/0/PDFs/White-Papers/facultyshortage-2005.pdf), American Association of Colleges of Nursing
29. [NAM — "The Future of Nursing: A Look Back at the Landmark IOM Report" (2010 report; 80% BSN by 2020 recommendation; double nursing doctoral graduates)](https://nam.edu/perspectives/the-future-of-nursing-a-look-back-at-the-landmark-iom-report/), National Academy of Medicine
30. [NCSBN — "NCSBN Launches Next Generation NCLEX Exam" (April 2023): NGN clinical judgment measurement model launched; shift toward measuring clinical judgment and decision-making in entry-level nurses](https://www.ncsbn.org/news/ncsbn-launches-next-generation-nclex-exam), National Council of State Boards of Nursing

### Predecessors & successors

31. [Penn Nursing NHH Center — "American Nursing: An Introduction to the Past" (senior nurses serving as instructors in early hospital training schools)](https://www.nursing.upenn.edu/nhhc/american-nursing-an-introduction-to-the-past/), University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, Barbara Bates Center
32. [AACN — Faculty Shortages in Baccalaureate and Graduate Nursing Programs (2005): the primary pipeline to nursing faculty is experienced RNs who pursue MSN or DNP for teaching credentials](https://www.aacnnursing.org/Portals/0/PDFs/White-Papers/facultyshortage-2005.pdf), American Association of Colleges of Nursing

### Present-day analysis

- [O\*NET 30.3 — Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary (25-1072.00)](https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/25-1072.00), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Eloundou et al. 2024 — GPTs are GPTs (Science)](https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130), accessed 2026-05-24
- [NLN — Nursing Faculty Shortage Report (2025): 1,565 faculty vacancies nationwide; 94,000 qualified applicants turned away annually due to insufficient nursing faculty capacity; median age of nursing faculty 56-57 (retirement wave accelerating shortage)](https://www.aacnnursing.org/news-data/fact-sheets/nursing-faculty-shortage), accessed 2026-05-24
- [ACEN: 2023 Accreditation Manual, Section 3: Standards and Criteria (page with the standards PDF): Standard 2 requires full- and part-time faculty, including those teaching or evaluating students in clinical settings, to be nurses who hold nursing licensure consistent with their assigned roles](https://www.acenursing.org/accreditation/accred-manual/standards-and-criteria), accessed 2026-10-08
- [CCNE — Standards for Accreditation of Baccalaureate and Graduate Nursing Programs (2024): faculty qualifications, clinical supervision ratios, and curriculum governance accountability require qualified nurse faculty](https://www.aacnnursing.org/ccne-accreditation), accessed 2026-05-24
- [JAMA Network Open — AI in Nursing Education scoping review (2025): simulation debriefing and clinical judgment formation identified as the tasks most resistant to AI substitution; AI tools effective for knowledge acquisition and formative testing but not for affective and psychomotor skill development](https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen), accessed 2026-05-24
- [NLN: Artificial Intelligence (AI) Resource Center (page): NLN faculty resources on integrating AI into nursing education, including the NLN Vision Statement on AI in Nursing Education, an NLN AI Toolkit, and the 2025 NLN Education Summit on AI](https://www.nln.org/education/artificial-intelligence-%28ai%29-resource-center), accessed 2026-10-08
- [BLS OES 2024 — Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary (25-1072): median annual wage $80,840; approximately 61,000 employed; +7% projected growth 2024-2034](https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes251072.htm), accessed 2026-05-24
- [ANA Position Statement — "The Ethical Use of Artificial Intelligence in Nursing Practice" (OJIN May 2025): nurses and nursing faculty bear accountability for validating AI clinical outputs; AI must enhance, not replace, clinical nursing judgment](https://ojin.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ANAMarketplace/ANAPeriodicals/OJIN), accessed 2026-05-24
- [NCSBN: Next Generation NCLEX (NGN) page: the NGN launched April 1, 2023 to better measure candidates' clinical judgment and decision making through innovative item types and real-world case studies](https://www.nclex.com/next-generation-nclex.page), accessed 2026-10-08
- [ATI Nursing Education — AI-powered adaptive learning and NCLEX-NGN item generation (2025 product documentation)](https://www.atitesting.com/), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Gradescope — AI-assisted answer grouping: 30-50% grading time reduction; supports rubric-based batch evaluation of written healthcare documentation and case studies (2025)](https://www.gradescope.com/), accessed 2026-05-24
- [D2L Brightspace AI — Intelligent Agents and AI Copilot for early student intervention and faculty workflow automation in nursing programs (2025)](https://www.d2l.com/brightspace/), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Elicit — AI research synthesis: automated extraction from CINAHL and PubMed for nursing guideline monitoring and evidence-based curriculum updates (2025)](https://elicit.com/), accessed 2026-05-24

How to read these figures: https://futurehistory.earth/methodology. Every figure links to its own source; gaps stay gaps.