# Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary

US SOC code 25-1121. Markdown version of https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/25-1121

Also called: Art professor, Music professor, Drama professor, Theatre professor, Studio art professor.

## In brief

In May 2025, [BLS](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) counted **93,560** US postsecondary art, drama, and music teachers, with median pay of **$78,620** a year. Of the BLS counts since 2003, the highest was **101,500**, in May 2023. The earliest figure here is [an estimate](https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d19/tables/dt19_315.10.asp) of **4,500** from 1900, not measured the same way as today's count. The last full technology era for postsecondary art, drama, and music teachers: Learning Management Systems and online arts education, 2012 to 2023.

## What the sources say

### Official outlook

BLS projects employment to grow 2.2% from 2025 to 2035. Source: [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=25-1121&ioType=o).

### AI exposure studies

- **59.4%** 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.

## Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary employment and pay by year

- On record since: 1865
- Latest US employment: 93,560 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [2]
- Latest US median pay: $78,620 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [4]
- Outlook: +2.2% by 2035. Source: BLS Employment Projections 2025-35 [14]

### All 29 years of cited US data

| Year | US employment | Annual pay (median unless marked) | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1900 | 4,500 (estimate) | n/a | Est., National Center for Education Statistics [1] |
| 1940 | 12,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., National Center for Education Statistics [1] |
| 1970 | 42,000 (estimate) | $11,000 (estimate) | Est., National Center for Education Statistics (employment) [1]; Est., AAUP Faculty Compensation Survey (pay) [3] |
| 1980 | 58,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., National Center for Education Statistics [1] |
| 1990 | n/a | $34,000 (estimate) | Est., AAUP Faculty Compensation Survey… [3] |
| 2000 | 78,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., National Center for Education Statistics [1] |
| 2003 | 60,120 | $47,980 | BLS OEWS May 2003 [2] |
| 2004 | 63,730 | $48,780 | BLS OEWS May 2004 [2] |
| 2005 | 69,260 | $51,240 | BLS OEWS May 2005 [2] |
| 2006 | 72,100 | $53,160 | BLS OEWS May 2006 [2] |
| 2007 | 73,890 | $55,190 | BLS OEWS May 2007 [2] |
| 2008 | 76,810 | $57,820 | BLS OEWS May 2008 [2] |
| 2009 | 80,790 | $60,400 | BLS OEWS May 2009 [2] |
| 2010 | 86,860 | $62,040 | BLS OEWS May 2010 [2] |
| 2011 | 90,030 | $62,330 | BLS OEWS May 2011 [2] |
| 2012 | 92,570 | $62,160 | BLS OEWS May 2012 [2] |
| 2013 | 92,930 | $62,830 | BLS OEWS May 2013 [2] |
| 2014 | 97,500 | $64,300 | BLS OEWS May 2014 [2] |
| 2015 | 98,310 | $65,340 | BLS OEWS May 2015 [2] |
| 2016 | 99,020 | $68,650 | BLS OEWS May 2016 [2] |
| 2017 | 95,110 | $66,930 | BLS OEWS May 2017 [2] |
| 2018 | 94,310 | $69,960 | BLS OEWS May 2018 [2] |
| 2019 | 94,060 | $69,530 | BLS OEWS May 2019 [2] |
| 2020 | 91,170 | $69,690 | BLS OEWS May 2020 [2] |
| 2021 | 94,720 | $75,940 | BLS OEWS May 2021 [2] |
| 2022 | 97,830 | $77,280 | BLS OEWS May 2022 [2] |
| 2023 | 101,500 | $80,360 | BLS OEWS May 2023 [2] |
| 2024 | 97,890 | $80,190 | BLS OEWS May 2024 [2] |
| 2025 | 93,560 | $78,620 | BLS OEWS May 2025 [2] |

## Sources (81)

### Employment series

1. [NCES Digest of Education Statistics Table 315.10 — Number of faculty in degree-granting postsecondary institutions, selected years 1970-2018 (used as interpolation base; 1900 estimate derived from 1900-era institution counts)](https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d19/tables/dt19_315.10.asp), National Center for Education Statistics
2. 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

3. [AAUP Faculty Compensation Survey — historical faculty salary data 1958-present; 1970 arts faculty estimate derived from all-faculty average and discipline differential documented in AAUP archives](https://www.aaup.org/issues-higher-education/faculty-employment/faculty-compensation-survey), American Association of University Professors
4. 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)
5. [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

6. [Oberlin Conservatory of Music — history and founding (1865); oldest continuously operating conservatory in the US](https://www.oberlin.edu/about-oberlin/oberlin-history), Oberlin College and Conservatory
7. [Carnegie Mellon School of Drama — History: first university drama degree program established February 1914 by Thomas Wood Stevens](https://drama.cmu.edu/about/history/), Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama
8. [Art education in the United States — Wikipedia: history of art history pedagogy, lantern slide and projection technology in higher education art courses](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_education_in_the_United_States), Wikipedia
9. [Servicemen's Readjustment Act (1944) — National Archives: "by 1947, vets made up half the nation's college enrollment; nearly 500,000 graduated by 1950 vs 160,000 in 1939"](https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/servicemens-readjustment-act), US National Archives
10. [Adjunct professors in North America — Wikipedia: "reliance on adjuncts surged beginning in the 1970s; from mid-1970s to 2011, full-time tenure-track hiring rose 23% while part-time hiring rose 286%"](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adjunct_professors_in_North_America), Wikipedia
11. [Enrollment declines threaten small, independent art colleges — Inside Higher Ed (2024): MFA enrollment trends, COVID impact on arts programs, ongoing enrollment pressure](https://www.insidehighered.com/news/institutions/specialized-colleges/2024/04/08/enrollment-declines-threaten-small-independent), Inside Higher Ed
12. [Art Journal Open (College Art Association), About and Mission: Art Journal Open is the open-access affiliate of Art Journal, the College Art Association journal covering modern and contemporary art, arts education, and visual arts practice (Art Journal founded 1941, AJO initiated 2011)](https://artjournal.collegeart.org/?page_id=69), College Art Association
13. [College Music Society — Music, Artificial Intelligence, and the Academy (2025): student AI music generation at 40+ institutions; no AI detection equivalent for music as of 2026](https://www.music.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3540), College Music Society

### Forecasts and exposure studies

14. [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35, National Employment Matrix: 25-1121 Art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary (2025: 116.9 thousand; 2035: 119.5 thousand; +2.2%)](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=25-1121&ioType=o), Bureau of Labor Statistics
15. [Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin & Rock (2023), "GPTs are GPTs", occupation-level exposure data occ\_level.csv (O\*NET-SOC 25-1121.00, human-rated β 0.594)](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv), OpenAI

### Historical notes

16. [Oberlin College and Conservatory — Oberlin History: founding of Oberlin Conservatory 1865 as oldest continuously operating US conservatory](https://www.oberlin.edu/about-oberlin/oberlin-history), Oberlin College and Conservatory
17. [Carnegie Mellon School of Drama — History: first university in the world to offer a college drama degree (February 1914)](https://drama.cmu.edu/about/history/), Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama
18. [Yale School of Drama — Britannica: founded 1925 by George Pierce Baker; first MFA 1931; separate professional school 1955](https://www.britannica.com/place/Yale-School-of-Drama), Encyclopaedia Britannica
19. [National Archives — Servicemen's Readjustment Act (1944): "vets made up half of college enrollment by 1947; nearly 500,000 graduated in 1950 vs 160,000 in 1939"](https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/servicemens-readjustment-act), US National Archives
20. [National Endowment for the Arts — What Is the NEA: established by Congress in 1965; largest funder of the arts and arts education in communities nationwide, including artist residencies at colleges and universities](https://www.arts.gov/about/what-is-the-nea), National Endowment for the Arts
21. [Adjunct professors in North America — Wikipedia: AAUP first statement on contingent faculty 1980; adjunct share growth from 1970s onward](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adjunct_professors_in_North_America), Wikipedia
22. [Artnet News — "After a Decade of Growth, MFA Enrollment Is Dropping" (Artnet, 2016): MFA enrollment peaked circa 2011; applications declining since 2008 crash](https://news.artnet.com/art-world/mfa-programs-enrollment-dropping-707645), Artnet News
23. [Art Journal Open (College Art Association), About and Mission: Art Journal Open is the open-access affiliate of Art Journal, the College Art Association journal covering modern and contemporary art and visual arts practice at the college and university level](https://artjournal.collegeart.org/?page_id=69), College Art Association

### Predecessors & successors

24. [Oberlin Conservatory history — oldest continuously operating US conservatory, founded 1865; first generation of postsecondary music teachers trained in the conservatory model](https://www.oberlin.edu/about-oberlin/oberlin-history), Oberlin College and Conservatory
25. [Art education in the United States — Wikipedia: GI Bill era; "colleges recruited professional artists to teach returning GIs; many were 1930s WPA-educated men"](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_education_in_the_United_States), Wikipedia
26. [O\*NET — postsecondary education administrators: common career progression from arts faculty to department chair and dean roles](https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/11-9033.00), O\*NET / BLS

### Present-day analysis

- [O\*NET 30.3 — Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary (25-1121.00)](https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/25-1121.00), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Eloundou et al. 2024 — GPTs are GPTs (Science / arXiv 2303.10130)](https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130), accessed 2026-05-24
- [BLS OES May 2025 — Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary (25-1121): median annual wage $80,840](https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes251121.htm), accessed 2026-05-24
- [BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook — Postsecondary Teachers (2024–2034, +7% projected growth overall)](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/education-training-and-library/postsecondary-teachers.htm), accessed 2026-05-24
- [College Art Association: Art Journal (journal page): CAA's journal of modern and contemporary art, founded in 1941, which gives artists, art historians and other writers in the arts a publication venue and aims to link theoretical issues to their use in college and university teaching](https://www.collegeart.org/publications/art-journal), accessed 2026-10-08
- [RISD — AI and Creative Practice policy statement (2025): course-level AI permission structure; authorship reflection requirement](https://policies.risd.edu/), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Pratt Institute: Statement on Artificial Intelligence (page, updated Oct 2025): faculty may bring AI into assignments as a tool to use, critique and create with, consistent with the Academic Integrity Policy, and faculty who restrict or prohibit AI must give students written guidance in the syllabus](https://www.pratt.edu/resources/statement-on-artificial-intelligence/), accessed 2026-10-08
- [College Music Society — Music, Artificial Intelligence, and the Academy report (2025): student AI music generation documented at 40+ institutions; no AI detection equivalent for music exists as of 2026](https://www.music.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3540), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Recording Academy (GRAMMY.com): Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. on the new rules for the 2024 GRAMMYs (interview, June 17, 2023): the rules state that only human creators are eligible to be nominated for or win a GRAMMY; AI-assisted music may be submitted, but the award goes to human creators](https://www.grammy.com/news/recording-academy-ceo-harvey-mason-jr-discusses-2024-grammys-new-rules-guidelines), accessed 2026-10-08
- [SAG-AFTRA — AI Bargaining: 2023 TV/Film Agreement (digital replica consent); 2024 Interactive Media Agreement (game performer protections)](https://www.sagaftra.org/contracts-industry-resources/member-resources/artificial-intelligence/sag-aftra-ai-bargaining-and), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Animation World Network (AWN) — Survey: 72% of animation industry professionals concerned AI will reduce junior animator hiring by 2027; virtual production curriculum expansion in MFA programs](https://www.awn.com/), accessed 2026-05-24
- [College Art Association — Annual Conference (2025): faculty sessions on AI-assisted curriculum development in studio arts programs; AI as accelerator for syllabus scaffolding, not as replacement for pedagogical sequencing](https://www.collegeart.org/programs/conference/conference2026/), accessed 2026-05-24

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