Skip to content
AffordMap
Salary comparison

Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary vs. Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education: Who Earns More?

Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondarys out-earn Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Educations by $15K a year at the national median, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondarys land at $78,620 and Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Educations at $63,970. The education gap is real: art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary programs typically require bachelor's degree, while elementary school teachers, except special education programs require bachelor's degree. Top-paying state for Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondarys is Delaware ($103,320); for Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Educations it's Washington ($102,350).

Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education
Median salary
$78,620
$63,970
Hourly rate
$null/hr
$null/hr
Entry level (10th %)
$47,570
$47,960
Senior level (90th %)
$163,350
$104,340
Education required
Bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
U.S. employment
93,560
1,388,390
Job growth (10-year)
N/A
1%
Category
Education
Education
Top-paying state
Delaware
Washington

Pay by state

States where both occupations have BLS data, sorted by Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary median pay.

State
Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education
Delaware
$103,320
$75,920
California
$99,410
$99,650
New York
$98,850
$85,760
Rhode Island
$97,580
$90,930
District of Columbia
$96,900
$96,580
Massachusetts
$85,820
$94,000
Maryland
$85,590
$77,680
New Jersey
$80,100
$78,200
Connecticut
$78,600
$80,600
Ohio
$78,050
$77,370
Washington
$77,950
$102,350
Minnesota
$77,760
$76,350
Pennsylvania
$77,280
$77,060
Oregon
$76,770
$77,130
Illinois
$62,960
$75,320

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025. Highlighted value is higher in each row.

Common questions

Who earns more, Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondarys or Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Educations?

Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondarys earn more nationally. The median is $78,620 for Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondarys versus $63,970 for Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Educations, a difference of $15K. Per BLS OEWS May 2025.

Which has better job growth, Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary or Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education?

BLS Employment Projections data is not available for one or both occupations. Check the individual career pages for current outlook figures.

Which requires more education, Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary or Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education?

Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary typically requires bachelor's degree. Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education requires bachelor's degree. Education requirements vary by employer and state licensing board.

Where do Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondarys get paid the most?

Delaware is the top-paying state for Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondarys at $103,320/year, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Major metro areas within that state typically pay even more than the state average.

How does Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary vs. Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education pay differ by state?

The gap varies significantly by state. In Delaware, Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondarys earn $103,320 vs. $75,920 for Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Educations. See the state comparison table on this page for the full picture.

Full Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary salary breakdownView →Full Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education salary breakdownView →Best cities for Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondarys by take-home payExplore →Best cities for Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Educations by take-home payExplore →How to become a art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondaryGuide →How to become a elementary school teachers, except special educationGuide →