Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary Salary
The median pay for a art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary in Auburn-Opelika, AL is $71,290/year, per BLS data. The range runs from $51K at the entry level to $105K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 87.93), which stretches that salary to about $81,076 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $995/month, or 21.2% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $71K get you in Auburn-Opelika?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Auburn-Opelika’s Regional Price Parity (87.93). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondaries
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What this looks like in Auburn-Opelika
Art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary pay in Auburn-Opelika tracks closely to the national median, $71K locally vs. $79K nationwide, a 9% difference. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $995/month, 21.7% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 87.93 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 12% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondaries in metros near Auburn-Opelika, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Birmingham | $78K | $85K |
| Huntsville | $63K | $67K |
| Tuscaloosa | $61K | $70K |
| Montgomery | $63K | $70K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Auburn-Opelika, AL
Entry-level art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondaries (10th percentile) start around $51K. Mid-career wages sit at $71K. Top earners bring in $105K or more, a $53K spread from bottom to top.
Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delaware | $103K | +31% | 150 |
| California | $99K | +26% | 9,820 |
| New York | $99K | +26% | 14,920 |
| Vermont | $98K | +25% | 180 |
| Rhode Island | $98K | +24% | 440 |
| District of Columbia | $97K | +23% | 350 |
| Massachusetts | $86K | +9% | 4,960 |
| Maryland | $86K | +9% | 1,280 |
| Michigan | $83K | +6% | 2,410 |
| New Jersey | $80K | +2% | 3,300 |
| Georgia | $80K | +2% | 1,910 |
| Maine | $80K | +2% | 340 |
| New Hampshire | $79K | +1% | 440 |
| Louisiana | $79K | +0% | 720 |
| Connecticut | $79K | -0% | 1,430 |
| Montana | $78K | -0% | 190 |
| Ohio | $78K | -1% | 3,940 |
| Washington | $78K | -1% | 1,400 |
| Minnesota | $78K | -1% | 1,310 |
| Iowa | $78K | -1% | 910 |
| Texas | $78K | -1% | 6,730 |
| Wisconsin | $78K | -1% | 1,840 |
| Pennsylvania | $77K | -2% | 4,170 |
| Oregon | $77K | -2% | 1,440 |
| New Mexico | $76K | -3% | 380 |
| Indiana | $76K | -3% | 1,920 |
| Missouri | $76K | -3% | 1,450 |
| Nebraska | $75K | -4% | 490 |
| Virginia | $75K | -5% | 2,840 |
| North Carolina | $74K | -6% | 2,880 |
| West Virginia | $73K | -7% | 340 |
| Idaho | $72K | -8% | 250 |
| Arizona | $72K | -8% | 1,040 |
| Tennessee | $72K | -8% | 1,370 |
| Colorado | $70K | -11% | 1,950 |
| North Dakota | $67K | -15% | 130 |
| Utah | $66K | -16% | 790 |
| Kentucky | $64K | -18% | 900 |
| Florida | $64K | -19% | 2,490 |
| Alabama | $64K | -19% | 900 |
| South Dakota | $63K | -19% | 200 |
| Illinois | $63K | -20% | 4,170 |
| South Carolina | $62K | -21% | 1,290 |
| Oklahoma | $62K | -21% | 760 |
| Kansas | $61K | -22% | 640 |
| Arkansas | $61K | -23% | 360 |
| Mississippi | $61K | -23% | 540 |
| Wyoming | $59K | -25% | 180 |
| Nevada | $53K | -33% | 260 |
Showing 1–10 of 49 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Auburn-Opelika numbers change.
Related careers in Education
Frequently asked questions
Can a art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary afford a 2BR apartment alone in Auburn-Opelika?
Yes — at the median salary of $71K, rent takes 21.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $995/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondaries in Auburn-Opelika?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondaries typically earn — is $51K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,079/month. At HUD’s $995/month FMR, rent would take 32% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary a high-paying job in Auburn-Opelika?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $71K locally vs. $79K nationally, a 9% difference.
How does Auburn-Opelika compare to the national average for art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondaries?
Auburn-Opelika pays $71K median vs. the U.S. average of $79K — that’s -9%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 87.93), the purchasing-power equivalent is $81K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondaries make in Auburn-Opelika, AL?
The median is $71,290 a year. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $51,320, and experienced art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondaries can clear $104,520. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $71K enough to live in Auburn-Opelika?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,595/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $995/month, which eats 21.7% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary salary go in Auburn-Opelika?
Auburn-Opelika has a Regional Price Parity of 87.93 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary salary is worth about $81,076 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondaries get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.