Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary Salary
The median pay for a art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary in Massachusetts is $85,820/year, per BLS data. The range runs from $60K at the entry level to $156K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 100.09), that's roughly $85,743 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,347/month, about 43.3% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Massachusetts. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $86K get you in Massachusetts?
About art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondaries
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Massachusetts
Art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary pay in Massachusetts tracks closely to the national median, $86K locally vs. $79K nationwide, a 9% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,347/month, which is 43.7% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 100.09) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Massachusetts
Entry-level art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondaries (10th percentile) start around $60K. Mid-career wages sit at $86K. Top earners bring in $156K or more, a $96K spread from bottom to top.
Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary salary by metro in Massachusetts
5 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pittsfield | $100K | +17% | N/A |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton | $96K | +12% | 3,820 |
| Amherst Town-Northampton | $84K | -2% | 470 |
| Worcester | $82K | -5% | 300 |
| Springfield | $78K | -9% | 170 |
Compare to other states
Track art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Massachusetts numbers change.
Related careers in Education
Frequently asked questions
Can a art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary afford a 2BR apartment alone in Massachusetts?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $86K, rent takes 43.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,347/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,600/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondaries in Massachusetts?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondaries typically earn — is $60K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,595/month. At HUD’s $2,347/month FMR, rent would take 65% 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 Massachusetts?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $86K locally vs. $79K nationally, a 9% difference.
How does Massachusetts compare to the national average for art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondaries?
Massachusetts pays $86K median vs. the U.S. average of $79K — that’s +9%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 100.09), the purchasing-power equivalent is $86K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondaries make in Massachusetts?
The median is $85,820 a year. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $59,920, and experienced art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondaries can clear $156,070. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $86K enough to live in Massachusetts?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,373/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,347/month, which eats 43.7% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary salary go in Massachusetts?
Massachusetts has a Regional Price Parity of 100.09 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary salary is worth about $85,743 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.