SOC 25-1121 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary — San Jose
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA · 8 metro areas compared
Median pay for this occupation in San Jose, CA comes to $94,370 a year, ahead of the national median of $78,620 by 20.0%.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to grow more slowly than average
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- +1.7%
- Openings per year
- 9,000
- Typical entry-level education
- Master's degree
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
Median pay for this occupation in San Jose, CA comes to $94,370 a year, ahead of the national median of $78,620 by 20.0%. Pay ranges from under $64,420 at the tenth percentile to more than $159,940 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $88,390 to $118,920.
The area has 690 jobs in this occupation, giving a location quotient of 1.01 — a measure of how concentrated the occupation is here relative to the country as a whole. Within the state, Riverside records the highest median at $163,750. Of the 574 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 253rd.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $64,420 | −18.1% |
| 25th | $88,390 | +12.4% |
| Median (50th) | $94,370 | +20.0% |
| 75th | $118,920 | +51.3% |
| 90th | $159,940 | +103.4% |
| Mean | $108,240 | +37.7% |
Other metro areas in California
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Riverside | $163,750 | 560 | |
| 2 | Fresno | $135,970 | 170 | |
| 3 | Visalia | $128,910 | 40 | |
| 4 | San Francisco | $127,800 | 1,050 | |
| 5 | Sacramento | $124,680 | 370 | |
| 6 | San Diego | $101,010 | 770 | |
| 7 | Los Angeles | $91,490 | 5,200 | |
| 8 | Santa Maria | $78,000 | 140 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in San Jose run 10.4% above the national average, so the median of $94,370 buys what $85,480 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way the gap against the national median narrows to 8.7% above the national median in real terms.
Published median
$94,370as reported by BLSLocal price level
110.4US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$85,480US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $94,370 a year, 20.0% above the national median.
- Published pay spans $64,420 to $159,940 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 690 jobs in this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Riverside, at $163,750.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary in San Jose, CA?
The median annual wage is $94,370, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $78,620, so pay in San Jose, CA is 20.0% higher. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in San Jose, CA earns more than $159,940 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $64,420 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Riverside, at $163,750 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 690 jobs in this occupation in San Jose, CA. Self-employed workers are not included.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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