SalaryExplorer

SOC 25-1113 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS

Social Work Teachers, Postsecondary — Buffalo

Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY · 2 metro areas compared

$125,770 /year
+62.1%vs US median

In Buffalo, NY the median wage for Social Work Teachers, Postsecondary reaches $125,770 a year.

Wage distribution · annual

Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners

US MEDIAN $77,57010TH$56,88025TH$79,680MEDIAN$125,77075TH$161,87090TH$205,240

How pay has moved

$144,758$30,8332019202020212022202320242025$125,770
$66,170 in 2019 to $125,770 in 2025, +90.1% before inflation. BLS states that OEWS estimates are not designed for comparison across years: the occupational classification, the sampling frame and the survey method have all changed inside this window. Read the direction, not the exact difference.

The next ten years

Projected to grow about as fast as average

Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
+2.3%
Openings per year
1,300
Typical entry-level education
Doctoral or professional 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 Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY.

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

In Buffalo, NY the median wage for Social Work Teachers, Postsecondary reaches $125,770 a year. That is 62.1% more than the national median of $77,570. Pay ranges from under $56,880 at the tenth percentile to more than $205,240 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $79,680 to $161,870.

Within the state, New York records the highest median at $98,700. Of the 586 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 52nd.

Percentile breakdown

Annual wages by percentile · Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY · May 2025
PercentileAnnualvs US median
10th$56,880−26.7%
25th$79,680+2.7%
Median (50th)$125,770+62.1%
75th$161,870+108.7%
90th$205,240+164.6%
Mean$129,870+67.4%

Why the average earner is usually not a typical earner

Other metro areas in New York

Median annual wage for Social Work Teachers, Postsecondary, by metro area
#Metro areaMedianJobsRelative
1New York$98,7001,680
2Albany$82,89090

What the pay is worth locally

Prices in Buffalo run 4.2% below the national average, so the median of $125,770 goes as far as $131,284 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 69.2% above the national median in real terms.

Published median

$125,770as reported by BLS

Local price level

95.8US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Adjusted for local prices

$131,284US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest

Key takeaways

  • Median pay is $125,770 a year, 62.1% above the national median.
  • Published pay spans $56,880 to $205,240 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
  • The highest-paying metro area covered is New York, at $98,700.

Frequently asked questions

What is the median wage for Social Work Teachers, Postsecondary in Buffalo, NY?

The median annual wage is $125,770, 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 $77,570, so pay in Buffalo, NY is 62.1% 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 Buffalo, NY earns more than $205,240 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.

What is the starting range?

The tenth percentile wage is $56,880 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 New York, at $98,700 per year.

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.