BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025, counts 77,960 Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary (SOC 25-1072) in the United States, with a median annual wage of $80,250. Recruit in states and metros that already employ this occupation, and use location quotient to find denser instructor pools than the national mix.
| Measure | Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary (BLS SOC 25-1072) | Source |
|---|---|---|
| National employment | 77,960 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Annual median wage | $80,250 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Hawaii location quotient | 6.02 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
Where to find nursing instructor candidates: the short answer
Use BLS employment counts and location quotients for SOC 25-1072 to see where nursing instructors already work, then recruit in those states and metros and in markets that feed them. A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that area's employment than nationally. Treat that denser mix as a local talent pool for a nursing program of study.
Pair this map with how much to pay a nursing instructor so you do not recruit in a high-concentration market with an offer built only on the national median of $80,250.
How BLS counts this talent pool
BLS counts this role as Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary (SOC 25-1072). Those employment counts are people whose job is teaching nursing in classroom, skills-lab, and clinical settings. Do not treat staff-nurse employment as a substitute talent map; a large nurse workforce is not the same as a large instructor workforce.
Technical colleges, community colleges, and career-center nursing programs of study hire this occupation. O*NET OnLine (accessed September 25, 2026) describes the work as evaluating and grading class, laboratory, and clinic work; supervising students' laboratory and clinical work; demonstrating patient care in clinical units of hospitals; preparing lectures on pharmacology, mental health nursing, and community health care practices; coordinating training with universities, clinics, hospitals, health agencies, or vocational schools; and advising student organizations.
O*NET names learning management systems including Moodle and Sakai CLE, plus Blackboard software, MEDITECH software, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, Google Docs, and Microsoft Outlook. Put the skills lab, clinical sites, and software you actually use in the posting so you attract instructors rather than applicants looking for a staff-nurse job.
States with the most nursing instructors
These states have the largest published employment for Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary. A large count means more people already doing this job, which is useful for a local posting and for targeting outreach to current instructors.
| Rank | State | Employment (Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary) | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas | 6,830 | 0.97 |
| 2 | New York | 6,340 | 1.3 |
| 3 | California | 5,610 | 0.61 |
| 4 | Illinois | 4,940 | 1.62 |
| 5 | Florida | 4,320 | 0.87 |
| 6 | Ohio | 4,290 | 1.54 |
| 7 | Pennsylvania | 4,290 | 1.41 |
| 8 | North Carolina | 2,560 | 1.03 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | 2,280 | 1.25 |
| 10 | New Jersey | 2,000 | 0.93 |
Texas, New York, and California show the largest published counts. Illinois combines 4,940 employment with a location quotient of 1.62. If your campus sits in one of these states, write the posting for classroom, skills-lab, and clinical teaching and expect to compete for people already in a nursing program of study.
States where the occupation is most concentrated
Location quotient is the occupation's share of local employment relative to the U.S. share. A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that area's employment than nationally. Ranked by location quotient, these states are denser than the national mix.
| Rank | State | Location quotient | Employment (Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hawaii | 6.02 | 1,890 |
| 2 | Mississippi | 1.8 | 1,050 |
| 3 | Connecticut | 1.63 | 1,380 |
| 4 | Illinois | 1.62 | 4,940 |
| 5 | Ohio | 1.54 | 4,290 |
| 6 | Pennsylvania | 1.41 | 4,290 |
| 7 | Alabama | 1.38 | 1,460 |
| 8 | Maine | 1.31 | 420 |
| 9 | New York | 1.3 | 6,340 |
| 10 | Arkansas | 1.27 | 830 |
Hawaii (6.02), Mississippi (1.8), and Connecticut (1.63) are recruiting clues for a dean who can hire locally. Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York appear on both this list and the large-employment list. California at 0.61 and the District of Columbia at 0.32 are thinner local pools, so plan a wider search even if a nearby state looks dense.
Metros with the most nursing instructors
Among major metro areas, these markets have the largest employment for Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary. A CTE director or program chair should start here if the campus can recruit commuters or relocations. If your campus metro is unpublished, use the state employment row.
| Rank | Metro area | Employment (Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary) | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 5,290 | 1.11 |
| 2 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 3,840 | 1.7 |
| 3 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 2,350 | 0.75 |
| 4 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 2,050 | 1.41 |
| 5 | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 1,580 | 0.96 |
| 6 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 1,560 | 1.15 |
| 7 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 1,420 | 1.2 |
| 8 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 1,310 | 0.93 |
| 9 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 1,180 | 0.58 |
| 10 | Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | 1,010 | 1.83 |
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ (5,290) and Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (3,840) are the deepest counts among major metro areas. Write the posting for classroom, skills-lab, and clinical supervision so commuters already in the occupation can see themselves in the job.
Metros where the occupation is most concentrated
Among major metro areas, these markets have the highest location quotients for Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary. Read a high metro location quotient as a dense local market for classroom, skills-lab, and clinical instructors, useful when you need someone who can step into clinical supervision with industry partners quickly.
| Rank | Metro area | Location quotient | Employment (Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | 2.02 | 830 |
| 2 | Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | 1.83 | 1,010 |
| 3 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 1.7 | 3,840 |
| 4 | Columbus, OH | 1.59 | 880 |
| 5 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 1.41 | 2,050 |
| 6 | Pittsburgh, PA | 1.29 | 720 |
| 7 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 1.2 | 1,420 |
| 8 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 1.15 | 1,560 |
| 9 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 1.11 | 5,290 |
| 10 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 1.02 | 880 |
Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI (2.02), Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN (1.83), and Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (1.7) are dense among major metro areas. Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA (0.45), Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV (0.47), and Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX (0.58) are thinner; post more widely and look at nearby metros on the employment list.
How to use this when you recruit
Post where career and technical educators look, including ACTE Job Bank, and aim outreach at states and metros that show up on both the employment and location-quotient lists. Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York do that at the state level; Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD, Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN, and New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ do it among major metro areas.
If pay in your metro sits below nearby high-employment metros, plan the range from this occupation's metro pay, not from the national median alone. Keep the role honest in the posting: nursing instructor in a program of study with a skills lab and clinicals, the work-based learning placements with industry partners, so you attract instructors, not people looking for a staff-nurse job. For screening, scorecards, and the first weeks, use how to hire a nursing instructor. If the opening might be a secondary classroom instead, compare nursing instructor vs health science teacher.
If you are filling a related CTE classroom in the same cycle, the same employment-and-location-quotient approach is laid out for CTE teachers and for technical college instructors.
FAQ
Where are nursing instructors concentrated?
Among states with published employment, Hawaii has a location quotient of 6.02, Mississippi 1.8, Connecticut 1.63, and Illinois 1.62. Among major metro areas, Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI is 2.02, Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN is 1.83, and Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN is 1.7. A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that area's employment than nationally.
Which states have the most nursing instructors?
BLS reports 6,830 Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary in Texas, 6,340 in New York, 5,610 in California, 4,940 in Illinois, and 4,320 in Florida. Use those counts for local posting and outreach to people already in the job.
Which metros have the most nursing instructors?
Among major metro areas, New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ employs 5,290, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN employs 3,840, and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA employs 2,350. If your campus metro is unpublished, use the state employment row.
How do I use location quotient when recruiting nursing instructors?
A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that area's employment than nationally, so a dean can often hire locally. A low location quotient means a thinner local pool and a wider search, even when a nearby state or metro shows large employment.
Where should I look for nursing instructor candidates?
Look in states and metros that already employ Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary, especially those that appear on both the employment and location-quotient lists. Post the opening where career and technical educators look, and describe classroom, skills-lab, and clinical teaching so you attract instructors rather than staff nurses.
