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Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary

Typical education: Master's degreeHigh pressure Bright Outlook

What they do

Demonstrate and teach patient care in classroom and clinical units to nursing students. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.

Kinds of work

  • Social: Helping, teaching, caring for and supporting other people.
  • Investigative: Science, research, figuring out how things work and solving complex problems.

High pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $80,250 Median per year Most earn $48,800–$129,500

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Maintain regularly scheduled office hours to advise and assist students.
  • Participate in student recruitment, registration, and placement activities.
  • Supervise undergraduate or graduate teaching, internship, and research work.
  • Maintain a clinical practice.
  • Participate in campus and community events.
  • Write grant proposals to procure external research funding.

Job outlook

Bright Outlook Rapid Growth

United States
17% more jobs by 2035, much faster than average · about 8,500 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Colleges, universities, and professional schools70.3%
  • Junior colleges22.4%
  • Technical and trade schools3.1%
  • General medical and surgical hospitals2.7%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 2 to 4 years

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: Master's degreeExperience before this job: 2 to 4 years

This is not an entry-level job. Most people first earn a nursing degree, work as a Registered Nurse for a few years, and then earn a master's degree before teaching nursing students, which usually takes about 8 to 10 years in total.

  1. Bachelor's degree in nursing (BSN)

    4 years

    You learn anatomy, pharmacology, and patient care, and you complete hospital clinical rotations. This prepares you to take the NCLEX licensing exam.

  2. Registered Nurse

    2-4 years

    Working with real patients builds the hands-on experience that nursing instructors need to teach clinical skills with confidence.

  3. Master's degree in nursing (MSN), often with a nurse education focus

    2 years

    Graduate study covers teaching methods, curriculum design, and how to assess students. Many programs let you keep working while you study.

  4. Nursing Instructor

    Ongoing

    You teach nursing students in classrooms, labs, and clinical units, and you may also do research or service work at a college or university.

Where it can lead

  1. Nursing Program Coordinator

    3-5 years of experience first

    You take on day-to-day management of a nursing program, such as scheduling clinical placements, supporting other faculty, and tracking student progress. Strong teaching and organizing skills help you move into this role.

  2. Nursing Program Director

    5+ years of experience first

    You lead the whole nursing program, including accreditation, budgets, and hiring faculty. This usually requires a doctoral degree or strong leadership experience along with a record of teaching.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take biology, chemistry, and health science classesThese classes build the science background you will need for a nursing degree and show you whether you enjoy health topics.
  • Volunteer at a hospital, clinic, or nursing homeHands-on time with patients and staff lets you see what nursing work is really like and looks good on applications.
  • Look for a patient care aide or CNA job or classMany local community colleges and hospitals offer nursing assistant training, which gives you real clinical skills early on.
  • Tutor classmates in scienceExplaining concepts to others is an early way to practice the teaching skills that nursing instructors use every day.
  • Join a health career club, such as HOSA (Future Health Professionals), if your school has oneClubs like this offer leadership practice, health knowledge, and connections to people already working in healthcare.

In college

  • Enroll in a BSN program or pre-nursing coursesA bachelor's in nursing is the first required step, and your core science courses like anatomy, microbiology, and statistics count toward it.
  • Work as a CNA, patient care tech, or unit assistantPaid work in a hospital or clinic builds clinical experience and makes your later RN and teaching roles stronger.
  • Be a tutor or teaching assistant for anatomy or nursing coursesTeaching other students is direct practice for instructing nursing students and shows faculty you can explain complex material.
  • Join the campus nursing student associationBeing active in a student nursing group helps you build leadership skills, network with faculty, and learn about graduate options.
  • Plan your path to the NCLEX and a master's degreePassing the NCLEX gets you licensed as an RN, and talking with nursing faculty early can help you pick a master's program with a teaching focus.

Tips for getting started

  • Get real bedside experience as an RN early, and try to find work with students or new nurses, such as precepting or mentoring, so you can see whether you enjoy teaching.
  • When you choose a master's program, look for one with a nursing education track or a clear focus on teaching, since that matches this career directly.
  • Keep track of the teaching you do along the way, such as training new staff or giving patient education talks. Those examples will help you when you apply for faculty positions.

Related jobs that often lead here

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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