Career comparison
Health Sciences Professor vs. Nursing Instructor
Side-by-side pay, training, growth and day-to-day duties to help you choose between two related careers.
Health sciences professors earn more at the median ($107,310 vs. $80,250), while nursing instructors usually get to work faster (6–8 years of training). Health sciences professors teach future doctors, therapists and health professionals. Nursing instructors teach and supervise the next generation of nurses.
Pay data: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Outlook: BLS 2025–35 · Checked October 15, 2026
| Health Sciences Professor | Nursing Instructor | |
|---|---|---|
| Median pay | $107,310 | $80,250 |
| Pay range (10th–90th) | $59,270 – $322,020 | $48,800 – $129,500 |
| Job growth, 2025–35 | +17.9% (much faster than average) | +17.1% (much faster than average) |
| Openings per year | 24,900 | 8,500 |
| Typical entry education | Doctoral or professional degree | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Training time | 8+ years | 6–8 years |
| Key credential | Professional license | RN license |
| Work setting | Faculty work in classrooms, simulation labs, clinics and hospitals.. | Instructors work in classrooms, simulation labs and hospitals.. |
What each job does
Health Sciences Professor
- Teach health science courses
- Supervise clinical training
- Conduct health research
- Practice clinically
- Mentor students
Nursing Instructor
- Teach nursing courses
- Run skills and simulation labs
- Supervise clinical rotations
- Prepare students for the NCLEX
- Evaluate student competency
How they’re similar
Both careers involve helping others, high-pay, in-demand, and working with people. Both are part of the education & childcare field, so many skills transfer between them.
Which should you choose?
Choose health sciences professor if…
- I love my health profession
- I want to teach
- I enjoy mentoring students
Choose nursing instructor if…
- I’m an experienced nurse
- I love teaching
- I’m patient with students
Still torn? Take the Health Sciences Professor fit quiz and the Nursing Instructor fit quiz, or the full Career Match Quiz.
Quick comparisons
Which pays more, health sciences professor or nursing instructor?
Health Sciences Professors earn more at the median: $107,310 versus $80,250 for nursing instructors, based on BLS May 2025 data.
Which takes less time to train for?
Nursing Instructors typically train faster (6–8 years) than health sciences professors (8+ years).
Which career has better job growth?
BLS projects health sciences professors to grow +17.9% from 2025–35, compared with +17.1% for nursing instructors.