Postsecondary Teachers

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Duties

These are some of the common practices of post-secondary teachers:

• Prepare a course outline or syllabus for the class(es) you teach and make sure it complies with all college and departmental requirements.
• Organize classes and homework.
• Educate students in their field of study.
• It is important to grade pupils' work to see how they are progressing.
• Make suggestions for courses and strategies for students to reach their goals.
• Develop or change a degree or certificate program's curriculum in conjunction with coworkers, whether the content is delivered in person, online, or in a hybrid format.
• Stay up to date on the latest developments and advancements in their profession.
• Participate as required in academic or administrative committees.

Postsecondary instructors, known as professors or faculty, specialize in a wide range of academic disciplines and subjects. By degree field, teachers at colleges and universities might be arranged into departments. One or more courses may be taught by a professor in the department. In the case of a math professor, for example, he or she may instruct students in the areas of calculus, statistics, and a graduate seminar on polynomials.

Teaching responsibilities for postsecondary professors can vary widely, depending on the size of the school they work for. Teaching, research, experimentation, publication, grant applications, and the supervision of graduate teaching assistants are all possibilities in big colleges and universities. Most of their time is likely spent in the classroom, whether at a large research university or a small community institution.

Professors working full-time, especially those with tenure (i.e., those who cannot be fired without cause), are frequently required to spend a significant amount of time conducting original research projects. Professors with tenure are required to publish their research findings and to disclose their analyses and critical evaluations. In addition, they may be expected to serve on several committees within their respective colleges and universities.

In most cases, adjunct instructors spend the majority of their time working with students.

Large courses of up to several hundred students may be taught by professors (typically assisted by graduate teaching assistants), smaller classes of 40 to 50 students, seminars with only a few participants, or laboratories where students put their knowledge to use. Some instructors provide teaching alone or in conjunction with in-person sessions both online and off.

Other responsibilities include working with colleagues and attending conferences to stay abreast of new advances.

The profile on career and technical education instructors contains information on postsecondary educators that give vocational training in fields including repair, transportation, and cosmetology.

Education

In order to serve as a professor at a four-year institution, most postsecondary educators must hold a doctoral degree from an accredited university or college. If you have a master's degree or are a PhD candidate, you may be hired for part-time work by colleges.

Students who wish to pursue a doctoral degree must hold at least a master's or bachelor's degree. Doctorate degree programs often require students to complete a doctoral dissertation, in which they present original research in their field of study and defend their findings under the scrutiny of faculty members. In most cases, candidates focus on a specific area of study, such as organic chemistry or European history. 

Those having a master's degree may be hired by community institutions. A Ph.D. is preferred by certain universities, but it is not required.

Extensive Previous Experience in a Related Field

It's possible that institutions might prefer to recruit people with prior teaching or other work experience.

When it comes to some professions, such as health care and the creative arts, hands-on job experience is extremely critical to success. These teachers generally get their hands-on expertise by working in a relevant profession while they are in college.

Postdoctoral research experience is common in other subjects, such as biology, physics, and chemistry, among postsecondary professors. Often referred to as a "post-doc," this is a career that typically lasts for two to three years and is often held in a college or university.

As a graduate teaching assistant, a postsecondary teacher can receive teaching experience while enrolling in a graduate degree and teaching classes at the university where they are enrolled.

Registration, Certification, and Licensing

A license, certification, or registration may be required of or beneficial to postsecondary teachers who help students prepare for a career in which one of these credentials is required. A postsecondary education instructor, for example, may require a teaching license whereas a postsecondary nursing teacher may require a nursing license.

Advancement

Doctoral-trained professors frequently aim for tenure, which ensures that they can never be fired for cause. To become a tenured professor, one must work their way up through the ranks of assistant professor, associate professor, and finally professor for a minimum of seven years. The quality of a candidate's research, service to the university, and ability to teach all faculty towards whether or not tenure will be granted.

Deans and presidents are among the more prestigious administrative roles that professors might achieve. See the postsecondary education administrators’ profile for more information on deans and other administrative jobs. The profile on top executives has further information about college and university presidents.

Qualities that may matter

Abilities to think critically Analyzing information rationally is essential for researchers and experiment designers at the post-secondary level.

Personality traits. When teaching students and sitting on committees, postsecondary teachers must be able to work well with others.

Resourcefulness. It is imperative that postsecondary professors are capable of conveying complex knowledge in a way that students can comprehend. Their courses and assignments will be more effective if they can use technology to accommodate their students' varying learning styles.

The ability to speak. Professors in higher education must be able to communicate effectively with their students in order to provide lectures and give feedback.

The ability to write. To publish unique research and analysis, professors at the college and university level require excellent writing skills.

Pay

In May 2024, the median annual wage for postsecondary teachers was $83,980. This median wage indicates that half of all postsecondary teachers earned more than this amount, while the other half earned less. The lowest 10 percent of earners in this field made less than $48,570, whereas the highest 10 percent earned more than $199,520. Salaries varied significantly based on the subject taught. For instance, law teachers earned the highest median annual wage at $126,650, followed by economics teachers at $119,980, and engineering teachers at $106,120. Health specialties teachers and architecture teachers had median wages of $105,620 and $101,480, respectively. Other high-earning disciplines included atmospheric, earth, marine, and space sciences ($101,390); forestry and conservation science ($100,830); and physics ($97,360). Business and computer science teachers earned $97,270 and $96,690, respectively, while anthropology and archeology teachers made $95,770. Political science teachers had a median wage of $94,680, and environmental science teachers earned $87,710. Salaries for geography, agricultural sciences, and chemistry teachers ranged from $86,220 to $86,730. In the humanities and social sciences, area, ethnic, and cultural studies teachers earned $84,290, biological science teachers $83,460, sociology teachers $82,540, and history teachers $81,500. Psychology, art, drama, and music teachers had similar earnings, around $80,000. Nursing instructors earned $79,940, mathematical science teachers $79,350, and library science teachers $78,630. English language and literature teachers earned $78,270, while philosophy and religion teachers earned $78,050. Communications teachers had a median wage of $77,800, family and consumer sciences teachers $77,280, and foreign language and literature teachers $77,010. Social work teachers earned $76,210, recreation and fitness studies teachers $75,890, and social sciences teachers (all other) $75,040. Education teachers had a median wage of $72,090, while criminal justice and law enforcement teachers earned $71,470.

Job Projections

Overall employment of postsecondary teachers is projected to grow 8 percent from 2023 to 2033, faster than the average for all occupations.