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Higher Education
Harvard University, Stanford University, New York University
Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary
This job combines teaching college students with serious subject-matter research. You lead classes on a specific region, culture, or identity-focused topic, but you also need to keep publishing and staying current in your field. The main tradeoff is that the work can be intellectually rewarding and fairly well paid, yet it usually requires years of graduate school and comes with a small, competitive job market.
Also known as Assistant Professor of Ethnic StudiesLecturer in Cultural StudiesArea Studies InstructorProfessor of Asian American StudiesProfessor of African Studies
Median Salary
$84,290
Mean $97,350
U.S. Workforce
~11K
1.1K openings per year
10-Year Growth
+2.4%
14.5K to 14.8K
Entry Education
Doctoral or professional degree
+ None experience
What This Role Looks Like in Practice
Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary sits in the Education category. In practical terms, this role combines day-to-day execution, cross-team coordination, and consistent decision-making under real business constraints.
U.S. employment is currently about ~11K workers, with a median annual pay of $84,290 and roughly 1.1K openings each year. Based on BLS projections, total employment is expected to grow from 14.5 K in 2024 to 14.8K in 2034.
Most hiring paths start with Doctoral degree in a relevant field, and employers typically expect none of related experience. Many careers in this track begin around Graduate Teaching Assistant and can progress toward Full Professor. High-value skills usually include Academic Research Databases (JSTOR, ProQuest, Project MUSE), Curriculum Planning & Syllabus Design, and Seminar Teaching & Classroom Facilitation, paired with soft skills such as Clear communication, Patience, and Curiosity.
Core Responsibilities
- Lead college classes and guide students through discussions on specialized topics.
- Create reading lists, lecture materials, and assignments for each course.
- Write, give, and grade quizzes, exams, papers, and projects.
- Advise student groups and meet with students who need academic or campus support.
Keep exploring: more Education careers or browse all job titles.
A Day in the Life
01 Lead college classes and guide students through discussions on specialized topics.
02 Create reading lists, lecture materials, and assignments for each course.
03 Write, give, and grade quizzes, exams, papers, and projects.
04 Advise student groups and meet with students who need academic or campus support.
05 Research a focused topic in depth and publish the results in journals, books, or online media.
06 Work with other faculty members and speak at campus or community events about your area of expertise.
Industries That Hire
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Liberal Arts Colleges
Amherst College, Swarthmore College, Wesleyan University
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Community Colleges
Miami Dade College, Houston Community College, Santa Monica College
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Museums and Cultural Institutions
Smithsonian Institution, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Modern Art
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Think Tanks and Research Nonprofits
RAND Corporation, Brookings Institution, Urban Institute
Pros and Cons
Advantages
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The pay is respectable for teaching work, with a mean annual salary of $97,350 and a median of $84,290.
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You get to spend your time on a subject you actually specialized in, rather than teaching a broad survey course forever.
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The job mixes classroom teaching, research, and public speaking, so the work stays varied.
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BLS says no prior work experience or on-the-job training is typically required, so the path is clear once you have the degree.
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The role gives you a public platform to shape how students understand culture, history, and identity.
Challenges
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The education bar is high: 60.52% of workers have a doctoral degree, so the path usually means many years of graduate school before you can compete seriously.
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Growth is weak at 2.4% from 2024 to 2034, which means the field is not adding jobs quickly.
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There are only about 1.1K annual openings, so competition for full-time posts can be intense.
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A lot of the career ladder depends on scarce tenure-track or long-term faculty roles, which is a structural problem in higher education, not just a personal challenge.
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Department budgets, enrollment trends, and program cuts can shape hiring and pay, so the job market can tighten quickly when universities face financial pressure.
Career Progression
Graduate Teaching Assistant
0-2 years
$35K-$50K
Usually teaches discussion sections, helps with grading, and learns how college teaching works while finishing graduate study.
Adjunct Instructor
1-5 years
$51K-$70K
Teaches one or more courses part-time, often at more than one school, with less schedule stability and fewer benefits.
Assistant Professor THIS ROLE
0-7 years
$71K-$89K
Runs courses independently, advises students, and builds a publication record; this band includes the role's median pay of $84,290.
Associate Professor
7-15 years
$90K-$122K
Takes on more advanced teaching, research, and service work after building a stronger record of publications and student mentoring.
Full Professor
15+ years
$123K-$165K
Leads major research projects, shapes department priorities, and often represents the program publicly inside and outside the school.
Education Paths
Doctoral degree in a relevant field
This is the most common route, held by 60.52% of workers in the occupation, and it is the standard credential for full-time faculty jobs.
Master's degree in a relevant field
A master's degree is also a common entry point, held by 30.98% of workers, especially for lecturer or adjunct roles.
Post-master's certificate
This is an alternative path used by 3.24% of workers, usually as a supplemental credential rather than a standalone route into the profession.
Post-doctoral training
Post-doctoral training is a niche route, held by 3.97% of workers, and it usually helps candidates compete for research-heavy faculty jobs.
Key Skills
Technical
Academic Research Databases (JSTOR, ProQuest, Project MUSE) 85%
Curriculum Planning & Syllabus Design 82%
Seminar Teaching & Classroom Facilitation 82%
Canvas, Blackboard & LMS Course Management 80%
Scholarly Writing & Zotero/EndNote Citation Management 80%
ExamSoft, Gradescope & Student Assessment Tools 80%
Active Learning Methods & Discussion-Based Teaching 80%
Research Methods, NVivo & SPSS 78%
Soft Skills
Clear communicationPatienceCuriosityRelationship buildingOrganizationAdaptability Job Outlook and Trends
+2.4%
Projected growth (2024-2034)
1.1K
Annual job openings
Employment is projected to rise from 14.5K to 14.8 K over the next decade, representing 2.4% growth. Around 1.1 K openings per year include both newly created roles and replacement hiring from turnover.
Remote availability is currently Limited. Demand remains strongest where employers need practical domain knowledge plus modern workflow and data skills.