🏛️
Public Higher Education
University of California, Arizona State University, Ohio State University
Education Teachers, Postsecondary
These teachers lead college-level classes in education, advise students on academic and career choices, and often supervise fieldwork or research. The job is different from K-12 teaching because it usually mixes classroom work with scholarship, so the real tradeoff is balancing students' needs against publishing, grant writing, and staying active in the field.
Also known as College InstructorUniversity LecturerAdjunct ProfessorProfessor of EducationEducation Faculty Member
Median Salary
$72,090
Mean $78,500
U.S. Workforce
~59K
5.6K openings per year
10-Year Growth
+2.1%
74.9K to 76.5K
Entry Education
Doctoral or professional degree
+ Less than 5 years experience
What This Role Looks Like in Practice
Education 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 ~59K workers, with a median annual pay of $72,090 and roughly 5.6K openings each year. Based on BLS projections, total employment is expected to grow from 74.9 K in 2024 to 76.5K in 2034.
Most hiring paths start with Doctoral Degree, and employers typically expect less than 5 years of related experience. Many careers in this track begin around Graduate Teaching Assistant and can progress toward Department Chair. High-value skills usually include Public Speaking, Lecturing & Presentation Delivery, Google Scholar, ERIC & JSTOR Research, and Student Advising, Office Hours & Active Listening, paired with soft skills such as Clear communication, Active listening, and Mentoring.
Core Responsibilities
- Teach college courses, explain lessons, and answer students' questions during and after class.
- Create exams, collect assignments, and grade papers, projects, and tests.
- Guide students on course choices, degree plans, and education-related career options.
- Supervise student teachers, internships, and research projects.
Keep exploring: more Education careers or browse all job titles.
A Day in the Life
01 Teach college courses, explain lessons, and answer students' questions during and after class.
02 Create exams, collect assignments, and grade papers, projects, and tests.
03 Guide students on course choices, degree plans, and education-related career options.
04 Supervise student teachers, internships, and research projects.
05 Keep up with new research by reading journals, talking with colleagues, and attending conferences.
06 Do original research, write grant proposals, and publish findings in journals or books.
Industries That Hire
🎓
Private Universities
Harvard University, Stanford University, Duke University
🧑🏫
Community Colleges
Miami Dade College, Houston Community College, Northern Virginia Community College
💻
Online Education
Western Governors University, Southern New Hampshire University, Coursera
📚
Educational Publishing and EdTech
Pearson, McGraw Hill, Cengage
Pros and Cons
Advantages
+
The pay is fairly solid for academic work, with a median salary of $72,090 and a mean of $78,500.
+
The job mixes teaching, advising, research, and service, so the work stays varied instead of repeating one task all day.
+
There are about 5.6K annual openings, which gives the field a steady flow of hiring and replacement opportunities.
+
Most workers are highly credentialed, so the role can be a clear long-term target for people who want a serious academic career.
+
Employers usually do not provide formal on-the-job training, which means your subject expertise is the main requirement from day one.
Challenges
-
The entry bar is very high: the usual requirement is a doctoral or professional degree, and 89.76% of workers hold a doctorate.
-
Growth is only 2.1% through 2034, so the field is expanding slowly and new jobs are limited.
-
The workday can spill past class time because you still have to grade, advise, research, and write grants.
-
Career advancement is tied to publishing, tenure, and funding, which makes the job market competitive and uneven across schools.
-
Pay can lag behind the years of schooling and research required, especially at institutions with tight budgets or heavy teaching loads.
Career Progression
Graduate Teaching Assistant
0-3 years
$35K-$44K
Supports a professor by running discussion sections, grading work, and helping students while finishing graduate school.
Adjunct Instructor
2-6 years
$45K-$58K
Teaches one or two courses at a time, often at more than one school, with limited long-term job security.
Postsecondary Education Teacher THIS ROLE
5-12 years
$60K-$85K
Designs and teaches courses, advises students, and balances classroom work with research, service, or grant writing.
Senior Professor
12-20 years
$86K-$115K
Takes on advanced teaching, research leadership, mentoring, and committee work across a department or program.
Department Chair
18+ years
$116K-$155K
Oversees faculty schedules, hiring, budgets, and program direction while still carrying some teaching and research duties.
Education Paths
Doctoral Degree
The standard path, held by 89.76% of workers in this occupation, usually means a PhD or EdD before applying for full-time faculty jobs.
Master's Degree
A master's degree is a smaller alternative at 9.41%, and it can be enough for some teaching roles at community colleges or in specialized programs.
Post-Doctoral Training
Post-doctoral training appears for 0.1% of workers and is most relevant for research-heavy jobs or candidates trying to build a stronger publication record.
Graduate Certificate in College Teaching
A graduate certificate in college teaching can strengthen a doctorate or master's degree for candidates who want more classroom-focused preparation.
Key Skills
Technical
Public Speaking, Lecturing & Presentation Delivery 92%
Google Scholar, ERIC & JSTOR Research 85%
Student Advising, Office Hours & Active Listening 82%
Course Design, Lesson Planning & Instructing 82%
Curriculum Design & Learning Strategies 82%
Academic Writing, Syllabi & Grant Proposals 80%
Active Learning & Classroom Engagement 80%
Canvas, Blackboard & Gradebook Management 78%
Soft Skills
Clear communicationActive listeningMentoringOrganizationCollaborationAdaptability Job Outlook and Trends
+2.1%
Projected growth (2024-2034)
5.6K
Annual job openings
Employment is projected to rise from 74.9K to 76.5 K over the next decade, representing 2.1% growth. Around 5.6 K openings per year include both newly created roles and replacement hiring from turnover.
Remote availability is currently Moderate. Demand remains strongest where employers need practical domain knowledge plus modern workflow and data skills.