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Higher Education
Harvard University, University of California, New York University
Philosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary
These teachers lead college-level courses in philosophy, religion, ethics, and related subjects while also advising students and handling a fair amount of reading and grading outside class. The job is distinctive because it combines classroom teaching with research and publication, so you have to be both a clear explainer and an active scholar. The tradeoff is that the work can be intellectually rich, but the job market is small and barely growing, which makes long-term stability harder to count on.
Also known as Philosophy ProfessorReligious Studies ProfessorPhilosophy InstructorAssistant Professor of PhilosophyLecturer in Religious Studies
Median Salary
$78,050
Mean $88,210
U.S. Workforce
~21K
2K openings per year
10-Year Growth
+0.7%
27.3K to 27.5K
Entry Education
Doctoral or professional degree
+ None experience
What This Role Looks Like in Practice
Philosophy and Religion 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 ~21K workers, with a median annual pay of $78,050 and roughly 2K openings each year. Based on BLS projections, total employment is expected to grow from 27.3 K in 2024 to 27.5K in 2034.
Most hiring paths start with Doctoral or professional degree, and employers typically expect none of related experience. Many careers in this track begin around Graduate Teaching Assistant and can progress toward Full Professor or Department Chair. High-value skills usually include Canvas, Blackboard & LMS Administration, JSTOR, Project MUSE & Academic Research Databases, and Zotero, EndNote & Citation Management, paired with soft skills such as Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, and Instructing.
Core Responsibilities
- Advise student clubs and campus groups when they need faculty guidance.
- Help students choose classes, degree plans, and possible career directions.
- Prepare reading lists and other materials for students to study outside class.
- Write, give, and grade exams, essays, and other course assignments.
Keep exploring: more Education careers or browse all job titles.
A Day in the Life
01 Advise student clubs and campus groups when they need faculty guidance.
02 Help students choose classes, degree plans, and possible career directions.
03 Prepare reading lists and other materials for students to study outside class.
04 Write, give, and grade exams, essays, and other course assignments.
05 Work with other faculty on teaching problems, course planning, and research projects.
06 Keep up with new scholarship, do research in a specialty area, and publish the results.
Industries That Hire
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Community Colleges
Miami Dade College, Santa Monica College, City College of New York
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Faith-Based Colleges and Universities
University of Notre Dame, Baylor University, Liberty University
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Online Learning
Coursera, edX, Southern New Hampshire University
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Educational Publishing
Pearson, McGraw Hill, Cengage
Pros and Cons
Advantages
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The pay is fairly solid for an academic role, with a median annual salary of $78,050 and a mean of $88,210.
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You get to combine teaching, advising, research, and writing instead of doing the same task all day.
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There is no required work experience or on-the-job training, so the main barrier is education rather than apprenticeship.
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The work suits people who want to go deep on ideas and keep publishing, presenting, and learning over time.
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There are about 2.0k annual openings, so even in a small field there is ongoing replacement demand.
Challenges
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The field is barely growing, with projected employment rising only 0.7% from 27.3k to 27.5k by 2034.
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The education bar is high: 73.83% of workers have a doctoral degree, so the path usually takes many years.
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Tenure-track openings are limited at many schools, which can push people into lower-paid or less stable contingent roles.
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The pay can feel modest compared with the amount of graduate study required, especially outside major universities.
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A lot of the job depends on in-person teaching, advising, grading, and faculty meetings, so fully remote work is uncommon.
Career Progression
Graduate Teaching Assistant
0-3 years
$35K-$50K
This stage usually means supporting a professor, leading discussion sections, and learning how to manage grading and student questions.
Adjunct Instructor
1-5 years
$51K-$67K
At this level, you teach one or more courses, often on a part-time or contract basis, with limited control over schedule and pay.
Philosophy and Religion Teacher, Postsecondary THIS ROLE
5-12 years
$68K-$100K
This is the core role: teaching classes, advising students, assigning and grading work, and keeping an active research agenda.
Full Professor or Department Chair
10+ years
$101K-$140K
Senior faculty take on heavier research, mentoring, and leadership duties, along with hiring, curriculum, and department planning.
Education Paths
Doctoral or professional degree
The most common path, held by 73.83% of workers in this role, and it matches the typical entry requirement for the job.
Master's degree
An alternative path used by 13.07% of workers, often for teaching at smaller schools or in less specialized programs.
Post-doctoral training
Additional preparation for 12.49% of workers, usually to strengthen teaching, research, and publication credentials.
Post-master's certificate
A rare supplement used by 0.60% of workers, more useful as extra preparation than as a standalone route into the field.
Key Skills
Technical
Canvas, Blackboard & LMS Administration 86%
JSTOR, Project MUSE & Academic Research Databases 84%
Zotero, EndNote & Citation Management 82%
Microsoft Word, PowerPoint & Google Workspace 80%
Turnitin, ExamSoft & Online Assessment Tools 78%
Soft Skills
Reading ComprehensionActive ListeningInstructingSpeakingCritical ThinkingWriting Job Outlook and Trends
+0.7%
Projected growth (2024-2034)
2K
Annual job openings
Employment is projected to rise from 27.3K to 27.5 K over the next decade, representing 0.7% growth. Around 2 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.