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Economics Teachers, Postsecondary
Teach courses in economics. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
Other titles employers use
Adjunct Professor · Assistant Professor · Associate Professor · Economics Instructor · Economics Lecturer · Economics Professor · Finance Professor · Instructor
Inside the work
What you would actually do.
6 responsibilities that define the role, before job titles and workplaces change the details.
- Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as econometrics, price theory, and macroeconomics.
- Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
- Conduct research in a particular field of knowledge and publish findings in professional journals, books, or electronic media.
- Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.
- Evaluate and grade students' class work, assignments, and papers.
- Plan, evaluate, and revise curricula, course content, course materials, and methods of instruction.
Who it suits
Would this work hold your attention?
This career often appeals to people drawn to helping, analytical and organizing work.
- Analytical
- Investigating questions, testing ideas, and solving problems
- Organizing
- Creating order, checking details, and keeping work accurate
Skills and strengths
What you would get good at.
Compare the skills the work relies on, the subjects behind it, and the abilities that make it easier to learn.
Core skills
- Speaking
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Writing
- Instructing
- Critical Thinking
Subjects to know
- Mathematics
- Education and Training
- Economics and Accounting
- English Language
Useful strengths
- Oral Expression
- Oral Comprehension
- Written Comprehension
- Written Expression
- Speech Clarity
Working day
Picture yourself doing it.
These measures show how much of the day involves people, movement, conversation, and hands-on work.
| Measure | Out of 5 | What that means here |
|---|---|---|
| Close to other people | 3.1 | Shared rooms, but not shoulder to shoulder |
| On your feet | 2.4 | Mostly seated |
| Talking face to face | 4.5 | A regular part of the day |
| Working with your hands | 2.1 | Little of the day |
Preparation
How people prepare for this work.
Employers usually ask for a doctorate or a professional degree. Other routes may also lead into the field.
- A doctorate or professional degree 91%
- A master's degree 7%
- A four-year degree 2%
Tools of the work
Technology you may use.
- Word processing software
- Object or component oriented development software
- Analytical or scientific software
- Electronic mail software
- Web page creation and editing software
- Data base user interface and query software
- Spreadsheet software
- Office suite software
Opportunity near you
See where this work is growing.
Choose a state to compare the size of the field, annual openings, and expected hiring change.
- People doing this work
- 2,120
- Job openings each year
- 40
- Expected hiring change, 2022–2032
- 21.8%
Compare every available state
| State | People doing it | Job openings each year | Expected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 2,120 | 40 | 21.8% |
| California | 1,200 | 100 | — |
| Texas | 1,010 | 90 | 8.6% |
| Florida | 720 | 60 | 12.5% |
| Pennsylvania | 630 | 50 | 3.3% |
| North Carolina | 470 | 40 | 11.9% |
| Michigan | 430 | 40 | 2.4% |
| Tennessee | 420 | 40 | 20.0% |
| Illinois | 400 | 30 | — |
| Colorado | 380 | 30 | 18.8% |
| Virginia | 330 | 30 | 3.1% |
| Connecticut | 290 | 20 | 11.5% |
| Massachusetts | 280 | 20 | 12.0% |
| Washington | 270 | 30 | 12.5% |
| Wisconsin | 270 | 20 | 8.0% |
| Alabama | 250 | 20 | 8.7% |
| Indiana | 250 | 20 | 4.2% |
| Georgia | 230 | 20 | 9.5% |
| Maryland | 230 | 20 | 15.0% |
| Ohio | 230 | 20 | — |
| Minnesota | 200 | 20 | 5.3% |
| Iowa | 190 | 20 | 11.8% |
| Utah | 180 | 20 | 20.0% |
| Missouri | 160 | 10 | — |
| South Carolina | 160 | 10 | 6.7% |
| District of Columbia | 150 | 10 | 7.1% |
| Idaho | 120 | 10 | 9.1% |
| Kentucky | 120 | 10 | 9.1% |
| Louisiana | 120 | 10 | — |
| Nebraska | 120 | 10 | — |
| Vermont | 120 | 10 | 9.1% |
| Arkansas | 110 | 10 | — |
| New Hampshire | 110 | 10 | 10.0% |
| Oregon | 110 | 10 | — |
| Arizona | 100 | 10 | 11.1% |
| Kansas | 100 | 10 | — |
| Rhode Island | 100 | 10 | — |
| Maine | 80 | 10 | — |
| Mississippi | 80 | 10 | 14.3% |
| Oklahoma | 80 | 10 | — |
| New Mexico | 60 | 10 | — |
| South Dakota | 50 | 0 | — |
| West Virginia | 50 | 0 | — |
| North Dakota | 40 | 0 | — |
| Wyoming | 40 | 0 | — |
Career to college
Build a path toward this work.
Start with a related major, then compare colleges where students complete that field.
Where to study
Colleges with strong activity in these fields.
Start with program size, admission, and likely cost. Open a college for the full picture.
University of California-Berkeley
- Degrees each year
- 1,327
- Admit rate
- 12%
- Annual cost after aid
- $10,000
University of California-Los Angeles
- Degrees each year
- 1,483
- Admit rate
- 9%
- Annual cost after aid
- $10,000
University of California-Santa Barbara
- Degrees each year
- 1,018
- Admit rate
- 28%
- Annual cost after aid
- $13,000
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
- Degrees each year
- 940
- Admit rate
- 18%
- Annual cost after aid
- $5,000
University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Degrees each year
- 1,034
- Admit rate
- 43%
- Annual cost after aid
- $8,000
University of Chicago
- Degrees each year
- 733
- Admit rate
- 5%
- Annual cost after aid
- $0
New York University
- Degrees each year
- 723
- Admit rate
- 9%
- Annual cost after aid
- $17,000
University of California-Irvine
- Degrees each year
- 1,347
- Admit rate
- 26%
- Annual cost after aid
- $12,000