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Education Teachers, Postsecondary
Teach courses pertaining to education, such as counseling, curriculum, guidance, instruction, teacher education, and teaching English as a second language. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
Other titles employers use
Adjunct Instructor · Assistant Professor · Associate Professor · Education Instructor · Education Professor · Faculty Member · Instructor · Lecturer
Inside the work
What you would actually do.
6 responsibilities that define the role, before job titles and workplaces change the details.
- 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.
- Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
- Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.
- Supervise students' fieldwork, internship, and research work.
- Evaluate and grade students' class work, assignments, and papers.
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
- Learning Strategies
- Instructing
- Writing
Subjects to know
- English Language
- Education and Training
- Psychology
- Sociology and Anthropology
- Administration and Management
Useful strengths
- Oral Expression
- Speech Clarity
- Oral Comprehension
- Written Comprehension
- Written Expression
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 | 2.6 | Largely your own space |
| On your feet | 2.3 | Mostly seated |
| Talking face to face | 4.7 | Continuous — the job is conversations |
| Working with your hands | 3.1 | Some 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 90%
- A master's degree 9%
Tools of the work
Technology you may use.
- Word processing software
- Analytical or scientific software
- Electronic mail software
- Spreadsheet software
- Office suite software
- Presentation software
- Computer based training software
- Information retrieval or search 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
- 6,920
- Job openings each year
- 120
- Expected hiring change, 2022–2032
- 21.8%
Compare every available state
| State | People doing it | Job openings each year | Expected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 6,920 | 120 | 21.8% |
| California | 6,100 | 500 | 8.9% |
| Texas | 5,700 | 470 | 9.2% |
| Illinois | 4,660 | 370 | 1.5% |
| New Jersey | 3,550 | 290 | 8.6% |
| North Carolina | 2,980 | 250 | 12.0% |
| Pennsylvania | 2,820 | 220 | 1.8% |
| Florida | 2,500 | 210 | 10.6% |
| Ohio | 1,820 | 140 | 1.1% |
| Indiana | 1,740 | 140 | 5.5% |
| Virginia | 1,700 | 140 | 3.0% |
| Arizona | 1,620 | 130 | 6.6% |
| Colorado | 1,560 | 140 | 19.1% |
| Wisconsin | 1,450 | 120 | 8.2% |
| Alabama | 1,390 | 110 | 6.9% |
| Michigan | 1,390 | 110 | 3.7% |
| Missouri | 1,330 | 110 | 3.9% |
| South Carolina | 1,330 | 110 | 11.8% |
| Tennessee | 1,330 | 120 | 19.8% |
| Maryland | 1,200 | 100 | 14.3% |
| Georgia | 1,180 | 100 | 6.3% |
| Iowa | 1,030 | 90 | 9.6% |
| Washington | 990 | 100 | 13.8% |
| Nebraska | 810 | 60 | 2.5% |
| Massachusetts | 800 | 70 | 12.7% |
| Minnesota | 760 | 60 | 4.1% |
| Mississippi | 730 | 60 | 7.4% |
| Kentucky | 710 | 60 | 4.4% |
| Connecticut | 700 | 60 | 9.4% |
| Nevada | 650 | 50 | 8.3% |
| Oklahoma | 600 | 50 | −1.6% |
| Oregon | 510 | 40 | 6.3% |
| Utah | 490 | 50 | 25.6% |
| Puerto Rico | 420 | 40 | 13.5% |
| Arkansas | 410 | 30 | 2.5% |
| Maine | 400 | 30 | −2.4% |
| New Mexico | 390 | 30 | 8.3% |
| Louisiana | 380 | 30 | 8.6% |
| West Virginia | 340 | 30 | 3.0% |
| Kansas | 310 | 30 | 6.9% |
| Rhode Island | 300 | 20 | 3.4% |
| District of Columbia | 240 | 20 | 4.3% |
| Montana | 240 | 20 | 4.3% |
| New Hampshire | 240 | 20 | 4.3% |
| South Dakota | 220 | 20 | 4.8% |
| Delaware | 210 | 20 | 10.5% |
| Idaho | 200 | 20 | 11.1% |
| North Dakota | 190 | 10 | — |
| Wyoming | 90 | 10 | 12.5% |
| Vermont | 80 | 10 | — |
| Alaska | 70 | 10 | — |
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.
Western Governors University
- Degrees each year
- 4,459
- Admit rate
- Not reported
- Annual cost after aid
- $13,000
Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College
- Degrees each year
- 445
- Admit rate
- 74%
- Annual cost after aid
- $20,000
Illinois State University
- Degrees each year
- 787
- Admit rate
- 89%
- Annual cost after aid
- $16,000
Virginia Commonwealth University
- Degrees each year
- 377
- Admit rate
- 93%
- Annual cost after aid
- $21,000
State University of New York at Cortland
- Degrees each year
- 508
- Admit rate
- 51%
- Annual cost after aid
- $20,000
University of Kentucky
- Degrees each year
- 385
- Admit rate
- 92%
- Annual cost after aid
- $16,000
University of Northern Iowa
- Degrees each year
- 560
- Admit rate
- 94%
- Annual cost after aid
- $14,000
Arizona State University Campus Immersion
- Degrees each year
- 799
- Admit rate
- 90%
- Annual cost after aid
- $17,000