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Social Work Teachers, Postsecondary
Teach courses in social work. 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 · Clinical Professor · Faculty Member · Field Education Coordinator · Professor · Social Work Associate Professor · Social Work Instructor
Inside the work
What you would actually do.
6 responsibilities that define the role, before job titles and workplaces change the details.
- Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
- Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, or handouts.
- Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
- Supervise students' laboratory and field work.
- Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as family behavior, child and adolescent mental health, or social intervention evaluation.
- Supervise undergraduate or graduate teaching, internship, and research work.
Who it suits
Would this work hold your attention?
This career often appeals to people drawn to helping, analytical and creative work.
- Analytical
- Investigating questions, testing ideas, and solving problems
- Creative
- Making, designing, writing, or performing without one set answer
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
- Instructing
- Speaking
- Learning Strategies
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Writing
Subjects to know
- Education and Training
- Sociology and Anthropology
- Therapy and Counseling
- Psychology
- English Language
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 | 2.4 | Mostly seated |
| Talking face to face | 4.7 | Continuous — the job is conversations |
| Working with your hands | 1.3 | 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 71%
- A master's degree 29%
Tools of the work
Technology you may use.
- Word processing software
- Electronic mail software
- Document management 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
- 2,570
- Job openings each year
- 50
- Expected hiring change, 2022–2032
- 22.4%
Compare every available state
| State | People doing it | Job openings each year | Expected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 2,570 | 50 | 22.4% |
| Illinois | 1,090 | 90 | 1.9% |
| North Carolina | 1,030 | 90 | 13.2% |
| Pennsylvania | 730 | 60 | 2.8% |
| Michigan | 660 | 50 | 4.8% |
| Ohio | 480 | 40 | 2.1% |
| Alabama | 380 | 30 | 8.6% |
| Virginia | 330 | 30 | 3.1% |
| Connecticut | 300 | 30 | 7.1% |
| Minnesota | 300 | 20 | 3.4% |
| Indiana | 290 | 20 | 7.4% |
| Kentucky | 270 | 20 | 3.8% |
| New Mexico | 270 | 20 | 12.5% |
| Wisconsin | 270 | 20 | 8.0% |
| Tennessee | 260 | 20 | 18.2% |
| Oregon | 250 | 20 | 4.2% |
| Washington | 250 | 30 | 13.6% |
| Texas | 240 | 20 | 9.1% |
| Utah | 210 | 20 | 23.5% |
| Arkansas | 200 | 20 | — |
| Georgia | 200 | 20 | 11.1% |
| Maryland | 180 | 20 | 12.5% |
| Kansas | 170 | 10 | 6.3% |
| Missouri | 160 | 10 | 6.7% |
| Iowa | 150 | 10 | 15.4% |
| Massachusetts | 150 | 10 | 15.4% |
| Nevada | 120 | 10 | 9.1% |
| South Dakota | 100 | 10 | 11.1% |
| Maine | 90 | 10 | — |
| West Virginia | 80 | 10 | 14.3% |
| New Hampshire | 70 | 10 | — |
| Florida | 50 | 10 | — |
| Mississippi | 50 | 0 | 25.0% |
| Nebraska | 50 | 0 | — |
| Idaho | 40 | 0 | — |
| North Dakota | 30 | 0 | — |
| Wyoming | 20 | 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.
California State University-Los Angeles
- Degrees each year
- 279
- Admit rate
- 92%
- Annual cost after aid
- $5,000
Liberty University
- Degrees each year
- 231
- Admit rate
- 99%
- Annual cost after aid
- $27,000
California State University-Sacramento
- Degrees each year
- 204
- Admit rate
- 94%
- Annual cost after aid
- $9,000
Arizona State University Campus Immersion
- Degrees each year
- 183
- Admit rate
- 90%
- Annual cost after aid
- $17,000
James Madison University
- Degrees each year
- 459
- Admit rate
- 76%
- Annual cost after aid
- $16,000
The University of Texas at Arlington
- Degrees each year
- 182
- Admit rate
- 81%
- Annual cost after aid
- $13,000
Aurora University
- Degrees each year
- 175
- Admit rate
- 85%
- Annual cost after aid
- $15,000
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
- Degrees each year
- 186
- Admit rate
- 85%
- Annual cost after aid
- $6,000