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Business Teachers, Postsecondary

Typical education: Doctoral or professional degreeLower pressure Bright Outlook

What they do

Teach courses in business administration and management, such as accounting, finance, human resources, labor and industrial relations, marketing, and operations research. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.

Kinds of work

  • Social: Helping, teaching, caring for and supporting other people.
  • Investigative: Science, research, figuring out how things work and solving complex problems.
  • Enterprising: Leading, persuading, selling and starting new projects or businesses.

Lower pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $99,080 Median per year Most earn $47,180–$209,470

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Plan, evaluate, and revise curricula, course content, and course materials and methods of instruction.
  • Mentor new faculty.
  • Provide professional consulting services to government or industry.
  • Conduct research in a particular field of knowledge and publish findings in professional journals, books, or electronic media.
  • Participate in student recruitment, registration, and placement activities.
  • Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.

Job outlook

Bright Outlook Rapid Growth

United States
6% more jobs by 2035, faster than average · about 7,600 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Colleges, universities, and professional schools84.5%
  • Junior colleges14.9%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 1 to 2 years

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: Doctoral or professional degreeExperience before this job: 1 to 2 years

Business professors are not an entry-level job. Most people earn a bachelor's degree, work in business for a year or two, and then complete a doctoral degree before teaching at the college level, which often adds up to about 10 to 12 years after high school. The career suits students who enjoy both business topics and sharing knowledge with others.

  1. Bachelor's degree in business, accounting, economics, or a related field

    4 years

    You build a foundation in core business subjects and learn how to analyze problems, which you need before you can study the field at a deeper level.

  2. Management Analyst

    1-2 years

    Working in business gives you real-world experience with how organizations make decisions, which helps you teach practical examples later and shows doctoral programs you understand the field.

  3. Doctoral degree (PhD or DBA) in business or a business specialty

    4-6 years

    A doctorate trains you to do original research and teach university-level courses, and it is the usual requirement for teaching business at the postsecondary level.

  4. Business Teacher, Postsecondary

    Ongoing

    As a professor, you teach courses such as accounting, finance, marketing, or human resources, and you may also do research, depending on your school.

Where it can lead

  1. Associate Professor of Business

    5-7 years as an assistant professor of experience first

    After proving your teaching and research over several years, you usually earn tenure, which gives you long-term job security and more say in your department's work.

  2. Professor of Business

    5-10 years as an associate professor of experience first

    Senior professors lead research programs, mentor other faculty, and often take on department or program leadership roles.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take economics, math (especially statistics), and EnglishThese classes build the analytical and writing skills that business study and doctoral work depend on.
  • Join a business, finance, or debate clubClub activities let you practice presenting ideas and working through business problems with others.
  • Get a starter job, such as a part-time cashier or shop assistantWorking with customers and handling money teaches you how businesses run day to day.
  • Tutor younger students in math or readingExplaining ideas to others is a core part of teaching, and it shows you whether you enjoy it.
  • Volunteer with a local nonprofit or small businessYou will see how organizations manage money, staff, and marketing, which gives you real examples to think about.

In college

  • Major in business, accounting, finance, or economicsA strong business or economics major gives you the content knowledge needed for graduate study in the field.
  • Work as a teaching assistant or tutorHelping classmates or grading for a professor gives you early experience explaining concepts and running a class.
  • Join a research project with a faculty memberAssisting with research shows you what academic work involves and builds skills for doctoral study.
  • Complete a business internshipReal work experience in a company lets you bring practical examples into your teaching later and matches the 1 to 2 years of work experience this career usually expects.
  • Take statistics and research methods coursesData analysis and research design are central to doctoral programs and to research-focused business teaching.

Tips for getting started

  • Ask a business professor whether you can help with research or grading in their class, since this shows you what teaching and research at the university level involve.
  • Keep your grades strong, especially in statistics and writing, because doctoral programs look closely at both.
  • Look up what a doctoral program in business involves, such as how long it takes and how it is funded, so you can plan early.

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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