Career-PathGPS
← All education and training
Career

Education Teachers, Postsecondary

Typical education: Doctoral or professional degreeModerate pressure

What they do

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.

Kinds of work

  • Social: Helping, teaching, caring for and supporting other people.
  • Investigative: Science, research, figuring out how things work and solving complex problems.
  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.

Moderate 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 $75,350 Median per year Most earn $39,530–$126,860

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
  • Conduct research in a particular field of knowledge and publish findings in professional journals, books, or electronic media.
  • 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.
  • Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as children's literature, learning and development, and reading instruction.
  • Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.

Job outlook

United States
3% more jobs by 2035, about as fast as average · about 5,300 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 schools90.4%
  • Junior colleges8.6%

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

Experience before this job: 4 to 6 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: 4 to 6 years

Postsecondary teaching is not an entry-level job. Most people need a doctoral or professional degree, and they often have 4 to 6 years of related work or research experience before they land a faculty role. Expect the full route to take roughly a decade of school and experience after high school.

  1. Bachelor's degree in your subject area (such as education, English, or another field you want to teach)

    4 years

    You build a strong base in the subject and learn how college courses work, which prepares you for graduate study.

  2. Teaching Assistant, Postsecondary

    1-2 years

    While in graduate school, you help professors with grading, labs, or discussion sections, which gives you real classroom teaching practice.

  3. Doctoral degree (PhD or EdD) in your field

    4-6 years

    You complete advanced coursework, original research, and a dissertation, which is the credential most colleges expect for faculty roles.

  4. Education Teachers, Postsecondary

    Starts after the doctorate

    You teach college courses, and many faculty also do research, advise students, and serve on committees.

Where it can lead

  1. Education Administrators, Postsecondary

    4-6 years as a faculty member, typically within a 6-8 year total experience range of experience first

    You move from teaching into running programs, departments, or colleges, which takes more management and planning work and less direct teaching.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take advanced courses in the subject you might teachStrong grades and advanced classes show you can handle college-level material and help you pick a field to study.
  • Tutor or help classmates or younger studentsExplaining ideas to others is the core skill of teaching, and you can start practicing now through peer tutoring programs or informal help.
  • Join a debate, speech, or academic clubThese activities build public speaking, research, and argument skills that matter a lot in college teaching.
  • Volunteer as a reading buddy or camp helperWorking with learners of different ages gives you a sense of what teaching feels like day to day.
  • Talk with a teacher you respect about their careerThey can describe what college teaching requires and help you judge whether the long education path fits you.

In college

  • Major in your subject area and take research methods coursesA deep subject background plus research skills are what graduate programs look for.
  • Work as a tutor, lab assistant, or graderCampus teaching jobs give you paid, hands-on experience and a reference for future applications.
  • Join a research project with a professorResearch experience is central to doctoral programs and faculty careers, and it shows you how academic work gets done.
  • Present at a student conference or class symposiumPresenting your work builds confidence and gives you a line on your resume for graduate school.
  • Get involved in a relevant student organizationClubs in your field let you meet professors and peers who can advise you about graduate school and careers.

Tips for getting started

  • Ask a current college professor how they got into teaching. Many are happy to share their path and may know about research or assistant jobs you could apply for.
  • Look up the typical pay for postsecondary teachers near you and nationally on the career page in this app. It shows the full range so you can plan with real numbers.
  • Get comfortable with research early. Most doctoral programs and faculty jobs care a lot about your research experience and your ability to publish or present.

Related jobs that often lead here

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.

Related careers