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Philosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary

Typical education: Doctoral or professional degreeLower pressure

What they do

Teach courses in philosophy, religion, and theology. 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.
  • Artistic: Creating, designing and expressing ideas through art, writing, music or performance.

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 $80,260 Median per year Most earn $49,140–$139,580

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Plan, evaluate, and revise curricula, course content, course materials, and methods of instruction.
  • Plan, evaluate, and revise curricula, course content, course materials, and methods of instruction.
  • Perform administrative duties, such as serving as department head.
  • Conduct research in a particular field of knowledge and publish findings in professional journals, books, or electronic media.
  • Select and obtain materials and supplies, such as textbooks.
  • Write grant proposals to procure external research funding.

Job outlook

United States
2% more jobs by 2035, slower than average · about 1,800 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 schools90.5%
  • Junior colleges8.2%

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

Experience before this job: 2 to 4 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: 2 to 4 years

This isn't an entry-level job. Most people need a doctoral degree and often 2 to 4 years of teaching or research work first, so the full path usually takes about 10 to 14 years after high school. If you love big questions and reading and discussing ideas, it can be a rewarding route, and you can start building toward it now.

  1. Bachelor's degree in philosophy or religious studies

    4 years

    You build a strong base in reading difficult texts, writing clear arguments, and discussing ideas, and you can find out whether you enjoy deeper study in this field.

  2. Doctoral program (Ph.D.) in philosophy or religion

    4-6 years

    You take advanced seminars, write a dissertation on a original research question, and often work as a teaching assistant, which gives you your first classroom experience.

  3. Adjunct or visiting lecturer in philosophy or religion

    2-4 years

    You teach your own courses on a part-time or short-term contract while publishing research and applying for full-time jobs, which builds the teaching and research record that colleges look for.

  4. Philosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary

    Ongoing

    You teach philosophy, religion, or theology courses at a college or university, either mostly teaching or as a mix of teaching and research.

Where it can lead

  1. Associate Professor of Philosophy

    5-7 years as an assistant professor of experience first

    After earning tenure-track status and showing a strong record of teaching, research, and service, you move into a more senior faculty role with more independence over your courses and research.

  2. Department Chair

    Several years as a full professor of experience first

    You take on administrative leadership of a department, handling budgets, hiring, curriculum, and faculty coordination, usually after showing strong leadership within your department.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take the most challenging English and history classes you canStrong reading, writing, and argument skills are the core tools for philosophy and religion study.
  • Join a debate team or speech clubDebate teaches you to build arguments, respond to objections, and think on your feet, which is central to philosophy.
  • Take a logic class or read an intro logic bookLogic is a foundation for careful reasoning and is used across philosophy courses.
  • Read philosophy and religious texts on your ownReading primary sources like Plato, Confucius, or the Bible in your own time helps you see whether these ideas keep your interest.
  • Tutor or volunteer as a peer helperExplaining ideas to classmates builds the teaching skills that this career depends on.

In college

  • Major in philosophy or religious studiesA focused major gives you the coursework and faculty relationships that doctoral programs look for in applicants.
  • Work as a teaching assistant or tutorHelping a professor run a class or tutoring writing gives you early teaching experience and a reference who knows your work.
  • Do undergraduate research with a professorHelping with a research project teaches you how scholarship works and may lead to a presentation or co-authored paper.
  • Present at an undergraduate conference or writing contestSharing your work outside your class shows you can contribute to the field and strengthens graduate school applications.
  • Learn a second languageMany doctoral programs expect reading ability in at least one foreign language, so starting early makes applying easier.

Tips for getting started

  • Get comfortable with reading and writing long, dense texts now. Strong writing and reading skills matter a lot in doctoral programs and job applications.
  • Ask your professors about their own path. Many are happy to explain how they got into graduate school and what they wish they had known.
  • Consider learning a second language early, such as German, French, Latin, or Greek. Many doctoral programs expect reading knowledge of at least one foreign language.

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.

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