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Teach courses in economics. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
Critical-thinking skills. To conduct original research and design experiments, postsecondary teachers need to analyze information logically.
Interpersonal skills. Postsecondary teachers need to work well with others for tasks such as instructing students and serving on committees.
Resourcefulness. Postsecondary teachers must be able to present information in a way that students will understand. They need to adapt to the different learning styles of their students and be able to use technology for lessons or assignments.
Speaking skills. Postsecondary teachers need good communication skills to present lectures and provide feedback to students.
Writing skills. Postsecondary teachers need strong writing ability to publish original research and analysis.
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Characteristics of this Career |
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93% | Analytical Thinking - Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems. | |
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90% | Achievement/Effort - Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks. | |
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84% | Integrity - Job requires being honest and ethical. | |
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82% | Dependability - Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations. | |
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81% | Independence - Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done. | |
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80% | Attention to Detail - Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks. | |
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77% | Initiative - Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges. | |
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75% | Persistence - Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles. | |
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71% | Self-Control - Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations. | |
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70% | Innovation - Job requires creativity and alternative thinking to develop new ideas for and answers to work-related problems. | |
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66% | Cooperation - Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude. |
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Strengths |
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100% | Social - Work involves helping, teaching, advising, assisting, or providing service to others. Social occupations are often associated with social, health care, personal service, teaching/education, or religious activities. | |
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72% | Investigative - Work involves studying and researching non-living objects, living organisms, disease or other forms of impairment, or human behavior. Investigative occupations are often associated with physical, life, medical, or social sciences, and can be found in the fields of humanities, mathematics/statistics, information technology, or health care service. |
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Values of the Work Environment |
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83% | Achievement - Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement. | |
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78% | Independence - Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy. | |
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72% | Recognition - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status. | |
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70% | Working Conditions - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions. |
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Abilities | Cognitive, Physical, Personality |
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78% | Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand. | |
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75% | Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing. | |
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75% | Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand. | |
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75% | Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences. | |
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75% | Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you. | |
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72% | Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense. | |
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69% | Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events). | |
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66% | Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person. |
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Attributes & Percentage of Time Spent |
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99% | Electronic Mail - How often do you use electronic mail in this job? | |
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93% | Freedom to Make Decisions - How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer? | |
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92% | Structured versus Unstructured Work - To what extent is this job structured for the worker, rather than allowing the worker to determine tasks, priorities, and goals? | |
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86% | Face-to-Face Discussions - How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job? | |
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83% | Spend Time Sitting - How much does this job require sitting? | |
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81% | Contact With Others - How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it? | |
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81% | Public Speaking - How often do you have to perform public speaking in this job? | |
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80% | Indoors, Environmentally Controlled - How often does this job require working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions? | |
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72% | Importance of Being Exact or Accurate - How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job? | |
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76% | Duration of Typical Work Week - Number of hours typically worked in one week. |
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Tasks & Values |
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93% | Getting Information - Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources. | |
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86% | Training and Teaching Others - Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others. | |
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84% | Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge - Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job. | |
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83% | Thinking Creatively - Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions. | |
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82% | Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events - Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events. | |
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81% | Working with Computers - Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information. | |
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79% | Analyzing Data or Information - Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts. | |
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78% | Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others - Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used. | |
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74% | Processing Information - Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data. | |
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69% | Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work - Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work. | |
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68% | Making Decisions and Solving Problems - Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems. |
Postsecondary teachers instruct students in a variety of academic subjects beyond the high school level. They may also conduct research and publish scholarly papers and books.
Postsecondary teachers typically do the following:
Postsecondary teachers, often referred to as professors or faculty, specialize in a variety of subjects and fields. At colleges and universities, professors are organized into departments by degree field, such as history, science, or business. A professor may teach one or more courses within that department. For example, a mathematics professor may teach calculus, statistics, and a graduate seminar on a topic related to polynomials.
Postsecondary teachers’ duties vary, often based on the size of their employing institution. In large colleges or universities, they may teach courses, conduct research or experiments, publish original research, apply for grants to fund their research, or supervise graduate teaching assistants. In small colleges and universities or in community colleges, they may spend most of their time teaching courses and working with students.
Full-time professors, particularly those who have tenure (that is, they cannot be fired without just cause), often are expected to devote a great deal of time on original research. Tenured professors must document their analyses or critical reviews and publish their research findings. They also may be expected to serve on college and university committees.
Part-time professors, often known as adjunct professors, usually spend most of their time teaching students.
Professors may teach large classes of several hundred students (often with the help of graduate teaching assistants), smaller classes of about 40 to 50 students, seminars with a few students, or laboratories in which students practice the subject matter. Some teach online, either exclusively or in addition to providing live instruction.
Professors’ tasks also may include collaborating with their colleagues and attending conferences to keep up with developments in their field.
Information about postsecondary teachers who provide vocational training in subjects such as repair, transportation, and cosmetology is available in the profile on career and technical education teachers.
Postsecondary teachers held about 1.3 million jobs in 2022. Employment in the detailed occupations that make up postsecondary teachers was distributed as follows:
| Health specialties teachers, postsecondary | 262,800 |
| Art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary | 123,900 |
| Business teachers, postsecondary | 99,900 |
| Nursing instructors and teachers, postsecondary | 85,900 |
| Education teachers, postsecondary | 74,300 |
| English language and literature teachers, postsecondary | 70,100 |
| Biological science teachers, postsecondary | 62,400 |
| Mathematical science teachers, postsecondary | 55,900 |
| Psychology teachers, postsecondary | 50,900 |
| Engineering teachers, postsecondary | 45,500 |
| Computer science teachers, postsecondary | 42,000 |
| Communications teachers, postsecondary | 33,600 |
| Philosophy and religion teachers, postsecondary | 29,100 |
| Chemistry teachers, postsecondary | 25,900 |
| Foreign language and literature teachers, postsecondary | 24,700 |
| History teachers, postsecondary | 22,800 |
| Law teachers, postsecondary | 19,800 |
| Political science teachers, postsecondary | 19,300 |
| Social sciences teachers, postsecondary, all other | 19,200 |
| Criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondary | 16,500 |
| Recreation and fitness studies teachers, postsecondary | 16,300 |
| Physics teachers, postsecondary | 16,200 |
| Social work teachers, postsecondary | 15,500 |
| Sociology teachers, postsecondary | 15,000 |
| Economics teachers, postsecondary | 14,800 |
| Atmospheric, earth, marine, and space sciences teachers, postsecondary | 13,600 |
| Area, ethnic, and cultural studies teachers, postsecondary | 11,900 |
| Agricultural sciences teachers, postsecondary | 10,100 |
| Architecture teachers, postsecondary | 8,200 |
| Environmental science teachers, postsecondary | 7,900 |
| Anthropology and archeology teachers, postsecondary | 6,200 |
| Library science teachers, postsecondary | 5,400 |
| Geography teachers, postsecondary | 4,100 |
| Family and consumer sciences teachers, postsecondary | 2,900 |
| Forestry and conservation science teachers, postsecondary | 1,500 |
The largest employers of postsecondary teachers were as follows:
| Colleges, universities, and professional schools; private | 41% |
| Colleges, universities, and professional schools; state | 39 |
| Junior colleges; local | 10 |
| Junior colleges; state | 6 |
Postsecondary teachers often find it rewarding to share their expertise with students and colleagues. However, it may be stressful, especially for beginning teachers seeking advancement, to balance teaching duties with an emphasis on research and publication. At the community college level, professors are more likely to focus on teaching students.
Most postsecondary teachers work full time, although part-time work is common. Postsecondary teachers who work part time may offer instruction at several colleges or universities. Some have a full-time job in their field of expertise in addition to a part-time teaching position. For example, an active lawyer or judge might teach an evening course at a law school.
College and university courses are generally during the day, although some are offered in the evenings or on weekends to accommodate students who have jobs or other obligations.
Academic calendars typically include breaks, such as between terms. The availability and type of course offerings during the summer vary by institution. Although some postsecondary teachers provide instruction in summer courses, others use the time to conduct research or engage in professional development.
Postsecondary teachers’ schedules generally are flexible. Full-time teachers typically need to be on campus to teach classes and have office hours but otherwise are free to set their own schedules.
Educational requirements vary with the subject taught and the type of educational institution. Typically, postsecondary teachers must have a Ph.D. or other doctoral degree in their field. However, a master's degree may be enough for some postsecondary teachers at community colleges. Other postsecondary teachers may need work experience in their field of expertise.
Postsecondary teachers who work for 4-year colleges and universities typically need a Ph.D. or other doctorate in their field of degree. For some specialties or for part-time positions, schools may hire those with a master’s degree or who are doctoral degree candidates.
Doctoral programs usually take several years to complete, and students typically need a bachelor’s or master’s degree to enroll. Most Ph.D. programs require students to write a doctoral dissertation, a paper presenting original research in their field of study, which they then defend in questioning from experts. Candidates usually specialize in a subfield, such as organic chemistry or European history.
Community colleges may hire those with a master’s degree. However, some institutions prefer that applicants have a Ph.D.
Institutions may prefer to hire those with teaching or other work experience.
In some fields, such as health specialties, art, law, and education, hands-on work experience is especially important. Postsecondary teachers in these fields often gain experience by working in an occupation related to their field of study.
In other fields, such as biological science, physics, and chemistry, some postsecondary teachers have postdoctoral research experience. Sometimes called a “post-doc,” this experience takes the form of a job that usually involves working for 2 to 3 years as a research associate or in a similar position, often at a college or university.
Some postsecondary teachers gain teaching experience by working as graduate teaching assistants—students who are enrolled in a graduate program and teach classes at the institution in which they are enrolled.
Postsecondary teachers who prepare students for an occupation that requires a license, certification, or registration, may need to have—or may benefit from having—the same credential. For example, a postsecondary nursing teacher might need a nursing license or a postsecondary education teacher might need a teaching license.
Postsecondary teachers with a doctoral degree often seek tenure—a guarantee that a professor cannot be fired without just cause. Attaining tenure may take up to 7 years of progressing through the positions by rank: assistant professor, associate professor, and professor. The decision to grant tenure is based on a candidate’s research, contribution to the institution, and teaching.
Some professors advance to high-level administrative positions, such as dean or president. For information on deans and other administrative positions, see the profile on postsecondary education administrators. For more information about college and university presidents, see the profile on top executives.
Overall employment of postsecondary teachers is projected to grow 8 percent from 2022 to 2032, faster than the average for all occupations.
About 118,800 openings for postsecondary teachers are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Projected employment of postsecondary teachers varies by occupation (see table). Both part-time and full-time postsecondary teachers are included in these projections.
The number of people attending postsecondary institutions is expected to grow over the projections decade. Students will continue to seek higher education to gain the knowledge and skills necessary to meet their career goals. As more people enter colleges and universities, more postsecondary teachers will be needed to serve these additional students. Colleges and universities are likely to hire more part-time teachers to meet this demand. In all disciplines, there is expected to be a limited number of full-time nontenure and full-time tenure positions.
A growing number of older people, who are more likely than young people to need medical care, will create increased demand for healthcare. More postsecondary teachers are expected to be needed to help educate workers who provide healthcare services.
However, despite expected increases in enrollment, employment growth in public colleges and universities will depend on state and local government budgets. If budgets for higher education are reduced, employment growth may be limited.
For more information about postsecondary teachers, visit
This table shows a list of occupations with job duties that are similar to those of postsecondary teachers.
| Occupation | Job Duties | Entry-Level Education | Median Annual Pay, May 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Career and Technical Education Teachers |
Career and technical education teachers instruct students in various technical and vocational subjects, such as auto repair, healthcare, and culinary arts. |
Bachelor's degree | $61,450 |
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Elementary, Middle, and High School Principals |
Elementary, middle, and high school principals oversee all school operations, including daily school activities. |
Master's degree | $101,320 |
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Instructional Coordinators |
Instructional coordinators oversee school curriculums and teaching standards. They develop instructional material, implement it, and assess its effectiveness. |
Master's degree | $66,490 |
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Postsecondary Education Administrators |
Postsecondary education administrators oversee student services, academics, and faculty research at colleges and universities. |
Master's degree | $99,940 |