Education Teachers, Postsecondary

Impact: Educational outcomes

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.

What do Education Teachers, Postsecondary do?

What the work is really like

You teach future teachers. Your students are training to work in K-12 classrooms, designing curriculum, or leading school counselling programmes. Some want to teach abroad or work with adult learners. Your job is to prepare them for that work through a mix of theory, practical training, and guided reflection. You might spend Monday morning delivering a lecture on differentiated instruction, Tuesday afternoon supervising student teachers in local schools, and Wednesday evening reviewing lesson plans submitted by graduate students. The work cycles around the academic calendar, with peaks during midterms and finals, and the rhythm is steady rather than urgent. Most of your time goes into preparing lectures, grading reflective assignments, meeting with students who are struggling with classroom management, and attending department meetings where you debate accreditation standards or programme redesigns. You also conduct research. Publish or perish is real in this field, and your institution expects you to contribute to the academic literature on pedagogy, literacy, or teacher preparation. That means carving out time between teaching commitments to write articles, collect data, and present at conferences.

The problems you solve are both intellectual and practical. How do you teach someone to teach reading when they have never thought about phonemic awareness? How do you help a student teacher who freezes in front of a class of seventh graders? You work closely with local schools to place student teachers, and you maintain those relationships year after year. When a placement falls apart or a student fails a practicum, you step in. The work is slower and more collaborative than most academic roles. You depend on school principals, supervising teachers, and university colleagues to make the whole system function.

Skills and strengths that matter

You need to know teaching inside out. That includes curriculum design, assessment theory, classroom management, and how students learn across different stages of development. You also need fluency in the specific content areas your students will teach, whether that is literacy, mathematics, or English as a second language. Research skills matter as much as teaching ability. You should be comfortable designing studies, analysing qualitative or quantitative data, and writing for academic journals. Much of your career advancement depends on your publication record. Instructing others is the core of the job, so plan to model the teaching techniques you want your students to adopt. If you lecture poorly or rely on outdated methods, your students notice. Speaking clearly and holding attention in a three-hour seminar takes stamina and clarity. The soft skills that matter most are patience and adaptability. Your students range from undergraduates taking their first education course to experienced teachers returning for a master's degree, and you adjust your approach constantly. Learning strategies matter when students struggle: you diagnose gaps, suggest new approaches, and help them think about their own thinking.

The mindset that works here is sustained curiosity about how people learn. You read research, try new teaching methods, and reflect on what worked. You also need comfort with ambiguity. Education is full of competing philosophies, and your students will push back on ideas you present. The work suits people who enjoy mentoring over time and who do not need immediate results. You plant seeds, not all of which you see grow.

Who tends to thrive here

This career fits people who are drawn to both ideas and application. You like theory, but you care more about how it translates into classrooms. Extroverts who recharge through conversation often do well, and introverts who enjoy structured interaction do fine as well. You spend most of your time with people, in constant back and forth. If you need long stretches of solo work, this role will drain you. People who value autonomy and intellectual freedom tend to stay. You design your own courses, pursue your own research questions, and manage your own schedule within broad institutional constraints. Those who need high variety or fast-paced problem-solving may find the work repetitive. You teach similar content each semester, and change happens slowly in higher education.

The role appeals to former K-12 teachers who want to influence education at a systemic level. It also suits people who enjoy academia but want to stay connected to applied work. If you dislike bureaucracy, the job will frustrate you. Accreditation reviews, committee work, and institutional politics consume more time than you expect. People with families often appreciate the schedule flexibility, though tenure-track expectations can create pressure. The work is demanding but rarely urgent outside of grading deadlines.

How people get into the role and grow

You need a doctoral degree in education or a closely related field. Most universities will not consider candidates without one. The typical route starts with a bachelor's degree in education or a subject area, followed by teaching experience in a K-12 setting. Many candidates spend three to seven years in schools before starting a PhD programme. During the doctorate, you teach as a graduate assistant, conduct research, and publish at least one article before you finish. Your first academic job is usually a tenure-track assistant professor role at a regional university or a teaching-intensive college. Early years focus on establishing your research agenda, refining your teaching, and learning how the institution works. You apply for tenure after five to six years, and the decision hinges on your publication record, teaching evaluations, and service contributions. Mid-career faculty often take on leadership roles such as programme director or department chair. Some move into administrative positions such as dean of the school of education. Others build their research profile and gain national recognition in a subfield. A few leave academia to work in educational policy or nonprofit organisations focused on teacher training.

The field is stable but not growing rapidly, with demand expected to rise by just over two per cent through 2033.

From people working as Education Teachers, Postsecondary

Every day is a mix of preparing lectures, grading papers, and guiding students through complex topics. It's to see students grasp new concepts, but it also demands constant adaptation to new teaching methods and technologies. Research and administrative tasks often fill the gaps between classes, making for a busy but intellectually stimulating environment. The interaction with diverse minds keeps the work fresh and engaging.

Drawn from American Educational Research Association (AERA), The Chronicle of Higher Education, r/Professors

Attribution: Composite

Composite · Synthesised from American Educational Research Association (AERA), The Chronicle of Higher Education, r/Professors

A day in the life of Education Teachers, Postsecondary

People interaction
Extensive
Team vs solo
90% Team / 10% Solo
Client facing
Frequent
Impact visibility
Moderate
Travel
Minimal
Schedule flexibility
Flexible
Remote work
On-site Only
Typical work hours
40-50
Stress level
Moderate

Education Teachers, Postsecondary salary, education and outlook at a glance

Median salary
$157,879
Entry-level
$107,500
Senior
$213,000
Growth by 2033
+2.1%
Demand
Stable
Freelance potential
Moderate
Salary growth potential
202%
Typical student debt
Very High

Skills you need as Education Teachers, Postsecondary

Hard skills

  • Education and Training
  • Complex Problem Solving
  • Analytical or scientific software

Soft skills

  • Learning Strategies
  • Instructing
  • Speaking

Technical complexity: Low

Tools Education Teachers, Postsecondary use

Core tools

  • Canvas LMS (Platform): Manage courses, assignments, and student interactions in a digital environment.
  • Microsoft PowerPoint (Software): Create and deliver engaging presentations for lectures and seminars.
  • Zoom (Service): Facilitate online classes, meetings, and virtual office hours.

Commonly used

  • JSTOR (Database): Access a vast archive of academic journals, books, and primary sources for research.
  • Zotero (Software): Organize research, generate citations, and create bibliographies.
  • Turnitin (Service): Check student submissions for plagiarism and provide feedback on academic integrity.

Specialist tools

  • SPSS (Software): Analyze quantitative data for educational research and statistical studies.

How to become Education Teachers, Postsecondary

Minimum education
Doctoral or Professional Degree
Licensing
No
Years to mid-career
5-9
Years to senior
15-25
Career switching
Moderate

Where Education Teachers, Postsecondary come from

  • High School Teacher: Transitioning from secondary education to specialize in postsecondary instruction.
  • Instructional Designer: Moving from designing learning experiences to directly delivering them in a classroom setting.
  • Curriculum Developer: Shifting from creating educational programs to teaching and refining them at the university level.
  • Educational Consultant: Transitioning from advising educational institutions to directly engaging with students and research.

Where Education Teachers, Postsecondary go next

  • Department Chair: Advancing into a leadership role managing academic programs and faculty within a department.
  • Dean of Faculty: Progressing to a senior administrative position overseeing multiple academic departments.
  • Educational Researcher: Focusing more intensely on conducting and publishing scholarly research in education.
  • University Administrator: Moving into broader administrative roles within the university, beyond a specific department.
  • Academic Advisor: Transitioning to a role focused primarily on guiding students through their academic and career paths.

Typical Education Teachers, Postsecondary progression

  1. Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors
  2. Education Teachers, Postsecondary
  3. or Sociology Teachers, Postsecondary

Education Teachers, Postsecondary job outlook and future demand

Automation probability
0.3861
AI disruption risk
Moderate
Demand trend
Stable

Job satisfaction as Education Teachers, Postsecondary

Overall satisfaction
7.2/10
Meaning
8.5/10
Work-life balance
7.5/10
Prestige
7.5/10
Social perception
High

Where Education Teachers, Postsecondary find community

Professional organisations

  • American Educational Research Association (AERA): A national research society that strives to advance knowledge about education, to encourage scholarly inquiry related to education, and to promote the use of research to improve education and serve the public good.

Conferences

  • EDUCAUSE Annual Conference: A leading conference for higher education IT professionals and leaders to explore technology's role in education.

Podcasts and media

Reddit communities

  • r/Professors: An online community for university and college professors to discuss teaching, research, and academic life.

Online communities

Questions people ask about Education Teachers, Postsecondary

How much do Education Teachers, Postsecondary earn?

Pay for Education Teachers, Postsecondary starts around $107,500 at entry level, reaches $157,879 at the median and climbs to $213,000 for the most experienced.

What qualifications do Education Teachers, Postsecondary need?

Most employers look for a Doctoral or Professional Degree, no licensing is required and reaching mid-career takes about 5-9 years.

Can Education Teachers, Postsecondary work remotely?

The work happens on site.

What is the job outlook for Education Teachers, Postsecondary?

Projections put employment growth at +2.1% through 2033, with demand rated Stable.

How exposed are Education Teachers, Postsecondary to automation and AI?

This work carries a moderate risk of disruption from AI.

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