Communications Teachers, Postsecondary

Education and TrainingO*NET 25-1122.00United States

Teach courses in communications, such as organizational communications, public relations, radio/television broadcasting, and journalism. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.

COMING SOON See related ASU learning
Median annual earnings
$84,440

50th percentile, United States

Projected change
+9.1%

2025 to 2035

Typical education
Master's or Professional degree

71.8% of the workforce

Employment
1.78M jobs

Growing to 1.94M by 2035

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Compare nationwide estimates with state or county job-market data.

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Build the skills

ASU learning related to this career

These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.

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The work

What communications teachers, postsecondary do

Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.

  • Evaluate and grade students' class work, assignments, and papers.
  • Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
  • Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
  • Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
  • Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as public speaking, media criticism, and oral traditions.
  • Maintain student attendance records, grades, and other required records.
  • Plan, evaluate, and revise curricula, course content, course materials, and methods of instruction.
  • Maintain regularly scheduled office hours to advise and assist students.
  • Advise students on academic and vocational curricula and on career issues.
  • Select and obtain materials and supplies, such as textbooks.
  • Collaborate with colleagues to address teaching and research issues.
  • Participate in student recruitment, registration, and placement activities.
  • Keep abreast of developments and technological advances in the communication field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.
  • Serve on academic or administrative committees that deal with institutional policies, departmental matters, and academic issues.
  • Participate in campus and community events.
  • Conduct research in a particular field of knowledge and publish findings in professional journals, books, or electronic media.
  • Act as advisers to student organizations.

Pay and outlook

What the job pays and where it is heading

Annual earnings range

Reported earnings by percentile, United States

10th percentile
$49,147
25th percentile
$62,814
50th percentile
$84,440
75th percentile
$118,952
90th percentile
$175,749

The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $84,440 and half earn less.

Employment outlook

2025 to 2035 projection

+9.1%faster than average
20251,782,325 jobs
2035 projected1,944,527 jobs

162,202 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.

Preparation

Education levels

What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.

Master's or Professional degree
71.8%
Doctoral degree or more
28.2%

Skills

Skills employers ask for

Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.

  • Communication Studies
  • Journalism
  • Public Relations
  • Syllabus Development
  • Student Engagement
  • Learning Management Systems
  • Mass Communication
  • Talent Management
  • Curriculum Development
  • Pedagogy
  • Strategic Communication
  • Educational Technologies
  • Marketing
  • Rhetoric
  • Organizational Communications
  • Student Learning Outcomes
  • Online Teaching
  • Broadcasting
  • Distance Learning
  • Graphic Design

How the work gets done

Core competencies

Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.

Speaking
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Reading Comprehension
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Instructing
Teaching others how to do something.
Active Listening
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Writing
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Learning Strategies
Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
Active Learning
Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Critical Thinking
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Monitoring
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Complex Problem Solving
Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Judgment and Decision Making
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Social Perceptiveness
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Time Management
Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Systems Analysis
Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
Negotiation
Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
Persuasion
Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Service Orientation
Actively looking for ways to help people.
Coordination
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Systems Evaluation
Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
Management of Personnel Resources
Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.

In the market

Job titles and employers

Recent job postings in United States

Common job titles

  1. 01Adjunct Faculties573 postings
  2. 02Communications Faculties151 postings
  3. 03Adjunct Communications Instructors135 postings
  4. 04Communication Lecturers132 postings
  5. 05Communication Instructors74 postings
  6. 06Communication Studies Instructors71 postings
  7. 07Adjunct Lecturers32 postings
  8. 08Adjuncts32 postings
  9. 09Faculties31 postings
  10. 10Adjunct Instructors29 postings
  11. 11Adjunct Art Faculties28 postings
  12. 12English Faculties26 postings
  13. 13Adjunct Professors of Communications22 postings
  14. 14Adjunct English Faculties21 postings
  15. 15Assistant Professors of Communication Studies19 postings
  16. 16Professors of Journalism16 postings
  17. 17Biology Adjunct Faculties15 postings
  18. 18Journalism Instructors14 postings
  19. 19Lecturers14 postings
  20. 20Non-Tenure Track Faculties14 postings

Top employers

  1. 01Lone Star College System107 postings
  2. 02Ivy Tech Community College64 postings
  3. 03Herc61 postings
  4. 04College of the Sequoias58 postings
  5. 05DePaul University51 postings
  6. 06Tennessee Board of Regents47 postings
  7. 07Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana37 postings
  8. 08Imperial Valley College24 postings
  9. 09Salt Lake Community College24 postings
  10. 10Community College of Allegheny County23 postings
  11. 11Davenport University23 postings
  12. 12Northeastern University22 postings
  13. 13Syracuse University22 postings
  14. 14California State University-Chancellors Office20 postings
  15. 15Edjoin.Org18 postings
  16. 16St. Louis Community College18 postings
  17. 17University of Cincinnati18 postings
  18. 18Frederick Community College17 postings
  19. 19University of Minnesota17 postings
  20. 20Western Kentucky University17 postings

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