Communications Teachers, Postsecondary
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.
- Median annual earnings
- $84,440
- Projected change
- +9.1%
- Typical education
- Master's or Professional degree
- Employment
- 1.78M jobs
50th percentile, United States
2025 to 2035
71.8% of the workforce
Growing to 1.94M by 2035
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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.
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
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.
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 StatesCommon job titles
- 01Adjunct Faculties573 postings
- 02Communications Faculties151 postings
- 03Adjunct Communications Instructors135 postings
- 04Communication Lecturers132 postings
- 05Communication Instructors74 postings
- 06Communication Studies Instructors71 postings
- 07Adjunct Lecturers32 postings
- 08Adjuncts32 postings
- 09Faculties31 postings
- 10Adjunct Instructors29 postings
- 11Adjunct Art Faculties28 postings
- 12English Faculties26 postings
- 13Adjunct Professors of Communications22 postings
- 14Adjunct English Faculties21 postings
- 15Assistant Professors of Communication Studies19 postings
- 16Professors of Journalism16 postings
- 17Biology Adjunct Faculties15 postings
- 18Journalism Instructors14 postings
- 19Lecturers14 postings
- 20Non-Tenure Track Faculties14 postings
Top employers
- 01Lone Star College System107 postings
- 02Ivy Tech Community College64 postings
- 03Herc61 postings
- 04College of the Sequoias58 postings
- 05DePaul University51 postings
- 06Tennessee Board of Regents47 postings
- 07Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana37 postings
- 08Imperial Valley College24 postings
- 09Salt Lake Community College24 postings
- 10Community College of Allegheny County23 postings
- 11Davenport University23 postings
- 12Northeastern University22 postings
- 13Syracuse University22 postings
- 14California State University-Chancellors Office20 postings
- 15Edjoin.Org18 postings
- 16St. Louis Community College18 postings
- 17University of Cincinnati18 postings
- 18Frederick Community College17 postings
- 19University of Minnesota17 postings
- 20Western Kentucky University17 postings
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