Philosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary

Education and TrainingO*NET 25-1126.00United States

Teach courses in philosophy, religion, and theology. 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
Projected change: +9.1%
Typical education: Doctoral degree or more
Employment: 1.78M jobs

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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 philosophy and religion 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.
Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students and the community on topics such as ethics, logic, and contemporary religious thought.
Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.
Maintain student attendance records, grades, and other required records.
Write articles and books.
Conduct research in a particular field of knowledge and publish findings in professional journals, books, or electronic media.
Perform administrative duties, such as serving as department head.
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.
Supervise undergraduate or graduate teaching, internship, and research work.
Select and obtain materials and supplies, such as textbooks.
Collaborate with colleagues to address teaching and research issues.
Serve on academic or administrative committees that deal with institutional policies, departmental matters, and academic issues.
Participate in student recruitment, registration, and placement activities.
Participate in campus and community events.
Compile bibliographies of specialized materials for outside reading assignments.
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.

Doctoral degree or more: 86.3%
Master's or Professional degree: 13.7%

Skills

Skills employers ask for

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

Theology
Religious Studies
Discipleship
Student Engagement
Learning Management Systems
Curriculum Development
Syllabus Development
Fundraising
Marketing
Pedagogy
Online Teaching
Social Sciences
Talent Management
Public Relations
Lesson Planning
Classroom Management
Liberal Arts
Spiritual Care
Educational Technologies
Educational Assessment

How the work gets done

Core competencies

Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.

Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
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.
Instructing: Teaching others how to do something.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
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.
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.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
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.
Systems Analysis: Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.
Time Management: Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Persuasion: Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Management of Personnel Resources: Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
Negotiation: Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.

In the market

Job titles and employers

Recent job postings in United States

Common job titles

01Adjunct Faculties298 postings
02Adjunct Professors of Philosophy197 postings
03Philosophy Adjunct Instructors181 postings
04Philosophy Instructors170 postings
05Lecturers in Philosophy150 postings
06Theology Teachers81 postings
07Philosophy Specialists67 postings
08Jewish Educators66 postings
09Student Staff60 postings
10Advanced Specialists53 postings
11Adjuncts47 postings
12Campus Ministry Interns44 postings
13Adjunct Instructors37 postings
14Directors of Campus Ministry37 postings
15Religious Studies Teachers36 postings
16Faculties30 postings
17Lecturers26 postings
18Student Pastors23 postings
19Non-Tenure Track Faculties21 postings
20Biology Adjunct Faculties19 postings

Top employers

01Young Life122 postings
02Herc72 postings
03Intervarsity Christian Fellowship/USA70 postings
04ChurchStaffing65 postings
05Pearson Education54 postings
06Lone Star College System45 postings
07Archdiocese Of St. Louis39 postings
08National Staffing Solutions38 postings
09Youth For Christ36 postings
10Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life32 postings
11Norton Healthcare32 postings
12Aurora Public Schools28 postings
13Mount Wachusett Community College28 postings
14The University of Texas at Austin28 postings
15Grand Canyon University25 postings
16Tennessee Board of Regents23 postings
17DePaul University22 postings
18California State University-Fullerton20 postings
19Edjoin.Org19 postings
20Ivy Tech Community College19 postings

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