Education & Library
Communications Teachers, Postsecondary
Also called: Communication Arts Professor, Communication Instructor, Communication Lecturer, Communication Professor
US median pay
$78,580
per year, 2025
Job growth 2025–35
+2.1%
about average or slower
Openings a year (US)
2,400
35,800 employed
Typical entry education
Doctoral or professional degree
Preparation 5/5 · Extensive preparation
What this job is
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.
What they do day to day
- Evaluate and grade students' class work, assignments, and papers.
- Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
- Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
- Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
- Conduct research in a particular field of knowledge and publish findings in professional journals, books, or electronic media.
- Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as public speaking, media criticism, and oral traditions.
- Keep abreast of developments and technological advances in the communication field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.
- Maintain student attendance records, grades, and other required records.
- Supervise undergraduate or graduate teaching, internship, and research work.
- Plan, evaluate, and revise curricula, course content, course materials, and methods of instruction.
Skills and knowledge that matter most
Skills
- Instructing4.2/5
- Complex Problem Solving3.6/5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.5/5
- Social Perceptiveness3.4/5
- Time Management3.1/5
- Systems Evaluation3.1/5
- Systems Analysis3.1/5
- Service Orientation3.1/5
Knowledge
- Communications and Media5.0/5
- English Language4.8/5
- Education and Training4.2/5
- Customer and Personal Service3.4/5
- Law and Government3.3/5
- Telecommunications3.2/5
Importance rated by people working in the job (1 = not important, 5 = extremely important).
Education and preparation
Preparation level 5 of 5 — Extensive preparation. Usually a graduate degree (master's, PhD, MD, JD) and extensive experience.
Typical entry education (BLS): Doctoral or professional degree.
Highest education of people in this job:
- Master's degree71%
- Doctoral degree17%
- Post-doctoral training11%
Who this job suits
Mostly Social
Helping, teaching and caring for people
Investigative
Ideas, research and solving problems
Artistic
Creating, designing and self-expression
Based on the Holland (RIASEC) interest profile for this occupation.