College/University Faculty

Work Tasks

Give lectures to students, lead discussion groups, and help students do lab work
Grade exams and papers and give students advice
Do research in the subjects they teach
Write books and articles about their research
Work in classrooms, labs, and offices for colleges and universities
Work with grade books, textbooks, exams and projects, charts, maps, graphs, posters, lab equipment, and audio and visual equipment

Salary, Size & Growth

$75,500 average per year ($36.25 per hour)
A very large occupation (1,426,600 workers in 2010)
Expected to grow moderately (1.5% per year)

Education/Training

Minimum for Entry: A 4-year degree
Employers Prefer: A master's or Ph.D. for higher ranking teaching positions
Skills/Courses: Doctoral programs, including time spent completing a master's degree and a dissertation, take an average of 6 to 8 years of full-time study beyond the bachelor's degree.