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College Professor

Teaches and mentors college students while conducting original research in a chosen field.

$55,000–$140,000 Average growth Advanced

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College professors split their time between teaching, research, and institutional service, shaping not just what students know but how they think within a discipline. The role requires deep subject expertise, developed over years of doctoral study, and the ability to communicate complex ideas to students at wildly different levels of preparation.

Beyond the classroom, most professors are expected to publish original research, which means grant writing, data collection, and the slow grind of peer review alongside lecture prep and grading. Tenure-track positions offer significant job security and academic freedom once earned, but the path there is long and competitive, with many qualified PhDs competing for a limited number of openings.

Higher education is evolving with more online and hybrid programs, and while adjunct and non-tenure-track positions have grown as a share of teaching roles, full-time faculty positions remain a respected, intellectually rich career for those willing to navigate the competitive path to get there.

A day in the life

The morning might start prepping a lecture or reviewing student questions from an online discussion board. Class time itself is spent lecturing or leading discussion, followed by office hours where students drop in with questions. The afternoon is often reserved for research — analyzing data, writing, or advising graduate students — and committee meetings on curriculum or department matters round out the week.

Pros

  • Deep intellectual engagement with a chosen field
  • Academic freedom, especially with tenure
  • Meaningful mentorship of students
  • Flexible schedule outside of class time

Cons

  • Long, competitive path to a permanent position
  • Publish-or-perish pressure in research-focused roles
  • Pay can lag industry equivalents
  • Growing reliance on lower-paid adjunct positions

Required skills

Subject Matter ExpertiseResearch DesignPublic SpeakingScientific WritingMentoring

Nice to have

Grant WritingCurriculum DevelopmentStatistics

PhD or terminal degree in the relevant field required for tenure-track positions

Recommended courses

Public Speaking with Impact

Elevate Learning Co.

8h · Beginner · Free

Open roles

Assistant Professor, Economics

Alderbrook University · Cambridge, MA

ONSITE

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