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Education

Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary

Teach courses in psychology, such as child, clinical, and developmental psychology, and psychological counseling. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.

Visual summary of pay, outlook, skills, interests, and preparation for Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary
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Median pay

$80,330
Median annual pay for Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2024
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10-year growth

3.6%
Projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2024–2034 projections
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Annual openings

4,000
Projected annual openings, including growth and replacement demand.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2024–2034 projections
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Employment

52,500
Estimated U.S. employment for Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary in 2024.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2024
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Jobs added or lost

+1,900
Projected numeric employment change from 2024 to 2034.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2024–2034 projections
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Entry preparation

Doctoral or professional degree
Typical education needed to enter Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2024 profile
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O*NET occupation profile

What the work involves

Strongest O*NET signals first.

Essential skills

  1. 1Learning Strategies
  2. 2Reading Comprehension
  3. 3Speaking
  4. 4Active Listening
  5. 5Writing
  6. 6Active Learning

Knowledge areas

  1. 1Psychology
  2. 2English Language
  3. 3Education and Training
  4. 4Sociology and Anthropology
  5. 5Mathematics
  6. 6Therapy and Counseling

Abilities

  1. 1Oral Expression
  2. 2Written Comprehension
  3. 3Written Expression
  4. 4Oral Comprehension
  5. 5Speech Clarity
  6. 6Deductive Reasoning

Career interests

  1. 1Social
  2. 2Investigative
  3. 3Artistic
  4. 4Conventional
  5. 5Enterprising
  6. 6Realistic

Work styles

  1. 1Intellectual Curiosity
  2. 2Dependability
  3. 3Integrity
  4. 4Social Orientation
  5. 5Empathy
  6. 6Achievement Orientation

Work activities

  1. 1Training and Teaching Others
  2. 2Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others
  3. 3Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
  4. 4Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
  5. 5Working with Computers
  6. 6Coaching and Developing Others

Work context

  1. 1Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
  2. 2Freedom to Make Decisions
  3. 3E-Mail
  4. 4Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
  5. 5Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals
  6. 6Contact With Others

Representative tasks

  • Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as abnormal psychology, cognitive processes, and work motivation.
  • Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
  • Evaluate and grade students' class work, laboratory work, assignments, and papers.
  • Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.
  • Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
  • Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
  • Supervise undergraduate or graduate teaching, internship, and research work.
  • Recruit and hire new faculty.

Software and tools

Learning management system LMS · in demandMicrosoft Outlook · hot technologyThe MathWorks MATLAB · hot technologyMicrosoft PowerPoint · hot technologyMicrosoft Office software · hot technologySAS · hot technologyMicrosoft Excel · hot technologyR · hot technologyIBM SPSS Statistics · hot technologyMicrosoft Word · hot technologyGoogle Docs · hot technologyMoodle

Sources

BLS provides national pay, employment, and projections. O*NET provides skills, interests, preparation, tasks, work context, and tools.

ChooseField compares fields using public labor-market and professional sources.