Philosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary vs Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary: Similar Median Pay, Different Work

Philosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary vs Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary: what changes?

Consider Philosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary if you want to teach courses in philosophy, religion, and theology. Consider Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary if you would rather teach courses in psychology, such as child, clinical, and developmental psychology, and psychological counseling. Both list doctoral or professional degree; compare training and prior experience separately.

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Philosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary and Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences

Philosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary

National median pay (2025): $80,260
Route into the job: Doctoral or professional degree
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate: Evaluate and grade students' class work, assignments, and papers.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 1,800

Know before you choose

Review the full career brief for day-to-day working conditions.

See the full Philosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary brief

Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary

National median pay (2025): $80,340
Route into the job: Doctoral or professional degree
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate: Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as abnormal psychology, cognitive processes, and work motivation.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 3,700

Know before you choose

Review the full career brief for day-to-day working conditions.

See the full Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary brief

How the national numbers differ

Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary has the edge on projected growth

Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary is at 4% projected growth, compared with 2% projected growth for Philosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary.

Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary has the edge on annual openings

Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary is at 3,700 annual openings, compared with 1,800 annual openings for Philosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary.

National pay benchmarks are very similar.

Compare actual offers, expected paid hours, schedule, and benefits before treating either career as the higher-paying option.

42.5/ 100

Philosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary

52.4/ 100

Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence

Philosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary vs Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary

Dimension	Philosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary	Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary
Median pay (2025)	$80,260	$80,340
Pay percentile	72.7 percentile	72.9 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)	2%	4%
Annual openings (2025–2035)	1,800	3,700
2025 employment	26,800	52,300
How you qualify	Doctoral or professional degree	Doctoral or professional degree
O*NET preparation group	Job Zone 5	Job Zone 5
Related work experience	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
On-the-job training	BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.	BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.

The table reports national benchmarks and reviewed work descriptions. It does not rate personal suitability, job security, or physical safety.

Read Philosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary brief Read Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary brief

Philosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary vs Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary: what changes?

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Philosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary

Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary

How the national numbers differ

Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary has the edge on projected growth

Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary has the edge on annual openings

National pay benchmarks are very similar.

Philosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary vs Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary

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