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Employment Snapshot
Postsecondary teachers held nearly 1.7 million jobs in 2006. Most were employed in 4-year
colleges and universities and in 2-year community colleges. Other postsecondary teachers are
employed by schools and institutes that specialize in training people in a specific field,
such as technology centers or culinary schools, or work for businesses that provide
professional development courses to employees of companies. Some career and technical
education teachers work for State and local governments and job training facilities. The
following tabulation shows postsecondary teaching jobs in specialties having 20,000 or more
jobs in 2006:
| Health specialties teachers |
145,000 |
| Graduate teaching assistants |
144,000 |
| Vocational education teachers |
119,000 |
| Art, drama, and music teachers |
88,000 |
| Business teachers |
82,000 |
| English language and literature teachers |
72,000 |
| Education teachers |
67,000 |
| Biological science teachers |
65,000 |
| Mathematical science teachers |
54,000 |
| Nursing instructors and teachers |
46,000 |
| Computer science teachers |
44,000 |
| Engineering teachers |
40,000 |
| Psychology teachers |
37,000 |
| Foreign language and literature teachers |
30,000 |
| Communications teachers |
29,000 |
| History teachers |
26,000 |
| Philosophy and religion teachers |
25,000 |
| Chemistry teachers |
24,000 |
| Recreation and fitness studies teachers |
20,000 |
Job Outlook
Employment of postsecondary teachers is expected to grow much faster than average as
student enrollments continue to increase. However, a significant proportion of these new
jobs will be part-time and non-tenure-track positions. Retirements of current postsecondary
teachers should create numerous openings for all types of postsecondary teachers, so job
opportunities are generally expected to be very good, although they will vary by the subject
taught and the type of educational institution.
Employment change. Postsecondary teachers are expected to grow by 23 percent
between 2006 and 2016, much faster than the average for all occupations. Because of the size
of this occupation and its much faster than average growth rate, postsecondary teachers will
account for 382,000 new jobs, which is among the largest number of new jobs for an
occupation. Projected growth in the occupation will be primarily due to increases in college
and university enrollment over the next decade. This enrollment growth stems mainly from the
expected increase in the population of 18- to 24-year-olds, who constitute the majority of
students at postsecondary institutions, and from the increasing number of high school
graduates who choose to attend these institutions. Adults returning to college to enhance
their career prospects or to update their skills also will continue to create new
opportunities for postsecondary teachers, particularly at community colleges and for-profit
institutions that cater to working adults. However, many postsecondary educational
institutions receive a significant portion of their funding from State and local
governments, so expansion of public higher education will be limited by State and local
budgets.
Job prospects. A significant number of openings in this occupation will be created
by growth in enrollments and the need to replace the large numbers of postsecondary teachers
who are likely to retire over the next decade. Many postsecondary teachers were hired in the
late 1960s and the 1970s to teach members of the baby boom generation, and they are expected
to retire in growing numbers in the years ahead. As a result, Ph.D. recipients seeking jobs
as postsecondary teachers will experience favorable job prospects over the next decade.
Although competition will remain tight for tenure-track positions at 4-year colleges and
universities, there will be available a considerable number of part-time or renewable, term
appointments at these institutions and at community colleges. Opportunities for master’s
degree holders are also expected to be favorable because there will be considerable growth
at community colleges, career education programs, and other institutions that employ them.
Opportunities for graduate teaching assistants are expected to be very good, reflecting
expectations of higher undergraduate enrollments coupled with more modest increases in
graduate student enrollment. Constituting almost 9 percent of all postsecondary teachers,
graduate teaching assistants play an integral role in the postsecondary education system,
and they are expected to continue to do so in the future.
Opportunities will also be excellent for postsecondary vocational teachers due to an
increased emphasis on career and technical education at the postsecondary level. Job growth,
combined with a large number of expected retirements, will result in many job openings for
these workers. Prospects will be best for instructors in specialties that pay well outside
of the teaching field, such as the construction trades and manufacturing technology.
One of the main reasons why students attend postsecondary institutions is to prepare
themselves for careers, so the best job prospects for postsecondary teachers are likely to
be in rapidly growing fields that offer many nonacademic career options. These will include
fields such as business, nursing and other health specialties, and biological sciences.
Community colleges and other institutions offering career and technical education have been
among the most rapidly growing, and these institutions are expected to offer some of the
best opportunities for postsecondary teachers.
From the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook 2008-2009 -
Teachers - Post-Secondary. |
