Economics Teachers, Postsecondary: Career Overview
Teach courses in economics. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
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The Daily Work of Economics Teachers, Postsecondary Perform?
The core tasks performed by economics teachers, postsecondary span:
- Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as econometrics, price theory, and macroeconomics.
- Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
- Conduct research in a particular field of knowledge and publish findings in professional journals, books, or electronic media.
- Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.
- Evaluate and grade students' class work, assignments, and papers.
- Plan, evaluate, and revise curricula, course content, course materials, and methods of instruction.
- Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
- Maintain student attendance records, grades, and other required records.
Skills and Knowledge
Successful economics teachers, postsecondary combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Most Important Skills
The competencies most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Top Knowledge Areas
Other Economics Teachers, Postsecondary Job Titles
People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:
- Accounting Lecturer
- Adjunct Economics Instructor
- Adjunct Economics Professor
- Adjunct Professor
- Agricultural Economics Professor
- Agricultural Economics Teacher
- Assistant Professor
- Associate Professor
Employment and Demand
The U.S. employs around 807,075 economics teachers, postsecondary working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to grow by +2.9% over the projection horizon.
Economics Teachers, Postsecondary Pay
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $69,831 |
| Hourly median | $33.57 |
| 10th percentile | $41,396 |
| 25th percentile | $55,613 |
| 75th percentile | $84,048 |
| 90th percentile | $98,265 |
Wages vary widely based on experience, location, and industry.
Economics Teachers, Postsecondary Salary by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| New Hampshire | $154,840 |
| Connecticut | $136,630 |
| Massachusetts | $135,070 |
| District of Columbia | $134,620 |
| New York | $134,480 |
| California | $133,230 |
| Arizona | $131,710 |
| Maryland | $128,150 |
| Virginia | $127,420 |
| New Jersey | $127,050 |
| Illinois | $125,230 |
| Michigan | $123,840 |
| Texas | $121,610 |
| Pennsylvania | $120,010 |
| Maine | $118,150 |
| Alabama | $116,190 |
| North Carolina | $109,890 |
| Iowa | $108,320 |
| Kentucky | $107,810 |
| Georgia | $107,680 |
| Vermont | $107,040 |
| New Mexico | $105,570 |
| Tennessee | $104,760 |
| Minnesota | $103,920 |
| Wisconsin | $103,740 |
| Oregon | $103,560 |
| Oklahoma | $102,930 |
| Indiana | $102,780 |
| Utah | $102,590 |
| Idaho | $102,100 |
| Delaware | $101,670 |
| South Carolina | $101,110 |
| Arkansas | $100,110 |
| Kansas | $99,320 |
| Colorado | $98,060 |
| Ohio | $96,840 |
| Mississippi | $95,420 |
| West Virginia | $86,250 |
| Washington | $85,630 |
| Florida | $56,560 |
Pay by U.S. Region
Compensation for economics teachers, postsecondary shift depending on where you work. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middle Atlantic | $129,151 | 22.8% | 1.59 |
| New England | $124,665 | 11.7% | 2.44 |
| Far Western US | $122,729 | 11.7% | 0.74 |
| Southwest | $119,584 | 9.3% | 0.75 |
| Great Lakes | $113,582 | 13.3% | 0.94 |
| Southeast | $100,659 | 22.4% | 0.99 |
| Rocky Mountains | $99,990 | 4.0% | 1.11 |
| Plains States | $77,008 | 4.9% | 0.91 |
Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Economics Teachers, Postsecondary
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | CA | $186,670 | 60 |
| College Station-Bryan, TX | TX | $168,620 | 60 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | TX | $162,440 | 120 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | MA | $162,050 | 550 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | NY | $157,180 | 1,030 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | DC | $155,870 | 320 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $153,130 | 140 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $145,190 | 170 |
Industry Breakdown
The largest employers of economics teachers, postsecondary are concentrated in the following sectors:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Educational Services | 12,420 | n/a |
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Tech Stack
- Web page creation and editing software: Facebook (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Google Docs (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Object or component oriented development software: Python (hot technology)
- Object or component oriented development software: R (hot technology)
- Analytical or scientific software: The MathWorks MATLAB (hot technology)
- Computer based training software: Learning management system LMS (in demand)
Work Environment
The on-the-job environment of economics teachers, postsecondary reflects the following characteristics:
- Freedom to Make Decisions
- Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Spend Time Sitting
Getting Started in This Career
The role falls in Extensive Preparation Needed (Job Zone 5), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
- Education Administrators, Postsecondary (Supplemental)
- Economists (Primary-Short)
- Environmental Economists (Supplemental)
- Business Teachers, Postsecondary (Primary-Short)
- Mathematical Science Teachers, Postsecondary (Primary-Short)
- Agricultural Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary (Supplemental)
- Forestry and Conservation Science Teachers, Postsecondary (Supplemental)
- Environmental Science Teachers, Postsecondary (Supplemental)
References
Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 25-1063.00 (Economics Teachers, Postsecondary).