Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary: Career Profile
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.
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What Do Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary Take On?
The day-to-day responsibilities of psychology teachers, postsecondary include:
- 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.
Skills and Knowledge
Effective psychology teachers, postsecondary combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Most Important Skills
These are the skills most important for this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Top Knowledge Areas
Related Job Titles
This career also goes by job titles like:
- Abnormal Psychology Teacher
- Adjunct Instructor
- Adjunct Professor
- Adjunct Psychology Faculty Member
- Adjunct Psychology Instructor
- Adjunct Psychology Professor
- Applied Psychology Professor
- Applied Psychology Teacher
Job Outlook
There are about 529,292 psychology teachers, postsecondary working in the United States today. Employment is projected to decline by -3.0% over the projection horizon.
Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary Pay
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $98,479 |
| Hourly median | $47.35 |
| 10th percentile | $62,590 |
| 25th percentile | $80,534 |
| 75th percentile | $116,424 |
| 90th percentile | $134,368 |
Compensation varies based on experience, location, and industry.
How Much Do Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary Make in Different U.S. States?
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| California | $106,470 |
| North Dakota | $100,340 |
| Maryland | $99,740 |
| New York | $98,630 |
| Connecticut | $98,390 |
| Oregon | $96,330 |
| Rhode Island | $90,820 |
| Michigan | $89,550 |
| New Jersey | $85,590 |
| New Hampshire | $84,540 |
| Texas | $81,880 |
| Louisiana | $81,640 |
| Delaware | $81,530 |
| Utah | $81,370 |
| Vermont | $81,140 |
| Minnesota | $80,760 |
| Virginia | $80,750 |
| Massachusetts | $80,300 |
| New Mexico | $80,260 |
| Nevada | $80,230 |
| Nebraska | $80,130 |
| Montana | $79,370 |
| Kansas | $79,240 |
| Indiana | $77,310 |
| Washington | $77,250 |
| Florida | $76,910 |
| Colorado | $76,850 |
| Georgia | $76,640 |
| Pennsylvania | $76,490 |
| Arizona | $76,460 |
| District of Columbia | $76,450 |
| Missouri | $76,400 |
| Alabama | $76,300 |
| Alaska | $75,820 |
| Iowa | $75,540 |
| Illinois | $75,350 |
| Idaho | $75,320 |
| Ohio | $75,300 |
| Maine | $75,060 |
| South Carolina | $74,510 |
| North Carolina | $74,190 |
| West Virginia | $73,390 |
| Tennessee | $73,360 |
| Kentucky | $72,380 |
| Wisconsin | $68,430 |
| Mississippi | $64,580 |
| Wyoming | $64,370 |
| Puerto Rico | $63,950 |
| Arkansas | $62,880 |
| South Dakota | $62,400 |
| Oklahoma | $60,870 |
| Hawaii | $49,850 |
Where Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary Earn the Most
Pay for psychology teachers, postsecondary differ across the country. The following regions pay the most:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $99,211 | 16.5% | 1.02 |
| Middle Atlantic | $89,994 | 21.1% | 1.44 |
| New England | $84,770 | 7.0% | 1.58 |
| Southwest | $78,927 | 11.1% | 0.90 |
| Plains States | $78,457 | 5.5% | 0.82 |
| Great Lakes | $77,486 | 14.4% | 1.12 |
| Rocky Mountains | $76,982 | 3.7% | 1.05 |
| Southeast | $75,426 | 19.4% | 0.82 |
Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fresno, CA | CA | $164,770 | 100 |
| Ann Arbor, MI | MI | $137,070 | 140 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | CA | $133,830 | 40 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | CA | $130,830 | 440 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | CA | $129,830 | 170 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $124,860 | 570 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | CA | $123,520 | 420 |
| Madison, WI | WI | $123,180 |
Industry Breakdown
The bulk of psychology teachers, postsecondary are found across these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Educational Services | 41,570 | n/a |
Below are examples of industries where psychology teachers, postsecondary work:
Tech Stack
- Word processing software: Google Docs (hot technology)
- Analytical or scientific software: IBM SPSS Statistics (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: R (hot technology)
- Analytical or scientific software: SAS (hot technology)
- Analytical or scientific software: The MathWorks MATLAB (hot technology)
- Computer based training software: Learning management system LMS (in demand)
The Day-to-Day Environment
The work environment for psychology teachers, postsecondary tends to involve the following characteristics:
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Freedom to Make Decisions
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals
Education and Training
This occupation sits in Extensive Preparation Needed (Job Zone 5), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
- School Psychologists (Supplemental)
- Mathematical Science Teachers, Postsecondary (Primary-Long)
- Biological Science Teachers, Postsecondary (Supplemental)
- Anthropology and Archeology Teachers, Postsecondary (Primary-Short)
- Economics Teachers, Postsecondary (Supplemental)
- Sociology Teachers, Postsecondary (Primary-Short)
- Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary (Primary-Long)
- Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary (Supplemental)
Top Programs to Study For This Career
Future psychology teachers, postsecondary often complete programs in:
Education
1 programs across 1 majors
Sources
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: 25-1066.00 (Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary).