Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary: Job Description
Teach courses pertaining to the culture and development of an area, an ethnic group, or any other group, such as Latin American studies, women's studies, or urban affairs. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
Featured schools near , edit
The Daily Work of Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary Take On?
Typical responsibilities of area, ethnic, and cultural studies teachers, postsecondary span:
- Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
- Evaluate and grade students' class work, assignments, and papers.
- Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as race and ethnic relations, gender studies, and cross-cultural perspectives.
- Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
- Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
- Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.
- Plan, evaluate, and revise curricula, course content, course materials, and methods of instruction.
- Conduct research in a particular field of knowledge and publish findings in professional journals, books, or electronic media.
Key Skills and Knowledge
Top area, ethnic, and cultural studies teachers, postsecondary combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Top Skills
The abilities most important for this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Types of Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary Jobs
This career also goes by job titles like:
- Adjunct Professor
- African Studies Professor
- American Studies Professor
- Asian Studies Professor
- Assistant Professor
- Associate Professor
- Black Studies Professor
- College Faculty Member
How Many Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary Are There?
There are roughly 674,221 area, ethnic, and cultural studies teachers, postsecondary working in the United States today. Employment is projected to grow by +6.5% over the projection horizon.
Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary Pay
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $47,517 |
| Hourly median | $22.85 |
| 10th percentile | $33,665 |
| 25th percentile | $40,591 |
| 75th percentile | $54,444 |
| 90th percentile | $61,370 |
Compensation varies based on experience, location, and industry.
Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary Salary by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| California | $113,070 |
| Vermont | $107,220 |
| Kansas | $102,800 |
| Rhode Island | $100,680 |
| Massachusetts | $99,630 |
| Connecticut | $98,660 |
| District of Columbia | $98,500 |
| New York | $97,140 |
| Illinois | $96,980 |
| Michigan | $96,070 |
| Pennsylvania | $95,660 |
| Maryland | $88,080 |
| New Jersey | $87,450 |
| Arizona | $87,140 |
| Virginia | $80,460 |
| Alaska | $80,370 |
| Washington | $79,660 |
| Minnesota | $78,660 |
| Nebraska | $78,640 |
| Indiana | $78,400 |
| Texas | $77,650 |
| Oregon | $77,070 |
| Montana | $76,670 |
| Wisconsin | $76,600 |
| Georgia | $75,250 |
| Ohio | $72,690 |
| Mississippi | $69,110 |
| North Carolina | $67,170 |
| Alabama | $67,060 |
| Colorado | $66,810 |
| Kentucky | $65,200 |
| Missouri | $65,170 |
| Utah | $64,890 |
| West Virginia | $63,530 |
| South Carolina | $63,000 |
| Florida | $61,920 |
| Puerto Rico | $44,940 |
Top-Paying U.S. Regions
Pay for area, ethnic, and cultural studies teachers, postsecondary vary by region. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $101,739 | 14.1% | 0.98 |
| New England | $100,109 | 8.6% | 2.33 |
| Middle Atlantic | $94,287 | 32.8% | 2.34 |
| Great Lakes | $85,314 | 10.5% | 0.88 |
| Plains States | $79,918 | 4.0% | 0.88 |
| Southwest | $79,609 | 8.4% | 0.74 |
| Southeast | $68,643 | 17.0% | 1.14 |
| Rocky Mountains | $68,352 | 4.0% | 1.38 |
Where the Jobs Cluster
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | CA | $163,460 | 40 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | CA | $135,530 | 50 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $124,960 | 150 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $115,440 | 70 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | CA | $107,100 | 70 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | PA | $103,510 | 330 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | MA | $103,130 | 440 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | CA | $103,120 | 420 |
Industry Breakdown
The largest employers of area, ethnic, and cultural studies teachers, postsecondary work in these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Educational Services | 11,430 | n/a |
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Tech Stack
- Word processing software: Google Docs (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)
- Operating system software: Microsoft Windows (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
The Day-to-Day Environment
The on-the-job environment of area, ethnic, and cultural studies teachers, postsecondary is shaped by the following characteristics:
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Freedom to Make Decisions
- Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
How to Become Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary
This career aligns with Extensive Preparation Needed (Job Zone 5), indicating the level of preparation typically expected.
Other Careers to Consider
Similar Occupations
- Anthropology and Archeology Teachers, Postsecondary (Primary-Short)
- Geography Teachers, Postsecondary (Primary-Long)
- Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary (Primary-Long)
- Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary (Supplemental)
- Sociology Teachers, Postsecondary (Primary-Short)
- Education Teachers, Postsecondary (Primary-Long)
- Library Science Teachers, Postsecondary (Supplemental)
- Law Teachers, Postsecondary (Supplemental)
Where to Study
Aspiring area, ethnic, and cultural studies teachers, postsecondary typically earn programs in:
Area, Ethnic, Cultural, Gender, and Group Studies
50 programs across 3 majors
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
11 programs across 8 majors
- Multicultural & Diversity Studies
- Cultural Studies & Analysis
- History and Language/Literature
- Classical & Ancient Studies
- Digital Humanities and Textual Studies
- Historic Preservation
- Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature
- Economics and Foreign Language/Literature
Philosophy and Religious Studies
4 programs across 1 majors
Social Sciences
1 programs across 1 majors
About the Data
This profile draws on 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: 25-1062.00 (Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary).