Career
Philosophy and religion teachers, postsecondary
Teach philosophy or religion at a college.
$80,260
Median pay
+2.0%
Job growth, 2025–35
1,800
Openings a year
Doctoral or professional degree
Typical education
7–8 years
Typical time after high school
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- Evaluate and grade students' class work, assignments, and papers.
- Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
- Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students and the community on topics such as ethics, logic, and contemporary religious thought.
- Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
- Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on people & care, then ideas & analysis?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“Evaluate and grade students' class work, assignments, and papers.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Speaking, Instructing.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
7–8 years of education after high school (doctoral or professional degree), for a median of $80,260 a year and 1,800 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- PhilosophySee the degree →
- Religious StudiesSee the degree →
- Theology and MinistrySee the degree →
- Philosophy, Politics, and EconomicsCIP 30.5101
- Philosophy and Religious Studies, GeneralCIP 38.0001
- PhilosophyCIP 38.0101
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Sociology Teachers, Postsecondary$84,290 · +2.2%
- Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary$85,020 · +2.7%
- History Teachers, Postsecondary$83,820 · +0.0%
- English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary$78,760 · +0.0%
- Anthropology and Archeology Teachers, Postsecondary$99,650 · +2.6%
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
Not sure this fits who you are? Start with Vocational Finder →
Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.