How to Become a Postsecondary Education Teacher in 2026
What postsecondary education teachers do, the degree and license you need, and the step-by-step path into the career.
Median pay is for education teachers, postsecondary, BLS OEWS, May 2025. Licensing and degree norms vary by state.
What does a postsecondary education teacher do?
Postsecondary education teachers teach and research in a college education department, preparing future teachers.
Postsecondary education teachers are the college and university faculty who teach the courses that prepare future educators. They work in schools and colleges of education, leading classes in topics like child development, literacy instruction, classroom management, assessment, educational psychology, and curriculum design. Their students are undergraduates working toward a bachelor's in education, career-changers in master's programs, and doctoral candidates training to become researchers or district leaders. In short, these are the people who teach teachers.
A typical week blends several kinds of work. Faculty deliver lectures and seminars, design syllabi and assignments, grade papers, and hold office hours. Many also supervise student teaching placements, which means visiting local K-12 classrooms to observe teacher candidates, coach them, and complete formal evaluations. On top of teaching, most tenure-track professors are expected to conduct research, publish in academic journals, present at conferences, and pursue grant funding. Faculty at community colleges and teaching-focused institutions carry heavier course loads and do less research, while faculty at large universities balance teaching with a demanding publication schedule.
This role differs sharply from the K-12 jobs it feeds into. A postsecondary education teacher is not managing a classroom of children; they are working with adult learners and shaping the training pipeline itself. Compared with an instructional coordinator, who improves curriculum inside a district, a professor of education studies teaching practice and passes it on to the next cohort. Compared with a postsecondary education administrator, who runs the operations of a college or department, a professor's center of gravity is the classroom and the research desk. They collaborate with department chairs, cooperating K-12 schools, accreditation reviewers, and the students whose licensure depends on the program they run.
The usual route in is doctorate preparation, so it helps to compare the best Education programs before you commit.
Where do postsecondary education teachers work?
Postsecondary education teachers work across the education system, and the setting, from the employer to the grade level, drives much of the difference in the day-to-day job and the pay.
Where a postsecondary education teacher works shapes both the daily job and the pay. At large research universities, faculty split their time between teaching, publishing, and chasing grants, and salaries at the top of the field tend to concentrate here. At community colleges and regional teaching-focused institutions, the emphasis flips toward instruction: heavier course loads, more direct contact with students, and less pressure to publish, usually paired with more modest pay.
Employment type matters just as much as institution type. Full-time, tenure-track and tenured faculty enjoy stable salaries, benefits, and job security. Adjunct and contingent faculty, by contrast, are often paid per course, may teach at more than one campus to cobble together a living, and rarely receive benefits or a guarantee of future work. This divide is one of the biggest reasons the field's pay range is so wide, and it is why the same job title can describe both a $40,000 part-timer and a six-figure senior professor.
Public versus private also plays a part. Large public systems, especially in states like California, often pay well and offer strong retirement and health benefits, while private colleges vary from wealthy institutions with generous packages to small tuition-dependent schools with tight budgets. Faculty who supervise student teaching or coordinate accredited licensure programs may earn stipends for that added administrative load.
How do you become a postsecondary education teacher in 2026?
To become a postsecondary education teacher, you typically need a doctoral degree in the field and, for most roles, a state license.
Becoming a postsecondary education teacher is a long academic path. The typical entry point for full-time faculty is a doctorate, either a PhD or an EdD, in education or a related field, and most professors spent years teaching in K-12 classrooms before returning to graduate school. A master's degree can open the door to adjunct teaching or some community college positions, but the doctorate is what qualifies someone for tenure-track work and the top of the pay range.
Unlike K-12 teaching, this role does not require a state teaching license to work at the college level, though many faculty hold one from their earlier careers and it is often essential for supervising student teachers. The real credential is the graduate degree, the research record, and a demonstrated ability to teach adult learners.
- 1
Earn a bachelor's and gain classroom experience
Most future education professors start with an undergraduate degree in education or a subject area and then teach in K-12 schools. That hands-on experience is what gives credibility when training the next generation of teachers.
- 2
Complete a master's degree
A master's in education or a specialized area deepens expertise and, on its own, can qualify a candidate for adjunct or community college teaching. It is also a required stepping stone toward doctoral study.
- 3
Earn a doctorate
A PhD or EdD is the standard credential for full-time, tenure-track faculty. Doctoral programs involve advanced coursework, a research dissertation, and, for many, teaching assistantships that provide the first taste of college instruction.
- 4
Land and advance in a faculty position
New doctorate holders apply for instructor, adjunct, or assistant professor roles, often starting off the tenure track before moving onto it. Building a record of teaching, publication, and service leads to tenure, promotion, and higher pay over time.
Accredited programs that lead to this career
Just starting your journey to becoming a postsecondary education teacher? Explore bachelor's programs and associate's programs that start you on the path.
Is becoming a postsecondary education teacher worth it in 2026?
This career suits people who love their subject deeply and want to influence teaching at scale rather than one classroom at a time. Faculty who thrive here enjoy reading and writing research, mentoring adult learners, and thinking hard about how children and teachers learn. If someone finds the intellectual side of education more energizing than daily classroom management, the shift from a K-12 room to a college seminar can be a strong fit.
The trade-offs are real. The path is long and expensive, often requiring a doctorate that takes years and can carry significant debt, and the payoff is a median of $75,350 that, while solid, sits below what many private-sector jobs with similar education offer. Tenure-track positions are scarce and competitive, and a large share of teaching is done by adjuncts who are paid per course with little security. Someone who wants a stable, well-paid job quickly may be better served by a K-12 route such as high school teaching, which requires only a bachelor's and a license to start.
The workload also blends teaching, research, and service, and the pressure to publish can follow faculty into evenings, weekends, and the summer months that outsiders imagine as time off. Faculty who resent that constant background hum of unfinished writing tend to burn out. Those who genuinely enjoy scholarship find the flexibility and autonomy worth it.
For people drawn to the training and coordination side more than research, adjacent roles are worth weighing. An instructional coordinator shapes curriculum inside a district without the publication treadmill, and a postsecondary education administrator runs programs and departments at a higher median salary. The right choice depends on whether the classroom and the research question, or the program and the operation, is what pulls someone in.
To weigh the investment, compare the cost and graduation outcomes of bachelor's programs and associate's programs in this field.
How much does a postsecondary education teacher make in 2026?
Postsecondary education teachers earn a median of $75,350 a year, with most between $39,530 and $126,860, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Pay varies widely by state and experience.
See the full postsecondary education teacher salary breakdown, pay by state, and outlook →
Frequently asked questions about becoming a postsecondary education teacher
How much do postsecondary education teachers make in 2026?
Postsecondary education teachers make a median wage of $75,350 per year, or about $36.23 an hour, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The lowest-paid ten percent earn around $39,530, while the highest-paid ten percent earn around $126,860. Where you land depends heavily on rank, institution, and whether you hold a full-time or adjunct position.
Do you need a doctorate to become a postsecondary education teacher?
For full-time, tenure-track faculty, yes, you need a doctorate such as a PhD or EdD to become a postsecondary education teacher, and it is the gateway to the higher end of the pay range. A master's degree can qualify you for adjunct teaching or some community college roles, but it usually caps how far your pay and job security can go.
How many years does it take to become a postsecondary education teacher?
It takes many years to become a postsecondary education teacher. Most faculty first earn a bachelor's, teach in K-12 schools, complete a master's, and then finish a doctorate that itself often takes four to six years. Many education professors are well into their careers before they move into a full-time faculty role.
Which states pay postsecondary education teachers the most in 2026?
Postsecondary education teachers are paid the most in California, which leads by a wide margin at a median of $111,850, followed by Louisiana at $83,710, New York at $82,020, the District of Columbia at $80,810, Connecticut at $80,620, and Rhode Island at $80,030 (BLS, May 2025). Keep cost of living in mind, since high-paying states like California and Connecticut are also expensive places to live.
Do you need a teaching license to become a postsecondary education teacher?
No, you do not need a state teaching license to become a postsecondary education teacher, since none is required to teach at the college level itself. That said, many education faculty hold a K-12 license from their earlier careers, and it is often essential for supervising and evaluating student teachers in the field.
Is becoming a postsecondary education teacher worth it?
Whether becoming a postsecondary education teacher is worth it depends on what you value. The median of $75,350 is respectable and the work offers autonomy, flexibility, and the chance to shape how future teachers are trained. But the long, costly path to a doctorate and the scarcity of secure tenure-track jobs mean the financial return is not guaranteed, especially for those who end up in adjunct positions.
What is the hardest part of being a postsecondary education teacher?
The hardest part of being a postsecondary education teacher depends on the role: for research faculty, it is the constant pressure to publish, since scholarly writing follows you into evenings, weekends, and summers. For contingent faculty, the hardest part is the instability of per-course pay and the lack of benefits or a guarantee of future work.
How is a postsecondary education teacher different from a K-12 teacher?
A postsecondary education teacher differs from a K-12 teacher by training future educators rather than teaching children, working with adult learners in college classrooms and often conducting research. It requires an advanced degree and pays a higher median than most K-12 roles, such as high school teaching at $72,040, but the path in is longer and the job market is more competitive.
Data and sources
- Wages and employment: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (SOC 25-1081).
- Job duties and projections: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook.
- Programs and the degrees that lead here: IPEDS, US Department of Education.