SOC 25-1122.00

    Communications Teachers, Postsecondary

    Teach courses in communications, such as organizational communications, public relations, radio/television broadcasting, and journalism.

    Median pay
    $78,580
    Growth
    +2.1%
    As fast as average
    Openings a year
    2,400
    Typical education
    Doctoral or professional degree

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition

    Source: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

    See the pathway

    Annual pay range

    Lowest 10% earn less than
    $47,590
    Median
    $78,580
    Highest 10% earn more than
    $143,720
    National wages for all workers in this occupation. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

    29,420 people work in this occupation.

    In short

    Postsecondary communications teachers instruct college students in subjects like journalism, public relations, and broadcasting. They earn a median annual salary of $78,580, with employment in the field expected to grow at an average pace.

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What communications teachers, postsecondary do

    Job Zone 5: Extensive preparation

    Teach courses in communications, such as organizational communications, public relations, radio/television broadcasting, and journalism. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.

    Most need a graduate degree, such as a master's, PhD, MD or JD.

    What the work is like

    These educators teach college-level courses covering topics such as media studies, public relations, and radio or television broadcasting. Their daily work involves a mix of instructional duties and academic research. To succeed, they must gather information, analyze data, and interpret complex concepts for their students. They spend significant time organizing coursework, planning lectures, and finding creative ways to present material.

    Strong communication skills are essential, particularly in speaking, writing, and active listening. Teachers must also be skilled in instructing and using diverse learning strategies. This role requires deep knowledge of communications, media, the English language, and education practices. Because this career has a strong social focus, instructors rely on empathy, cooperation, and dependability to build positive relationships with students and colleagues.

    How to get there

    Entering this career typically requires extensive academic preparation. Most professionals need a doctoral or professional degree to secure a position, though some roles may accept a master's degree. Relevant college majors include communication and media studies, journalism, public relations, advertising, digital communication, and business communications.

    While not always mandatory, voluntary professional certifications can help demonstrate expertise. Examples of these credentials include the Certified Journalism Educator designation from the Journalism Education Association and the Certified Teacher of Parliamentary Procedure credential from the American Institute of Parliamentarians.

    Pay and outlook explained

    In 2025, the median annual pay for these postsecondary teachers was $78,580. Earnings vary based on experience and institution, with the lowest 10% earning less than $47,590 and the highest 10% earning more than $143,720. There are 29,420 people employed in this field. Between 2025 and 2035, employment is projected to grow by 2.1%, which is as fast as the average for all occupations. This growth is expected to result in 2,400 job openings each year.

    Interest profile

    Realistic (R)
    20 / 100
    Investigative (I)
    60 / 100
    Artistic (A)
    47 / 100
    Social (S) · strongest
    99 / 100
    Enterprising (E)
    36 / 100
    Conventional (C)
    43 / 100
    How strongly each interest area describes the work, from O*NET (scores rescaled to 0–100). The interest code lists the strongest areas in order.

    Interest code SIA. Compare it with yours

    What you'd do

    Getting Information
    94
    Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
    92
    Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others
    90
    Analyzing Data or Information
    88
    Processing Information
    88
    Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
    87
    Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
    87
    Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
    87
    Making Decisions and Solving Problems
    86
    Thinking Creatively
    86
    Work activities rated by importance for this occupation, O*NET (0–100).

    Skills and strengths

    Skills

    • Instructing
    • Reading Comprehension
    • Speaking
    • Active Listening
    • Learning Strategies
    • Writing
    • Active Learning
    • Critical Thinking
    • Monitoring
    • Complex Problem Solving

    Knowledge

    • Communications and Media
    • English Language
    • Education and Training
    • Customer and Personal Service
    • Law and Government
    • Computers and Electronics
    • Telecommunications
    • Administrative
    • Sociology and Anthropology
    • Administration and Management

    Abilities

    • Oral Comprehension
    • Written Expression
    • Oral Expression
    • Speech Clarity
    • Written Comprehension
    • Deductive Reasoning
    • Speech Recognition
    • Inductive Reasoning
    • Near Vision
    • Fluency of Ideas

    Work styles

    • Intellectual Curiosity
    • Social Orientation
    • Dependability
    • Cooperation
    • Empathy
    • Achievement Orientation
    • Integrity
    • Innovation
    • Adaptability
    • Self-Confidence

    Also called

    Adjunct Communications Instructor · College Professor · Communication Arts Lecturer · Communication Arts Professor · Communication Instructor · Communication Lecturer · Communication Professor · Communication Skills Instructor · Communication Studies Instructor · Communication Studies Professor

    Career pathway

    From your interests to communications teachers, postsecondary

    Interests that fit the work, the career, majors that lead there and colleges whose graduates in those majors earn the most. Hover or focus a step to follow one path.

    1. Interests

    2. This career

      • Communications Teachers, Postsecondary$78,580 median pay

    3. Majors

    4. Colleges

    College Scorecard program outcomes

    Colleges with strong outcomes

    Programs that lead to this career, ranked by what their graduates earn four years after finishing. Earnings are for graduates who received federal aid.

    1. 1University of Pennsylvania UPENN logo
      University of Pennsylvania UPENN

      Philadelphia, PA · Communication and Media Studies · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $65,287
      4 yrs after
      $114,266
      Median debt
      Not reported
    2. 2Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus GA Tech logo
      Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus GA Tech

      Atlanta, GA · Radio, Television, and Digital Communication · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      Not reported
      4 yrs after
      $99,915
      Median debt
      $20,437
    3. 3Northwestern University-Illinois logo
      Northwestern University-Illinois

      Evanston, IL · Communication and Media Studies · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $64,034
      4 yrs after
      $93,541
      Median debt
      $19,500
    4. 4Rochester Institute of Technology logo
      Rochester Institute of Technology

      Rochester, NY · Radio, Television, and Digital Communication · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $65,196
      4 yrs after
      $91,222
      Median debt
      $25,500
    5. 5Syracuse University logo
      Syracuse University

      Syracuse, NY · Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $63,858
      4 yrs after
      $90,535
      Median debt
      $24,250
    6. 6Southern Methodist University SMU logo
      Southern Methodist University SMU

      Dallas, TX · Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $56,398
      4 yrs after
      $89,330
      Median debt
      $17,375
    7. 7Cornell University-New York logo
      Cornell University-New York

      Ithaca, NY · Communication and Media Studies · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $63,499
      4 yrs after
      $88,463
      Median debt
      $10,000
    8. 8University of Southern California USC logo
      University of Southern California USC

      Los Angeles, CA · Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $63,165
      4 yrs after
      $87,946
      Median debt
      $12,125

    Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard field-of-study data, 2025. Programs with few graduates are not listed.

    NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk

    Majors that lead here

    Related programs by four-digit CIP code. They are common routes in, not the only ones.

    CareerOneStop

    Certifications, licenses and pay by state

    What communications teachers, postsecondary may need beyond a degree, where a license is required, and what the work pays in each state.

    Certifications

    Core certifications employers recognise for this work.

    Search all certifications on CareerOneStop

    Training

    Programs of study that prepare people for this work. Showing 12 of 23.

    • Advertising
    • Broadcast Journalism
    • Business and Economic Journalism
    • Business/Corporate Communications, General
    • Business/Corporate Communications, Other
    • Communication, General
    • Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other
    • Cultural Journalism
    • Digital Communication and Media/Multimedia
    • Documentary Production
    • Health Communication
    • International and Intercultural Communication

    Find training near you on CareerOneStop

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 6, 2026.

    Your plan

    Build my pathway plan

    Courses, majors, colleges, scholarships and a timeline for this career, built from your profile.

    Related careers

    Careers with similar work, interests or skills.

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    Questions about communications teachers, postsecondary

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What college majors are common for this career?

    Students preparing for this field often major in communication and media studies, journalism, public relations, advertising, film and photographic arts, or business communications.

    What is the job outlook for postsecondary communications teachers?

    Employment is projected to grow by 2.1% from 2025 to 2035, which is as fast as the average for all occupations. This growth will generate about 2,400 job openings annually.

    What are the typical earnings in this profession?

    The median annual salary is $78,580. The lowest-paid 10% of workers earn under $47,590, while the top 10% earn over $143,720.

    Sources and attribution

    Every figure on this page comes from these public datasets. Missing values are shown as not reported, never estimated.

    O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 6, 2026.

    Page data updated November 5, 2026.