Communications Teachers
O*NET title: Communications Teachers, Postsecondary
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.
Also called: Adjunct Communications Instructor, College Professor, Communication Arts Lecturer, Communication Arts Professor, Communication Instructor, Communication Lecturer
Median pay
$78,580
per year, U.S.
Pay range (10th–90th)
$47,590 – $143,720
People employed
29,420
Holland code
SIA
Social · Investigative · Artistic
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Is this career right for you?
These are the things that stand out in this job compared with other U.S. jobs (O*NET 31.0 work context). Answer honestly.
- 1.Do you want a job with little physical risk?
- 2.Do you want variety, with new tasks often?
- 3.Are you OK working more than 40 hours a week?
The hard parts
- Tight deadlines are common
Communications Teachers pay by state
Highest-paying states
Annual median pay by state (47 states and DC with published data). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
What communications teachers do
- 01Evaluate and grade students' class work, assignments, and papers.
- 02Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
- 03Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
- 04Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
- 05Conduct research in a particular field of knowledge and publish findings in professional journals, books, or electronic media.
- 06Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as public speaking, media criticism, and oral traditions.
Skills that matter most
- Speaking
- Reading Comprehension
- Writing
- Active Listening
- Learning Strategies
- Active Learning
Knowledge
- Communications and Media
- English Language
- Education and Training
- Customer and Personal Service
- Law and Government
Work styles that stand out
- Dependability
- Integrity
- Intellectual Curiosity
- Cooperation
- Achievement Orientation
Education and first steps
Share of workers by required education, as reported to O*NET.
How people get started
- Usually needs a graduate degree (O*NET Job Zone 5).
- Related work experience: over 2 years, up to and including 4 years.
- On-the-job training: anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month.
Most common answers from O*NET 31.0 Education, Training and Experience.
Interest fit (Holland code)
O*NET occupational interest scores, scale 1–7. Take the Free Career Test to compare with your own.
Career changes
Change from communications teachers
- Instructional Coordinators89% · −1%
- Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education81% · −8%
- Training and Development Specialists78% · −12%
- Sociologists77% · +35%
- Education Administrators, Postsecondary77% · +33%
Change into communications teachers
Jobs whose skills carry over best (skill match, their median pay).
- Instructional Coordinators82% · $77,440
- Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors78% · $64,330
- Training and Development Specialists77% · $69,280
- Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors75% · $61,540
- Clergy75% · $60,810
Majors that lead here
- Communication, General
- Speech Communication and Rhetoric
- Mass Communication/Media Studies
- Journalism
- Broadcast Journalism
- Business and Economic Journalism
- Cultural Journalism
- Science/Health/Environmental Journalism
- Journalism, Other
- Radio and Television
- Digital Communication and Media/Multimedia
- Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication
From the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk.