Area, ethnic, and cultural studies teachers, postsecondary
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.
Area, ethnic, and cultural studies teachers, postsecondary 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. The role reports a median annual salary of $84,290 in the US and is showing modest growth of 2% over the next decade. Entry typically requires a Doctoral or professional degree, and shows moderate AI exposure (0.48 on a 0-1 scale) — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. The most in-demand skills for the role include Reading Comprehension, Speaking, Instructing, Writing, Active Listening.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £52,835 a year for Higher education teaching professionals (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
Middle half of full-time jobs: £42,062 to £66,191 a year
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 2311). ONS rates this estimate precise. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)
Pay in India (occupation group)
Average monthly earnings of salaried employees in the occupation group “Professionals” in India, from the Government of India's Periodic Labour Force Survey (January–December 2025). It covers everyone in this group, not only Area, ethnic, and cultural studies teachers, postsecondary, and it is not US pay converted to rupees.
Source: MoSPI (Government of India), Periodic Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2025, Table 51 — average wage/salary earnings of regular wage/salaried employees, NCO-2015 division 2. Official India data gives one average per occupation group: there are no official India figures for single careers, experience levels or cities. Read the report
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- Education and Training
- English Language
- Sociology and Anthropology
- History and Archeology
- Foreign Language
- Communications and Media
- Computers and Electronics
- Philosophy and Theology
What you'd actually do
- 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.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does Area, ethnic, and cultural studies teachers, postsecondary do?
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.
How much does Area, ethnic, and cultural studies teachers, postsecondary earn?
The median annual salary for Area, ethnic, and cultural studies teachers, postsecondary in the US is $84,290.
What is the job outlook for Area, ethnic, and cultural studies teachers, postsecondary?
The role is showing modest growth of 2% over the next decade. Current US employment is approximately 14,500 workers.
How do I become area, ethnic, and cultural studies teachers, postsecondary?
The typical entry education is a Doctoral or professional degree. Building a foundation in the top skills below will strengthen your application.
What skills does Area, ethnic, and cultural studies teachers, postsecondary need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include Reading Comprehension, Speaking, Instructing, Writing, Active Listening, Active Learning. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace Area, ethnic, and cultural studies teachers, postsecondary?
Our AI-durability model gives Area, ethnic, and cultural studies teachers, postsecondary a score of 0.48 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at moderate AI exposure — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. Learning to work with AI tools rather than against them is the path forward.
How hard is it to enter this field?
Area, ethnic, and cultural studies teachers, postsecondary has very high barrier to entry — very highly gated — extended graduate education, licensure, or years of specialised training are required.