Psychology teachers, postsecondary
Teach courses in psychology, such as child, clinical, and developmental psychology, and psychological counseling. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
Psychology teachers, postsecondary teach courses in psychology, such as child, clinical, and developmental psychology, and psychological counseling. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research. The role reports a median annual salary of $80,330 in the US and is projected to grow 4% over the next decade (about as fast as average). Entry typically requires a Doctoral or professional degree, and shows moderate AI exposure (0.51 on a 0-1 scale) — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. The most in-demand skills for the role include Learning Strategies, Reading Comprehension, Speaking, Instructing, Writing.
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 Psychology 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
How to get here in India
The usual route into this career in India. Each step links to the official page it comes from.
- 1 · Qualification Master's degree in psychology (at least 55%; 50% for reserved categories)[1]
- 2 · Entrance exam UGC-NET in Psychology[2][1]
- 3 · First role Assistant Professor in a college or university (subject to its recruitment rules)[2]
Rules change: check the exam body's and regulator's current notice before you apply.
- UGC-NET June 2025 Information Bulletin — NTA (read on 2026-09-27)
- UGC-NET — National Testing Agency (read on 2026-09-27)
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- Psychology
- English Language
- Education and Training
- Sociology and Anthropology
- Mathematics
- Therapy and Counseling
- Computers and Electronics
- Communications and Media
A day in the life
You start the day reviewing your notes for a lecture on memory and thinking, adding a short class experiment that lets students test their own recall. Mid-morning you teach, then lead a discussion where students argue about what a classic study really shows and whether its findings still hold. After lunch you meet a group of final-year students whose research projects you supervise, helping one fix a flawed questionnaire and another make sense of confusing results. The afternoon is spent marking essays and exam answers, looking for clear reasoning and good use of evidence rather than memorised facts. You also sit on a panel interviewing candidates for a new teaching post and help revise the course so it covers newer topics. Later you read a fresh journal article for your own research. The marking is heavy, but seeing students start to question claims and think like scientists makes the effort worthwhile.
Illustrative: one typical day, written from the O*NET task statements for this occupation. Real days vary by employer and seniority.
What you'd actually do
- Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as abnormal psychology, cognitive processes, and work motivation.
- Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
- Evaluate and grade students' class work, laboratory work, assignments, and papers.
- Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.
- Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
- Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does Psychology teachers, postsecondary do?
Teach courses in psychology, such as child, clinical, and developmental psychology, and psychological counseling. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
What does a typical day look like in Psychology teachers, postsecondary?
You start the day reviewing your notes for a lecture on memory and thinking, adding a short class experiment that lets students test their own recall. Mid-morning you teach, then lead a discussion where students argue about what a classic study really shows and whether its findings still hold. After lunch you meet a group of final-year students whose research projects you supervise, helping one fix a flawed questionnaire and another make sense of confusing results.
How much does Psychology teachers, postsecondary earn?
The median annual salary for Psychology teachers, postsecondary in the US is $80,330.
What is the job outlook for Psychology teachers, postsecondary?
The role is projected to grow 4% over the next decade (about as fast as average). Current US employment is approximately 52,500 workers.
How do I become psychology 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 Psychology teachers, postsecondary need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include Learning Strategies, Reading Comprehension, Speaking, Instructing, Writing, Active Listening. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace Psychology teachers, postsecondary?
Our AI-durability model gives Psychology teachers, postsecondary a score of 0.51 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?
Psychology teachers, postsecondary has very high barrier to entry — very highly gated — extended graduate education, licensure, or years of specialised training are required.