← All careers

Education

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.

Median salary (BLS)

$85,020

10th–90th percentile (BLS)

$52k – $160k

Job outlook

+2% (about average)

AI exposure

Early-career check: graduates of the matching programs below typically earn $85,000 ten years after starting college — an early-career figure, vs. the all-experience BLS median above. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard.

Plan a path to Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary

Education

Typical entry: Master's degree

Plan my path to this →

How to qualify

EstimateLicense required

Cost to qualify

$64,100–$230,700

Time to qualify

6.3 yr

Renewal

$20/yr

  1. 1

    Bachelor's degree

    Degree

    Four years at public in-state rates — average published tuition & fees ≈ $11,610/yr, plus books. Private and out-of-state run higher; grant aid lowers most students' actual net price.

    $40,000–$150,000 · 4 years source

  2. 2

    Master's degree

    Degree

    Typically two years; average graduate tuition ≈ $20,000/yr at public universities (NCES).

    $24,000–$80,000 · 2 years source

  3. 3

    State teaching certification

    License

    Approved educator-prep program, pedagogy & subject exams, background check, and a state application.

    $100–$700 · 3 months · varies by state · renews every 5 yr source

Estimated typical U.S. route for "Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary" — built from BLS education requirements and College Board 2024–25 average published prices (public, in-state tuition + fees + books). Not yet verified against a specific state's licensing rules — confirm with your state licensing board or program.

Typical progression

  1. Junior Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary

    Entry / Junior

    $52,070

    ~2 yrs to advance

  2. Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary

    Established

    $85,020

    ~3 yrs to advance

  3. Senior Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary

    Senior

    $122,720

Key skills

A typical day

  • 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.

Fields of study

Any field

Top colleges for Education

Explore all

Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.