Headline risk
17%
Moderate RiskEngineering teachers, postsecondary
United States AI Work Index tracks this occupation on the shared structural baseline and then layers on local demand resilience, wages, and confidence.
Why This Score
Share of job tasks that overlap with current AI capabilities
Median annual wage
Projected employment change over 10 years
Typical preparation needed for this occupation
Occupation profile
Teach courses pertaining to the application of physical laws and principles of engineering for the development of machines, materials, instruments, processes, and services. Includes teachers of subjects such as chemical, civil, electrical, industrial, mechanical, mineral, and petroleum engineering. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
Task evidence
100% weighted task match · 35% effective coverage
Scores combine AI task overlap, human advantages, and local demand. How it works
United States Now
Median Wage
USD 106,120
Employment 2024
50.3K
Projected Change (2024–34)
8.1%
Openings (2024–34)
4.1K
Wage distribution
Demand outlook
Overall employment of postsecondary teachers is projected to grow 7 percent from 2024 to 2034, much faster than the average for all occupations.
Role Profile
Tasks
- 1. Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences. AI use: 50%
- 2. Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts. AI use: 0%
- 3. Evaluate and grade students' class work, laboratory work, assignments, and papers. AI use: 90%
- 4. Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as mechanics, hydraulics, and robotics. AI use: 83%
- 5. Conduct research in a particular field of knowledge and publish findings in professional journals, books, or electronic media. AI use: 92%
- 6. Collaborate with colleagues to address teaching and research issues. AI use: 0%
Technologies
Requirements
Work context
Worker profile
Median age 49.2 · 1.1M employed
Under 25: 3% · 25–54: 60% · 55+: 36%
Related
No direct US role match is available yet for this occupation.
Source coverage
11/11 source families · O*NET 30.2 / OEWS 2024 / ORS 2025 / OOH 2025-08-28 / Projections 2024-34 / CPS 2025 / Anthropic task penetration
Mapping quality
title_match · employment series present
Narrative & sources
Postsecondary teachers instruct students in a variety of academic subjects beyond the high school level.
Most postsecondary teachers work in public and private colleges and universities, professional schools, and junior or community colleges. Most work full time, although part-time work is common.
Educational requirements vary by subject and the type of educational institution. Typically, postsecondary teachers must have a Ph.D. However, a master's degree may be enough for some postsecondary teachers at community colleges, and others may need work experience in their field of expertise.
The median annual wage for postsecondary teachers was $83,980 in May 2024.
Overall employment of postsecondary teachers is projected to grow 7 percent from 2024 to 2034, much faster than the average for all occupations.
Published limitations
This page shows the local country layer, not realised individual job outcomes. The global structural baseline is shared across countries; only the local demand and wage layer changes here.
Built from O*NET occupation descriptions, task statements, technology skills, work context, Job Zones, Anthropic task penetration, BLS OEWS wages, BLS projection tables, BLS ORS requirements, BLS OOH narrative content, BLS skills data, and BLS CPS occupation age tables.