The Complete Guide to Becoming An Economics Teacher, Postsecondary
What it really takes to teach college economics: the daily work, the pay, the path, and how to know if it's for you.
by Alumigogo Books
non-fiction
Teach college econ? Here's the real day-to-day, the pay, the path, and whether it's a good fit for you.
About this book
Thinking about becoming an economics professor? The job looks appealing from the outside: you get to talk about markets, incentives, and data all day, and you have a flexible schedule. But the reality is more complicated. It's a career built on years of graduate study, a demanding research pipeline, a brutal job market, and classroom management you have to learn on your own.
This guide walks you through it step by step. You'll see exactly what a postsecondary economics teacher does on a Tuesday afternoon, what your first semester in front of a classroom feels like, how much money you can realistically expect to earn as an adjunct, tenure-track, or full professor, and how many years of study each level requires. It also includes a self-assessment to help you decide if you have the temperament for research deadlines, grading piles, and the occasional student who thinks the answer is always "supply and demand."
No hype, no passion talk. Just the facts you need to decide if this is the right path for you.
Reader Reviews
Barbara Flores
★★★★★I'm a senior in college trying to decide between a PhD in econ and just getting a job. This book was honestly the first thing I've read that didn't try to sell me on one path or the other. The chapter on what you actually do day-to-day was eye-opening - I had no idea how much time goes into research and service. And the salary table scared me a little, but better now than after two years of grad school. I feel like I can actually make a decision now.
Robert Thompson
★★★★★I've been teaching economics at a community college for three years and I picked this up to see if it matched my experience. It's spot on, especially the chapter about the job market. The hourly breakdown of a typical day is exactly right, down to the grading backlog. I wish I'd read this before I started my PhD, honestly. It's an honest, no-nonsense guide for anyone thinking about this career.