What is an Economics Professor?
Job Description & Duties Teach courses in economics. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
Life As an Economics Professor: What Do They Do?
- Evaluate and grade students' class work, assignments, and papers.
- Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
- Perform administrative duties, such as serving as department head.
- Maintain regularly scheduled office hours to advise and assist students.
- Collaborate with colleagues to address teaching and research issues.
- Compile bibliographies of specialized materials for outside reading assignments.
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Economics Professor Required Skills
Below is a list of the skills most Economics Professors say are important on the job.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Instructing: Teaching others how to do something.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Types of Economics Professor Jobs
- Adjunct Instructor in Economics
- Economics Instructor
- College or University Faculty Member
- Econometrics Professor
- Faculty Member
Job Outlook for Economics Professors
In the United States, there were 16,500 jobs for Economics Professor in 2016. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 10.9% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 1,800 new jobs for Economics Professor by 2026. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 1,500 job openings in this field each year.

The states with the most job growth for Economics Professor are Oregon, Colorado, and California. Watch out if you plan on working in Wyoming, Vermont, or New Hampshire. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Economics Professor Average Salary
The salary for Economics Professors ranges between about $51,070 and $202,460 a year.

Economics Professors who work in New Hampshire, Rhode Island, or California, make the highest salaries.
How much do Economics Professors make in each U.S. state?
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $114,020 |
Arkansas | $94,750 |
California | $139,050 |
Colorado | $104,530 |
Connecticut | $98,870 |
District of Columbia | $110,350 |
Florida | $116,920 |
Georgia | $101,590 |
Hawaii | $87,520 |
Idaho | $83,550 |
Illinois | $128,340 |
Indiana | $126,230 |
Iowa | $133,600 |
Kansas | $114,000 |
Kentucky | $85,500 |
Louisiana | $101,670 |
Maine | $99,630 |
Maryland | $119,300 |
Massachusetts | $125,120 |
Michigan | $111,530 |
Minnesota | $110,060 |
Mississippi | $96,740 |
Missouri | $108,240 |
Nebraska | $99,920 |
Nevada | $79,310 |
New Hampshire | $161,830 |
New Jersey | $117,220 |
New York | $129,370 |
North Carolina | $106,080 |
North Dakota | $93,610 |
Ohio | $109,960 |
Oregon | $110,860 |
Pennsylvania | $131,060 |
Rhode Island | $156,620 |
South Carolina | $70,190 |
South Dakota | $86,280 |
Tennessee | $130,170 |
Texas | $115,240 |
Utah | $117,380 |
Virginia | $101,290 |
Washington | $89,490 |
West Virginia | $90,800 |
Wisconsin | $119,560 |
What Tools & Technology do Economics Professors Use?
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Economics Professors may use on a daily basis:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Outlook
- Web browser software
- Microsoft Access
- Data entry software
- Email software
- The MathWorks MATLAB
- Google Docs
- R
- Minitab
- StataCorp Stata
- Calendar and scheduling software
- Blackboard Learn
- Learning management system LMS
- Course management system software
- Sakai CLE
- iParadigms Turnitin
How do I Become an Economics Professor?
What education or degrees do I need to become an Economics Professor?

How Long Does it Take to Become an Economics Professor?

Where do Economics Professors Work?

The table below shows the approximate number of Economics Professors employed by various industries.

References:
Image Credit: pixabay via CC0 License
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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