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Boston Career Explorer

Educational Instruction and Library

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.

Also called: Adjunct Professor, American Studies Professor, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Black Studies Professor, Ethnic Studies Professor

Median pay in Greater Boston
$100,140
Jobs in Greater Boston
440
Massachusetts 2024–2034
+6.2%
50 openings a year
Typical U.S. entry requirement
Doctoral or professional degree

Greater Boston: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, May 2025. Growth and openings: Massachusetts statewide projection.

Pay range in Greater Boston

Yearly pay in Greater Boston by percentile
10th25thMedian75th90th
$65,130$81,770$100,140$131,680$174,260

10% of workers earn less than the first figure and 10% earn more than the last.

What you’d do

  • 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.
  • Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.

AI and this job

AI exposure: how much of this job’s work AI tools can do or help with, based on national research. It is not a forecast of job loss.

Higher exposure85 of 100

The index averages three national research measures, each shown as a percentile of all jobs:

  • AIOE 87
  • Language-model AIOE 98
  • GPTs-are-GPTs 71

Observed AI use today: Little or none (Anthropic Economic Index)

AI exposure is higher for this job, though observed AI use is little or none so far. AI tools can help with preparing course materials, drafting handouts, and grading papers and exams. Leading classroom discussions and guiding students through sensitive topics about culture and identity still depend on the teacher.

Likely to change

  • Drafting syllabi, handouts, and assignments
  • Grading papers and exams

Still relies on people

  • Leading live classroom discussions
  • Guiding students through sensitive topics

Written with AI from the data on this page. Check with a career coach before making a decision.

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Training near Boston

College and school programs in the Boston metro area that lead to this job, with 2023-24 completions (IPEDS).

58 programs near Boston (plus 25 graduate)

Related occupations

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