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Job outlook for philosophy instructors in the United States
Philosophy instructor job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected philosophy instructor job growth rate is 12% from 2018-2028.
About 159,400 new jobs for philosophy instructors are projected over the next decade.
Philosophy instructor salaries have increased 11% for philosophy instructors in the last 5 years.
There are over 3,595 philosophy instructors currently employed in the United States.
There are 24,431 active philosophy instructor job openings in the US.
The average philosophy instructor salary is $71,060.
Are philosophy instructor jobs in demand?
Philosophy instructor job and salary trends over time
Philosophy instructor jobs over time
Philosophy instructor job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 3,595 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 3,948 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 4,050 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 3,983 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 3,952 | 0.00% |
Average philosophy instructor salary over time
Philosophy instructor salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $71,060 | $34.16 | +1.2% |
| 2025 | $70,202 | $33.75 | +4.7% |
| 2024 | $67,076 | $32.25 | +3.3% |
| 2023 | $64,930 | $31.22 | +1.8% |
| 2022 | $63,782 | $30.66 | +3.0% |
Philosophy instructor jobs by state
Most common states for philosophy instructors
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 489 | 9% |
| 2 | South Carolina | 5,024,369 | 385 | 8% |
| 3 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 79 | 8% |
| 4 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 46 | 8% |
| 5 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 598 | 7% |
| 6 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 277 | 7% |
| 7 | Delaware | 961,939 | 66 | 7% |
| 8 | Alaska | 739,795 | 51 | 7% |
| 9 | Georgia | 10,429,379 | 664 | 6% |
| 10 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 660 | 6% |
| 11 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 467 | 5% |
| 12 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 311 | 5% |
| 13 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 281 | 5% |
| 14 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 161 | 5% |
| 15 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 37 | 5% |
| 16 | Vermont | 623,657 | 30 | 5% |
| 17 | California | 39,536,653 | 1,669 | 4% |
| 18 | Nevada | 2,998,039 | 133 | 4% |
| 19 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 128 | 4% |
| 20 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 46 | 4% |
Philosophy Instructor job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of philosophy instructor experts
University of Nebraska - Omaha
University of Nevada - Las Vegas
Oklahoma State University
Gannon University
University of Georgia
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
Lehman College of the City University of New York
Sonoma State University
University of Michigan Flint
University of California, Santa Barbara
University of Mary
Furman University
College of the Marshall Islands
College of William and Mary
University of Southern California
University of Southern California
Furman University
University of North Carolina Asheville
What general advice would you give to a Philosophy Instructor?
Rodney Palmer DMin, PhD, CTSS: Gaining relevant work experience through internships, part-time positions, or volunteer opportunities has the potential to significantly enhance one’s marketability and bargaining power during salary negotiation.
What Philosophy Instructor skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Rodney Palmer DMin, PhD, CTSS: Being trauma-informed, developing intercultural competence, and possessing the skillset to engage with diverse perspectives and worldviews will be essential in an increasingly globalized society. Critical thinking, problem-solving, and excellent communication skills are non-negotiables.
What will help Philosophy Instructors increase their earning potential?
Rodney Palmer DMin, PhD, CTSS: Graduates beginning their careers in Philosophy and Religious Studies should prioritize networking and building connections with professionals in the field. Such relationships will prove invaluable, as they often result in mentorship relationships and potential job opportunities. Be a lifelong learner and stay informed about current trends in the field of Philosophy and Religious Studies through ongoing professional development opportunities.
What general advice would you give to a Philosophy Instructor?
Yanssel Garcia: Be useful, solve problems, and be aware of your worth. Transition to roles where you are compensated appropriately. Philosophy graduates' flexibility and problem-solving skills make them valuable in various disciplines, leading to potential job growth.
What Philosophy Instructor skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Yanssel Garcia: The ability to reason creatively and go beyond limited datasets will be crucial. Philosophy graduates excel in critical reasoning, analysis, and synthesis, making them well-equipped to tackle new challenges.
What will help Philosophy Instructors increase their earning potential?
Yanssel Garcia: My advice is simple: use the skills you have developed in reasoning, problem-solving, and clear communication. Offer your insights, be confident, and contribute novel solutions to any team you join.
What general advice would you give to a Philosophy Instructor?
Dr. Todd Jones: When you graduate with a philosophy major there is often the feeling that there is really nothing that one is qualified to do except teach philosophy. But this is absolutely untrue. It sounds cliché, but philosophy gives you very good preparation for an enormous range of fields. In philosophy you learn to evaluate evidence and to give arguments that this or that is what’s most likely true, or would be the best thing to do. These are good skills to have in almost any field. I would advise people to lean into their unusual major. When prospective employers see that someone was a philosophy major, they get very interested. They realize they have someone here who does not just follow the comfortable common path and is likely to have a great deal of intelligence.
What Philosophy Instructor skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Todd Jones: There will be a tremendous need for people to think through all kinds of things regarding the ethics of AI. When is an AI assisted document plagiarism? Will jobs inevitably be lost to AI? What kind of jobs, and what new jobs should AI help create? When should and shouldn’t we trust the analysis given by an AI. When should and shouldn’t AI’s be allowed to make military decisions. How should we regard AI generated art? Will there ever be a time when we should regard AI’s has having rights? These are questions that we will really need to be thinking through in the next couple of years. And no other discipline is as well set up to think about them as philosophy.
What will help Philosophy Instructors increase their earning potential?
Dr. Todd Jones: First, Zippia, remember that few philosophy majors go into the discipline because they are thinking about their salary potential. They go into philosophy because they are intensely interested in ethical, epistemological and metaphysical questions. That said, if a philosophy major’s aim is salary maximization, then they should apply to jobs with the highest starting salaries and think about how their skills will be helpful there. If the job is in high tech, remember that philosophers usually intensely study logic – the foundation of programming. If one is interested in law, the philosophical study of how to and how not to argue helps people be superior lawyers at every level. And philosophy gives a lot of practice looking at the strengths and weaknesses of big overarching visions, something that is highly valuable for any sort of executive position.
Shannon Spaulding PhD
Associate Professor of Philosophy, Associate Department Head (though if you run the story after July 1 it will be 'Professor of Philosophy, Department Head')Oklahoma State University
Philosophy
What general advice would you give to a Philosophy Instructor?
Shannon Spaulding PhD: Think creatively about the kind of field you want to start in. Philosophy majors thrive in jobs that require abstract thinking and good communication skills, and these jobs can be lucrative. Philosophy majors find success, for example, in the tech industry because they excel in 'thinking outside the box.' They thrive in law school and as attorneys because they are well trained in critical thinking and communication.
What Philosophy Instructor skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Shannon Spaulding PhD: Philosophy majors go on to have success in a wide variety of careers in numerous different fields. My advice for Philosophy majors applying for jobs and starting careers is to explain to potential employers and bosses what kind of training you have as a Philosophy Major. Philosophy majors are trained in critical analysis of complicated problems, creative problem solving, and communication skills. These skills transfer to just about any career, and communicating that you have this well-honed skillset is crucial. At most jobs, employers will teach you the specific concepts, systems, and procedures you need to know to work there. What they need are employees that are critical thinkers, problem solvers, and good communicators.
What will help Philosophy Instructors increase their earning potential?
Shannon Spaulding PhD: With the increasing prevalence of AI that completes much of the 'grunt work' of white-collar jobs, skills like critical thinking will become even more valuable. Being able to reason critically at an abstract level will become more and more crucial as more and more tasks get outsourced to AI.
Bryan Prior
Assistant Director of Student Accountability & Prevention Education/Deputy Title IX CoordinatorGannon University
Philosophy
What general advice would you give to a Philosophy Instructor?
Bryan Prior: When it comes to a career in Philosophy, I feel like now more than ever the job market is looking for open minds and creative thinking. These are valuable tools indeed, and with a Philosophy background you are one step ahead of the game. Part of studying philosophy is being both a master of your study and a seeker of new knowledge and wisdom. So do not stop learning, growing, and exploring all the things that interest you. Use your development and approach to philosophy to harness these new experiences into your field of study. Philosophy IS everywhere, and you may have to be the one to show others that, but in time it gets easier to see it.
What Philosophy Instructor skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Bryan Prior: Now, with all that being said, it is true that there are those schools of thought out there that are going to “scoff” or “dismiss” the concept of philosophy as a degree, but that school is dwindling in the changing times we find ourselves in. The candidate with a philosophy degree and a diverse background of experiences can easily find themselves at the top of the pile so to speak. So, take pride in all you have done that has brought you to where you are and use that degree as the culmination of a background geared towards learning, exploring, and developing your knowledge. Show those you are applying to that your philosophy background allows you to handle not just the tasks they see you handling, but what will also come in the future. The candidate/employee who says “that is not in my job description” is on the fast track to dismissal in this market, so being able to say “I will figure it out.” DEFINITELY will improve your earning potential. Following the money and applying where it is does not hurt either. Be creative in how you market yourself and let the employer see you are looking to expand their idea of the perfect candidate. You will be surprised how many opportunities come from just taking a chance. Be bold. Be wise. Be YOU!
What will help Philosophy Instructors increase their earning potential?
Bryan Prior: When I think of how a “philosopher” could separate themselves from the job market “these days”, I cannot help but look to the growing field of AI. If it is in programming, business, education, or law, the field of AI and philosophy will definitely be merging. It will take someone with the ability to look at things in a new way to truly harness the world of AI. What ways can AI be made better? How will we prevent AI from affecting things like plagiarism in education? How can schools USE AI to improve learning? Where will the legal boundaries be drawn as AI becomes more prevalent? None of these questions have answers, but you can bet businesses, schools, and firms, are looking for someone who can get them the answers they need. The philosophical approach will be key, and you will be a step ahead of the rest.
What general advice would you give to a Philosophy Instructor?
Piers Stephens PhD: The challenge, joy, and strength of philosophy is precisely that learning how to do it well has broad application, especially in terms of reasoning skills, a fact that almost certainly contributes to both the high levels of satisfaction that employers report with philosophy graduates and the great breadth of careers in which philosophy graduates have excelled. You will find philosophy graduates in prominent positions from Hollywood to the clergy, from Silicon Valley to art galleries, from engineering to law, from politics to hospitals, from journalism to museums and national parks.
What Philosophy Instructor skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Piers Stephens PhD: Philosophy teaches how to inquire into seemingly simple but often timeless questions in a systematic and logical way. Philosophy is the discipline that has given birth to almost every area of knowledge on the curriculum. All the natural sciences, all the social sciences, and almost all of the critical side of the humanities, such as literary criticism, are forms of inquiry that historically evolved from philosophy.
What will help Philosophy Instructors increase their earning potential?
Piers Stephens PhD: Philosophy graduates have excelled in various careers due to the broad application of reasoning skills taught in philosophy. The discipline has contributed to the development of almost every area of knowledge on the curriculum, leading to high levels of satisfaction among employers with philosophy graduates.
What general advice would you give to a Philosophy Instructor?
Prof. Patrick Lin: My expertise isn’t in labor or economic forecasting, so I would rely on other experts for this question. The good news for philosophy majors is that many of the skills that are predicted to be in demand in the future are exactly the kind that we have or are developing in the major.
What Philosophy Instructor skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Prof. Patrick Lin: While money isn’t everything, it’s also not-nothing in the real world—especially in America—where you’re largely on your own. To boost your salary potential, I would advise students to be flexible with career plans since those plans can change and the world will change, too.
What will help Philosophy Instructors increase their earning potential?
Prof. Patrick Lin: I’d say that the only true “philosophy job” or “career in the field” here is being a philosophy teacher/professor or researcher, and you basically need to win the academic-job lottery for that, which is harder than getting into any college—there are literally hundreds of applicants for every open faculty position. But just about any job can be a “philosophy job” if you know how to connect the dots back to the discipline.
Julie Maybee
Professor of PhilosophyLehman College of the City University of New York
Philosophy
What general advice would you give to a Philosophy Instructor?
Julie Maybee: It is a myth that a degree with a major in philosophy cannot help graduates get jobs or do well in the job market over the course of their careers. My advice to graduates would be to be prepared to have to learn some job-specific skills as they move forward in their careers, but to feel confident that their study of philosophy has prepared them with important skills they'll need: critical and analytical thinking, being able to think creatively and be resilient and agile in response to problems, curiosity, communication skills, and skills for reading complex texts.
What Philosophy Instructor skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Julie Maybee: The World Economic Forum's 'Future of Jobs Report 2023' states that employers will be looking for skills such as analytical thinking, creative thinking, self-efficacy skills like resilience, flexibility, agility, motivation, self-awareness, curiosity, and lifelong learning. Philosophy majors are being prepared to think analytically, think creatively, be resilient, flexible, agile, curious, and remain lifelong learners.
What will help Philosophy Instructors increase their earning potential?
Julie Maybee: Although the median salary for a philosophy graduate when starting out may be lower, after 10 years, the median salary increases significantly. Philosophy graduates may need to be patient, but the skills they learn in philosophy will help them learn on the job and move up the ranks over time.
What general advice would you give to a Philosophy Instructor?
John Sullins PhD: Philosophy is an excellent major for people who have an intellectually entrepreneurial spirit. We live in a time where traditional jobs and majors are being upended by changes in technology and society, a philosopher is trained to thrive in times like these. We always look beyond the given and are therefore good at finding opportunities that others have not seen yet. Philosophy is more of a way of thinking than it is a specific curriculum. Someone getting into the field needs to decide if they want to study philosophy in a more applied way or if they want to be very theoretical. Different departments in philosophy will have a different focus. Here at Sonoma State, we focus on applied ethics, and social and political philosophy. We offer four concentrations: Pre-Law and Applied Ethics, the Good Life, Science, Technology and Ethics, and Social Justice. My particular specialty is looking at the ethics of AI and Robotics. I have been in this field of study for over twenty years and today my work is more relevant than ever. It has allowed me to work in the industry as a consultant and in producing ethical standards for emerging technologies. We have come a long way from the white toga days and are involved in nearly every discipline.
What Philosophy Instructor skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
John Sullins PhD: As we are quickly automating all kinds of jobs, the skills needed are changing rapidly. The primary skills professionals will need is to be able to effectively communicate with both people and machines and then think critically before acting on the advice of other people and machines. In a world of deep fake images, fake news, and social media-fueled propaganda, critical thinking becomes the primary skill. Philosophers invented and have further perfected the skill of critical thinking over the past three thousand years, so this is the best place to come to learn this vital skill.
What will help Philosophy Instructors increase their earning potential?
John Sullins PhD: We do very well when compared to other humanities majors. Since our major is a fantastic pre-law or even pre-med major, as well as preparing for an eventual MBA our mid-career earning potential is very Philosophy students are very competitive in securing spots in advanced degree programs after earning their bachelors. Sticking to applied philosophy with an eye towards a professional degree afterward will maximize the salary they can earn. But there is a lot to say about just learning to live a more happy and fulfilled life. Luckily philosophy students learn to do both!
What general advice would you give to a Philosophy Instructor?
Lisa Gawel: Versatility is the key to maximizing one's earning potential when starting a philosophical career. Instead of limiting oneself to one branch of philosophy, graduates will impress employers with their ability to combine critical reasoning with morality, or research abilities with writing skills. It is time to show the ways philosophical training can be used in a variety of current careers instead of it only being a tool to examine ancient Greek dialogues. Philosophy students learn strong critical thinking techniques, focused research abilities, and superb writing skills as they progress toward their degree and these are talents any employer would be thrilled to add to their team.
What Philosophy Instructor skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Lisa Gawel: I think in the next 3 to 5 years, we, as a society, are going to continue to fight for equity and justice, so a strong background in analyzing morality will be important. Understanding the different ethical frameworks under which people operate will help to defuse tense situations. The ability to center conversations around ethical principles such as autonomy, fairness, and justice will be crucial for making progress. These skills are also beneficial in the corporate world, as companies continue to boost their diversity, equity, and inclusion departments.
What will help Philosophy Instructors increase their earning potential?
Lisa Gawel: As a philosophy graduate, many people consider work in academia to be the only choice. While teaching philosophy is wonderful, it may not be the perfect fit for everyone. For new graduates beginning their careers in philosophy, I encourage them to use their critical thinking skills to determine the area of philosophy that keeps them most intrigued. For instance, if one gravitates toward ethics, career choices may include working on hospital ethics boards, writing corporate ethical policies, or advocating for social justice. Or, if one prefers logic, career choices may include financial analyst, textbook writer, or police detective. My general advice is to keep an open mind and use philosophical skills in a challenging and rewarding way.
What general advice would you give to a Philosophy Instructor?
Prof Elinor Mason: Dislikes: teaching, research, admin, interference from management or government. Likes vary among individuals.
What Philosophy Instructor skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Prof Elinor Mason: Morally good for clear thinking. Prudentially good for autonomy, flexibility, lifestyle.
What will help Philosophy Instructors increase their earning potential?
Prof Elinor Mason: Teaching, Research, Admin. Teaching 2-4 full courses, grad student supervision. Research involves thinking, reading, writing. Admin includes bureaucracy, paperwork, committee work.
What general advice would you give to a Philosophy Instructor?
Dr. Donald Bungum: 1. Identifying and hiring talent. It is critical to be able to hire the right people for your team. 2. Clarifying the distinctive mission of your organization. As AI takes over many tasks, human beings will need to be better and clearer about identifying the essences of their joint activities. This is one place where philosophers shine.
What Philosophy Instructor skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Donald Bungum: 1. Pursue an MBA/MA with UMary. 2. Keep a list of accomplishments and become very fluent at talking about how they serve the mission of your organization.
What will help Philosophy Instructors increase their earning potential?
Dr. Donald Bungum: 1. Read Patrick Henry Winston's Make it Clear and develop a 30-second elevator pitch for your work in your position. 2. Read Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence People. 3. Read Peter Drucker's The Effective Executive. 4. Write a mission statement for yourself that explains what you do, why you do it, for whom you do it, and how you do it in an attractive, exciting, compelling way. 5. Write a mission statement for your boss or supervisor according to how you understand your supervisor's role. Find an appropriate way to discuss it with him or her to make sure that you are on the same page. Then, make sure to work to fulfill both your own mission statement and your supervisor's. 6. See needs and fill needs.
What Philosophy Instructor skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Darren Hudson: In addition to providing students with new insights into the world, themselves, and those around them, a degree in Philosophy provides graduates with a set of universally transferrable skills in reasoning and problem solving that are highly valued by employers. Philosophy majors regularly outscore most other majors on tests to get into graduate school, business school, law school, and medical school. Philosophy majors also continue to have the highest rate of salary growth from entry to mid-career, at 103.5%.
What will help Philosophy Instructors increase their earning potential?
Darren Hudson: Linkedin profile (if you have one)
Your first and last name
Title
University website
What general advice would you give to a Philosophy Instructor?
Alexander Velasquez: My general advice to any graduate beginning their career in their field is to continue to learn and be a student of your craft. Be open to learning new things because you never know how they will improve your skills and qualifications. For example, I am currently learning video editing. I never thought I would bother to learn video editing, but it makes me a more versatile instructor being able to give students the option of doing video projects, combining and editing them, and having a digital record of what students have learned in the classroom. And given the rise of online learning, it's important nowadays to be an effective instructor both in the traditional in-person format and within the digital landscape.
What general advice would you give to a Philosophy Instructor?
Aaron Griffith: The general advice I'd give to a graduate in philosophy depends on whether they intend to pursue an academic career in philosophy or not. If they intend to pursue an academic career, the path forward is clear: a PhD in philosophy at the best program they can get into. That will require a serious commitment to academic work, publishing, going to conferences, and significant time, i.e., around 6 years. If they do not plan to go into academia, then graduates should hard about how to apply their skills to other fields. They will need to be ready to market their skills—critical thought, analytic writing, creative problem solving—to other fields and enterprises. They will have to be thoughtful about how the skills gained by doing philosophy translate into other, non-academic endeavors.
What Philosophy Instructor skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Aaron Griffith: The skill needed to do well in philosophy (graduate studies, academic positions) are analytical thought, clear writing, creativity, and perseverance. There are fewer and fewer academic positions in philosophy, which means the field is more competitive each year. To stand out, students will have to be ready to publish in professional journals. That means understanding the contemporary debates and being ready to contribute to them.
What will help Philosophy Instructors increase their earning potential?
Aaron Griffith: Academics will not likely maximize one's salary potential! But there are many other fields where the skills honed by philosophy will be highly valuable. These skills are starting to be recognized in the business and tech worlds. Every field needs people who question basic assumptions, follow lines of thought to their logical conclusions, and who can think through the value/limitations of different perspectives. In fact, philosophy majors on average make more money in their lifetimes than other humanities students and even more than some students from STEM fields.
What general advice would you give to a Philosophy Instructor?
Susi Ferrarello Ph.D: You can aim at a very good salary in this field by keeping up with new certifications and technologies. For example, recently I attended courses such as online effective teaching, equity-minded pedagogy, anti-racist syllabus writing, mental health first responder which helped to make my CV more competitive while offering better service for my students and the society. Moreover, becoming a philosopher counselor helped me to diversify my career in different areas.
What Philosophy Instructor skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Susi Ferrarello Ph.D: Besides the lifelong learning that you can gain thanks to philosophical work in so many areas such as AI, healthcare, HR, social media etc. philosophy can help enhance effective communication, digital literacy, cultural competence, epistemic awareness, skills in applied ethics, and policy analysis which will be valuable for addressing pressing societal challenges.
What will help Philosophy Instructors increase their earning potential?
Susi Ferrarello Ph.D: I would suggest the students try to imagine themselves in as many fields as possible and be as courageous as possible with their dreams. Graduating in philosophy opens many more doors than one would expect. So, it is important to check with one's own inclination and see if and how they can get where they would like to be.
What Philosophy Instructor skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Ralph Wedgwood: Studying philosophy as an undergraduate is an excellent way of preparing students for a huge range of careers - in law, business, government, academia, non-profit organizations, and more. In all these careers, the most important thing that one has to expect is that there is still a lot to learn - but having been trained as a philosophy student, one can be confident that one has learned how to learn effectively.
What will help Philosophy Instructors increase their earning potential?
Ralph Wedgwood: Since our students pursue so many different careers, it is hard to say anything specific about how they can maximize their salary potential. But working hard, developing good habits of being efficient and well organized, thinking outside the box, and building respectful relationships with colleagues - these are good ways to get ahead in almost every field.
What general advice would you give to a Philosophy Instructor?
Ralph Wedgwood: The skills that our students acquire as philosophy undergraduates include knowledge of how to think carefully and rigorously, how to read and analyze difficult texts, and how to communicate clearly and precisely. These are all transferable skills that our students take with them into many different careers. In virtually all these careers, these skills are more important today than ever.
What general advice would you give to a Philosophy Instructor?
Mark Schroeder: Always remember that your training in philosophy is going to help you in any complex and evolving field that requires communicating well with people about ideas - in short, in virtually any career path in the twenty-first century.
What will help Philosophy Instructors increase their earning potential?
Mark Schroeder: Evaluating tradeoffs between competing values in context is going to become more and more important. Evolutions in technology, workplace norms, and other systems are going to come so fast that simple rules that have worked well or well enough in the past are going to no longer suffice, and in every career you are going to need to be able to identify what is lost through these changes and be able to think creatively about how it can be regained. This skill is going to rapidly come to pervade every career from social media influencer to LLM prompt engineer. Understanding that no one else is as well-equipped as you to think patiently and critically about these kinds of challenges will help you become a leader in identifying ways to contribute genuine value in your chosen career.
What Philosophy Instructor skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Mark Schroeder: Remember that starting salary and salary potential are not the same thing. Philosophy is one of the strongest performing majors for mid-career salaries. So try to get over the picture that you are done learning and now it is time to work, and adopt instead the perspective that you are a lifelong learner and that there will always be new and bigger things ahead. To leverage your potential to rise in your chosen career and not just plateau in an early high-paying job, you need to be willing to take risks, invest in yourself and in human relationships, see each new career step as an opportunity for personal growth, and constantly identify flaws in the systems around you that you can address. Studying philosophy has prepared you to do all of these things.
What general advice would you give to a Philosophy Instructor?
J. Aaron Simmons Ph.D.: Again, if you mean in philosophy specifically, then I think that finding ways to think cross-disciplinarily and collaboratively will be important. My hunch is that things having to do with the impacts of AI will increasingly be a focus of philosophical reflection. That said, more broadly, I think that the skills that matter for professionals in the coming years are not specific to this or that field, but more a matter of leaning into the centrality of human dignity. Basically, we have to find ways to stop letting assholes dictate what counts as the value-proposition for human social life. Those who find ways to do that are likely to be the voices that emerge as culture shapers.
What Philosophy Instructor skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
J. Aaron Simmons Ph.D.: Well, the vast majority of philosophy majors do not go into philosophy as their career field. Our majors are wide-ranging in their eventual paths. From entrepreneurs to lawyers, from journalists to consultants, from professors to physicians, philosophy majors can do it all. That said, my advice is not to let their career field determine their identity. Jobs matter because people do. People don't matter because of their jobs. Joy is found in being intentional about whom you are becoming. So, strive to be the sort of person who realizes that they are ok, even when things are not. That way, whatever happens in their career, they are not defined by success and they are not ruined by failure
What will help Philosophy Instructors increase their earning potential?
J. Aaron Simmons Ph.D.: I think that this question is deeply problematic. Sure, it matters that we know the worth of our work, but one's salary is irrelevant to one's value. So, finding ways to cultivate meaning-making rather than just money-making is key to fulfillment. In philosophy, though, I genuinely think that the priority of maximizing one's salary potential is out of step with the choice to go into philosophy as a career field. Philosophy invites living on purpose and that is not what generates lots of angel investing. If you desire to be a philosopher, cling tirelessly to the importance of encouraging humanity into truth, goodness, and beauty. If you desire maximum salary, go sell stuff. Should philosophers make more money, sure, but so should almost all professors who are tragically underpaid precisely because of the value-theory that underwrites this very question: that revenue is the ultimate goal and the indicator of what matters in life. Philosophy stands opposed to that model because it cultivates humility in the face of capitalistic arrogance, and it fosters critical thinking in the face of the power structures that reinforce the status quo.
Melissa Burchard Ph.D.
Chair & Professor of PhilosophyUniversity of North Carolina Asheville
Philosophy Department
What skills stand out on Philosophy Instructor resumes?
Melissa Burchard Ph.D.: Specific skills that stand out are critical thinking skills: the ability to conceptualize (idea people) and the ability to analyze or evaluate the ideas, arguments, and writing of others. Further, philosophy majors are generally extremely good communicators, both verbally and in writing; they can both present and process information very well. Philosophy majors have very good information skills: they can read complex and dense presentations of information and extract from those what is important for a task or program.
What soft skills should all Philosophy Instructors possess?
Melissa Burchard Ph.D.: By "soft skills," I understand things like communication skills, which philosophy majors tend to excel at. I assume this also means things like flexibility, which is usually strong in our majors. The critical thinking skills and flexibility combined tend to make them good problem solvers as well. Further, since philosophy majors at UNCA get a lot of attention in their coursework to issues of diversity, equity, and social justice, they tend to be respectful team players and are capable of working with a diverse group of others.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Philosophy Instructors?
Melissa Burchard Ph.D.: All students at UNCA are expected to demonstrate basic computer competency, which includes at least basic typing ability and the use of common software. Further, our majors have to do at least some research and so have the skills to find and sort information and to extract information from scholarly articles. And, of course, they will have their philosophy degree.
What skills will help Philosophy Instructors earn the most?
Melissa Burchard Ph.D.: Given what we are seeing in the literature on what employers are currently looking for, my expectation is that the communication skills and the critical thinking/problem-solving skills are likely to lead to higher earnings, as those appear to be in demand. Those students who develop leadership skills through their degree work will have an added advantage; of course, since this is specific to individuals, we can't say that all our majors will be strong leaders, but they do tend to have confidence after going through the philosophy program.