How much does a communications prof make?
Answer: A typical communications prof in the United States makes $78,580 a year (median, May 2025, US Bureau of Labor Statistics).
Line up 100 people; this is the one in the middle (median). about 29,000 people work in this job. Well above the US-wide typical pay ($50,980).
If 100 people had this job
Lowest at bottom-left, highest at top-rightHover over a person to see their yearly pay
Communications prof pay in the United States (May 2025, median and spread)
| Lower earner (10th from bottom) | Typical person (median) | Higher earner (10th from top) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|---|
| $47,590 | $78,580 | $143,720 | about 29,000 |
| State | Typical person (median) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|
| California | $135,000 | about 3,000 |
| Michigan | $87,670 | about 630 |
| New York | $84,690 | about 2,000 |
| Massachusetts | $82,610 | about 1,000 |
| Wisconsin | $78,780 | about 640 |
Why does pay differ?
In the U.S., pay can vary with experience and advanced credentials, the kind of college or university, and location. Full-time versus part-time hours also change yearly earnings.
What if you lived in a different state?
Pay varies a lot by state in the USTop 5 and bottom 3 states, typical (median) yearly pay.
What does a communications prof do?
Teach courses in communications, such as organizational communications, public relations, radio/television broadcasting, and journalism. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
What's a typical day like?
They prepare lessons, teach communication topics, guide class discussions, and grade papers and exams. At some universities, they also do research and publish their work.
How to get this job
In the U.S., professors usually earn a bachelor’s degree, then a doctorate for four-year college jobs; some community colleges accept a master’s. Doctoral students do original research and defend a dissertation, and teaching or field experience can help.
Graduate degree or long training (preparation level 5 of 5)
Good for people who like helping and teaching and figuring things out.
Did you know?
A communications prof may teach much more than public speaking: O*NET lists subjects from public relations to radio/TV broadcasting and journalism.
Similar jobs
Jobs using similar skills (O*NET)Earn more in the same field
Educational Instruction and Library jobs that pay a bit moreSources and data
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (bls.gov); descriptions and related jobs from O*NET 31.0. Figures as of May 2025, full-time yearly pay (hourly × 2,080 hours). bls.gov/oes · O*NET OnLine
Pages used for the text
- www.bls.gov/ooh/education-training-and-library/postsecondary-teachers.htm
- www.onetonline.org/link/summary/25-1122.00
- www.mynextmove.org/profile/summary/25-1122.00
- www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2015/article/wage-differences.htm
- www.bls.gov/oes/2023/may/oes251122.htm
Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY