How families function, raise children, and manage a household is a real field of study, and it's yours to teach — from child development to family resource management. The academic study of everyday family life.
The work runs on the academic calendar: lectures, discussion, research, advising, and the grant-and-publish cycle, across a field that spans child development, nutrition, relationships, and family economics. You translate a broad, human subject into coursework. The material is both academic and deeply personal, and research and teaching split your time.
The breadth is a double edge — the field's wide scope can make it feel scattered to outsiders and funders alike. Tenure pressure and publishing demands apply, the subject is sometimes underestimated despite its real-world weight, and research or teaching dominates by institution. Enrollment and funding shape the programs.
It tends to suit people who are curious about families and energized by teaching it. If you want a narrowly technical field or detachment from your subject, the breadth and human focus may not fit. But if you care about how families actually thrive, and like passing that on, it can be quietly rewarding.
Your job belongs to your employer.
Your career belongs to you.
Where this role sits in the broader career landscape — and where it can take you.
It's your career.
Take the wheel.
Roles like this one sit within a broader occupational category. The numbers below reflect that full landscape — helpful for context, but your specific experience will depend on level, specialty, and where you work.
How families function, raise children, and manage a household is a real field of study, and it's yours to teach — from child development to family resource management. The academic study of everyday family life.
Median pay for a Home and Family Living Professor is about $77K nationally, with the field ranging roughly from $48K to $133K depending on experience, employer, and metro (BLS).
Core skills for this role include Speaking, Instructing, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, and Learning Strategies.
Most people in this role hold a professional degree.
Employment in this field is projected to grow about 3.4% through 2034, with roughly 2,630 people working in it today (BLS).
Closely related roles include Curriculum and Instruction Director, Curriculum and Assessment Director, and Home Economics Teacher.
Do one small thing to grow in your career this week. Pick one of these; each comes with the words to use.
More career advice
We believe careers grow through small steps taken often, more than big leaps. So we’ve collected hundreds of them for you to try.
Browse career adviceYour job belongs to your employer.
Your career belongs to you.