An early-career academic teaching and researching finance at the college or university level — typically an assistant professor or visiting faculty role, balancing teaching loads with the research that supports tenure progression. The entry rung of academic finance careers.
Most days tend to balance teaching preparation, classroom delivery, research time, student advising, and the service obligations that come with junior faculty appointments. You'll often teach two or three courses per semester at teaching-focused universities (one or two at R1s), work on research papers in various stages from data collection to journal submission, and serve on department committees. The tenure clock shapes priorities.
The variance between institutions is significant — R1 research universities expect substantial published research in top-tier finance journals (JF, JFE, RFS) and lighter teaching loads; teaching-focused universities emphasize student outcomes and curriculum work; adjunct or visiting roles focus heavily on teaching with less research expectation. Industry experience tends to be valued more in finance than in some other disciplines.
People who tend to thrive here are comfortable with the dual identity of teacher and researcher, intrinsically motivated by intellectual work, and patient with the slow pace of academic timelines. PhD typically required for tenure-track roles. The work tends to offer academic freedom and intellectual community, with the trade-off being modest pay relative to industry finance and the pressure of the tenure clock — for those committed to academic finance, the role is the entry point to a long-arc career.
Where this role sits in the broader career landscape — and where it can take you.
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.
An early-career academic teaching and researching finance at the college or university level — typically an assistant professor or visiting faculty role, balancing teaching loads with the research that supports tenure progression. The entry rung of academic finance careers.
Median pay for a Junior Finance Professor is about $97K nationally, with the field ranging roughly from $46K to $211K depending on experience, employer, and metro (BLS).
Core skills for this role include Speaking, Instructing, Active Listening, Learning Strategies, and Reading Comprehension.
Most people in this role hold a professional degree.
Employment in this field is projected to grow about 5.7% through 2034, with roughly 81,780 people working in it today (BLS).
Closely related roles include Finance Professor, Accounting Teacher, and Business Education Teacher.
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