Teaching and researching how people communicate, a speech professor explores rhetoric, persuasion, and public discourse — guiding students into the theory and practice of communication. Where communication becomes a scholarly field.
The week tends to blend lecturing, research, and advising, spanning rhetoric, theory, and practical speaking. You connect scholarship to real-world discourse, and much of the craft is making theory feel useful and alive. The academic calendar and committee work fill the rest.
Research universities weight publishing versus the classroom at teaching schools, and the humanities market is tight. For many, the harder part can be publish-or-perish pressure and a competitive job market. Funding, the tenure clock, and an underestimated field shape the work.
It tends to draw people who are articulate, curious, and energized by ideas. Trade-offs can include a tough market and the tenure clock. For someone fascinated by how communication shapes everything — from politics to a sales pitch — and drawn to teaching it, the work can be intellectually rewarding.
Remember “your permanent record”?
This time it works for you.
Where this role sits in the broader career landscape — and where it can take you.
Turn your career record
into a springboard for growth.
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.
Teaching and researching how people communicate, a speech professor explores rhetoric, persuasion, and public discourse — guiding students into the theory and practice of communication. Where communication becomes a scholarly field.
Median pay for a Speech Professor is about $78K nationally, with the field ranging roughly from $47K to $160K depending on experience, employer, and metro (BLS).
Core skills for this role include Active Listening, Instructing, Speaking, Reading Comprehension, and Learning Strategies.
Most people in this role hold a master's degree.
Employment in this field is projected to grow about 2.1% through 2034, with roughly 29,260 people working in it today (BLS).
Closely related roles include Speech Teacher, Public Speaking Teacher, and Media Arts Professor.
Remember “your permanent record”?
This time it works for you.