Each state has its own requirements for community college teacher certification. Certification does not guarantee a position as a postsecondary teacher. However, postsecondary teachers should enjoy teaching, motivating and counseling students. A graduate teaching assistant is one way to gain teaching experience while attending graduate school. Graduate teaching assistants work with faculty, department chairs or other professional staff at colleges and universities. Duties include grading papers, teaching classes (usually introductory), monitoring exams, having office hours and preparing lectures and exams.
In addition to teacher certification, postsecondary teachers holding a master’s degree fill most of the positions at two-year institutions (including community colleges). Certain fields will have more applicants than jobs, allowing colleges to be selective when hiring teachers. Under these circumstances a college will give preference to a PhD over a master’s degree. Increasingly, colleges prefer applicants with teaching experience in distance learning and smaller colleges favor candidates with dual master’s degrees because more subjects can be taught.
The National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification (NASDTEC) prepare and license educational personnel. The organization represents professional standards boards, commissions and state departments of education for all 50 states (including the District of Columbia, U.S. territories, and Canadian provinces). Teacher certification through NASDTEC facilitates mobility to its members. The interstate agreement allows teachers to earn certificates in other states and jurisdictions. A teacher in Georgia could earn a certificate in Pennsylvania; however, there may be additional requirements and/or restrictions.
The future is promising for postsecondary teachers according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Growth is projected at 15 percent between 2008 and 2018. Increased population and college enrollment of traditional and nontraditional students are reasons for the expected growth. Adults returning to college will create more opportunities for postsecondary teachers at community colleges. Employment growth is expected to be faster than the average because of the attrition of current retiring teachers. Master's degree holders will have more opportunities as it is expected there will be considerable growth at community colleges.
In its 2005-06 survey, the American Association of University Professors found that the average salary for full-time faculty members at two-year public colleges, or community colleges, was $52,719. Depending on the region, it ranged from a low average of $45,336 to a high average of $59,061. Opportunities for additional income can be generated through consulting, research, writing, or teaching more courses.