person lecturing a group of students

University professors and lecturers

(NOC 41200)
Annual Earnings
$114,979
Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities
University Degree
Job Openings
(2024-2034)
4,420

Career Overview

University professors and lecturers teach courses to undergraduate and graduate students at universities. Professors may also carry out research. This group includes department heads.

Job Titles

Agriculture professor - university
Anatomy professor - university
Anthropology professor - university
Archaeology professor - university
Asian studies professor - university
Assistant professor - university
Associate professor - university
Astronomy professor - university
Bacteriology professor - university
Biochemistry professor - university
Biology professor - university
Biomechanics professor - university
Botany assistant professor - university
Botany professor - university
Business administration professor - university
Chemical engineering professor - university
Chemistry professor - university
Civil engineering professor - university
Classics professor - university
Computer science professor - university
Criminology professor - university
Dentistry professor - university
Department chairman/woman - university
Department chairperson - university
Department head - university
Drama professor - university
Economics professor - university
Education professor - university
Electrical engineering professor - university
Engineering and architecture professor - university
Engineering instructor - university
Engineering professor - university
English professor - university
Fine arts professor - university
Food science professor - university
Food sciences department chairman/woman - university
Food sciences department chairperson - university
Food sciences department head - university
Forestry professor - university
French language professor - university
Full professor - university
Geography department chairman/woman - university
Geography department chairperson - university
Geography department head - university
Geography professor - university
Geology professor - university
Geophysics professor - university
History assistant professor - university
History professor - university
Humanities professor - university
Hygiene professor - university
Indigenous studies professor - university
Industrial engineering professor - university
Journalism professor - university
Laboratory technology professor - university
Language professor - university
Law professor - university
Lecturer - university
Library science professor - university
Life sciences professor - university
Linguistics associate professor
Linguistics department chairman/woman - university
Linguistics department chairperson - university
Linguistics department head - university
Linguistics professor - university
Literature professor - university
Mathematics professor - university
Mechanical engineering professor - university
Medical sciences professor - university
Medicine professor - university
Metallurgical engineering professor - university
Metallurgy professor - university
Meteorology professor - university
Music professor - university
Natural sciences professor - university
Nursing professor - university
Oceanography professor - university
Pharmacy professor - university
Philosophy professor - university
Physical sciences professor - university
Physics department chairman/woman - university
Physics department chairperson - university
Physics department head - university
Physics professor - university
Physiology professor - university
Political science professor - university
Postdoctoral fellow
Professor emeritus - university
Professor of computer science - university
Professor of medicine - university
Psychiatry professor - university
Psychology professor - university
Public administration professor - university
Public health professor - university
Recreology professor - university
Religion professor - university
Research professor - university
Sculpture professor - university
Social sciences professor - university
Social work professor - university
Sociology professor - university
Surgery professor - university
Teacher - teacher's college
Theology department chairman/woman - university
Theology department chairperson - university
Theology department head - university
University department head
University lecturer
University professor
Urban planning professor - university
Veterinary medicine professor - university
Visiting professor - university
Visiting scholar - university
Visual arts department chairman/woman - university
Visual arts department chairperson - university
Visual arts department head - university
Zoology professor - university

Duties

In general, university professors and lecturers:

  • Specialize in a subject area such as biology, chemistry, women’s studies, sociology, literature, history, business administration or law
  • Teach one or more subjects to undergraduate or graduate students
  • Carry out research and publish their findings in monographs, articles, conference materials, scholarly journals, books and online
  • Direct research programs for graduate students
  • Prepare and give lectures and lead laboratory sessions or discussion groups
  • Prepare, administer and grade exams and assignments
  • Serve on faculty committees dealing with curriculum and degree requirements
  • Perform administrative duties
  • Represent their universities as speakers and guest lecturers
  • Provide consulting services to government, industry and individuals
  • Seek external funding for research and professional development, as necessary

Earnings

Earnings is income that workers receive in exchange for their labour. Depending on the type of employment, earnings can be in the form of wages (hourly), salaries (fixed monthly or annual) or self-employed earnings.

Annual Earnings

$114,979

Provincial Hourly Rate

High$86.54/hr
Median$55.13/hr
Low$30.58/hr
Source: B.C. Labour Market Information Office, derived from 2024 Job Bank Wage data

Work Environment

# Workers Employed

10,770

% Employed Full Time

76%
Source: 2021 Census

University professors and lecturers usually teach in classrooms on campus. Depending on the course, they may teach outdoors, off campus or online. They make good use of technology to support classroom instruction and to communicate with their students and peers.

University professors and lecturers may teach courses outside of regular daytime hours. In addition to teaching time, they must make themselves available to students during regular office hours. They have considerable flexibility in terms of scheduling their time for course preparation, grading and research.

Workload depends on the number of classes they teach, their administrative duties and their research work. In general, most professors work more than 40 hours a week, including evenings and weekends. Lecturers usually have by-the-course contracts and often work less than 40-hour weeks.

Every five to seven years, full-time professors are eligible for a sabbatical. This frees them from their regular duties for up to one year, allowing them to work on projects related to their field of expertise.

Career Pathways

Entry into a career as a university professor typically requires a significant record of research and publication. A graduate usually gains this experience by working as a research fellow/associate or by doing independent research, often while working as a part-time, untenured instructor at a college or university.

Applicants in certain fields, such as the humanities, can gain the needed teaching experience by working as sessional instructors.

University professors can progress from assistant professor to associate professor and eventually to full professor. Full-time professors typically receive tenure after a probationary period of five to seven years as an assistant professor. Associate and full professors may advance to senior administrative positions such as chair, dean, vice-president or president.

Occupational Interests

It’s important to understand what kinds of occupations align with your interests.

For more about occupational interests visit Skills for the Future Workforce > Characteristics.

Here are the top occupational interest(s) for this career profile:

Social
Social

Education, Training and Skills

A doctoral degree (PhD) is required to become a university professor. Other requirements may include:

  • Licences or professional certification for teaching in regulated fields such as medicine, engineering, architecture or law
  • Teaching experience
  • A record of independent research and publication for full-time and tenure-track positions

Education programs in B.C.

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Find out more information about programs offered specifically for this career.

Skills

Every job calls for a certain set of skills. Knowing those skills is the first step in finding a good career fit.

Here, you will find the 10 most relevant workplace skills. Some are more important to achieving success in a certain career than others. These skills may come naturally to you or you may need to gain them through education, training and experience.

See the list of work-related skills below, ranked in order of importance for this career. Check out the list and see if this career matches your skills—take that first step!

Speaking

Talking to others to share information effectively.

81%
Instructing

Teaching others how to do something.

78%
Reading Comprehension

Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.

77%
Learning Strategies

Choosing and using training, instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.

75%
Active Listening

Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

75%
Writing

Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

75%
Critical Thinking

Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

72%
Active Learning

Understanding how new information could be used to solve current and future problems in making decisions.

72%
Monitoring

Keeping track of and assessing your performance, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

66%
Complex Problem Solving

Being able to solve novel, ill-defined problems in complex, real-world settings.

64%

Labour Market Statistics

Discover data, facts and information that have been gathered and analyzed. Learn about the characteristics of the economy and labour market in B.C.

Employment

Find out about employment types and trends by region and industry.

Employment

10,770
Source: 2021 Census

Employment by Region

Cariboo
Kootenay
Mainland/Southwest
North Coast and Nechako
Northeast
Thompson-Okanagan
Vancouver Island/Coast
Region Employment % Employment of this Occupation
Cariboo 185 1.7%
Kootenay 55 0.5%
Mainland/Southwest 7,280 67.6%
North Coast and Nechako 15 0.1%
Northeast 0 0.0%
Thompson-Okanagan 1,070 9.9%
Vancouver Island/Coast 2,170 20.2%
Source: 2021 Census

Labour Market Outlook

The B.C. Labour Market Outlook is a 10-year forecast of the expected supply and demand for labour in the province. It’s usually updated every year. The purpose is to provide British Columbians with the knowledge to make informed decisions on careers, skills training, education and hiring.

Forecasted Job Openings (2024-2034)

4,420
Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Forecasted Job Openings

Forecasted Employment Growth Rate

Composition of Job Openings

Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Job Openings by Region (2024-2034)

Cariboo
Kootenay
Mainland/Southwest
North Coast and Nechako
Northeast
Thompson-Okanagan
Vancouver Island/Coast
Region Job Openings Avg. Annual Employment Growth
Cariboo 160 1.4%
Kootenay 80 5.2%
Mainland/Southwest 2,280 0.4%
North Coast and Nechako Not available Not available
Northeast Not available Not available
Thompson-Okanagan 870 2.4%
Vancouver Island/Coast 1,030 0.9%
Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Industry Highlights

Learn about the opportunities in B.C.'s major industries, including employment trends, earning potential, locations of work and more.

Forecasted Job Openings by Industry

IndustryJob Openings (2024-2034)
Educational Services4,410
Public Administration20
For additional industry information, visit the Industry Profiles page.
Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Resources