Will AI replace Postsecondary Teachers?

No. We don't think AI will replace Postsecondary Teachers, All Other, though we do expect the job to change. Our 52.4% AI Resilience Score reflects a career that is holding up well, but not standing still. Right now, AI is mostly a helper in the classroom. Nearly all faculty surveyed reported using AI tools for work in the past six months, with the most promising uses being automating repetitive tasks and reducing administrative burdens . More than half of faculty already use AI to develop course materials . That is augmentation, not replacement. What stays human is the core of the job: inspiring students, adapting to unique learners, and bringing deep expertise to niche subjects. Those are hard to automate, and employers still want them. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects postsecondary teacher employment will grow 7% from 2025 to 2035, much faster than average . That said, faculty have real concerns. Surveys show 78% of faculty worry about AI's impact on job security, and unions are pushing for a voice in how AI gets adopted . The honest picture: AI will handle more prep and paperwork over time, but the human ability to teach, mentor, and vouch for accuracy in specialized fields is not going away.

How is AI changing Postsecondary Teachers jobs?

Right now, AI is mostly augmenting (helping) postsecondary teachers rather than replacing them. In the largest study of AI in higher ed to date, more than half of faculty said they use AI to develop course materials, even as many expressed skepticism about AI's role in students' work, according to a Chronicle of Higher Education report on Cal State's 94,000-person survey . A 2026 EDUCAUSE study found that nearly all respondents (94%) said they have used AI tools for work within the past six months, with the most promising uses being automating repetitive processes, offloading administrative burdens, and analyzing large datasets . For instructors of specialized subjects, that means AI is helping draft lesson plans, generate practice questions, summarize dense readings, and translate complex topics into simpler explanations — not delivering the actual teaching. Human judgment, mentorship, and expertise in niche fields still drive the classroom.

How fast is AI adoption growing for Postsecondary Teachers?

Adoption is happening fast but unevenly. Tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini are cheap and already built into platforms professors use daily — Canvas announced a partnership with OpenAI to integrate native AI tools, and Ohio State launched a campuswide AI fluency initiative that requires every student to learn how to use AI tools, per Inside Higher Ed . But real barriers slow full automation. The AAUP's national report on AI and academic professions warns that 82 percent of students, 78 percent of faculty, and 74 percent of staff said they are concerned about AI's impact on job security, and faculty unions are pushing for shared governance over AI decisions. Meanwhile, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that overall postsecondary teacher employment will grow 7% from 2025 to 2035, much faster than average. The takeaway: AI can handle prep and paperwork, but the human abilities to inspire curious students, adapt to unique learners, and vouch for accuracy in specialized fields remain deeply valued — good news if teaching is your dream.

Mostly Resilient

Last Update: 10/7/2026

AI Resilience Score for Postsecondary Teachers:

52.4%

Median Score

Meaningful human contribution

Med

Long-term employer demand

Med

Sustained economic opportunity

Med

Our confidence in this score:

Medium

AI Resilience Report forPostsecondary Teachers, All Other

$77,640 median salary•12,500 annual openings•SOC Code: 25-1199.00

Postsecondary Teachers, All Other are somewhat more resilient to AI impacts than most occupations, according to our analysis of 5 sources.

Postsecondary teachers are labeled "Mostly Resilient" because the heart of their work, inspiring students, mentoring learners with unique needs, and bringing deep expertise to specialized subjects, simply cannot be handed off to an algorithm. AI is genuinely helping with time-consuming tasks like drafting lesson plans, generating practice questions, and summarizing readings, but it is acting as a helper rather than a replacement for the actual teaching.

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This role is mostly resilient

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Analysis of current AI resilience

Postsecondary Teachers

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How can Postsecondary Teachers prepare for AI?

Get hands-on with the exact AI tools already reshaping college classrooms.

ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini are mentioned in the analysis as tools professors are already using daily, and Canvas has even partnered with OpenAI to bring AI natively into course management. Start experimenting with these tools now by using them to summarize a dense textbook chapter, generate practice quiz questions on a topic you love, or simplify a complex concept for a younger sibling. This gives you a real feel for what AI can and cannot do in a teaching context, so you will know how to use it as a helper rather than a crutch when you enter the field.

Build the human skills that AI simply cannot replace, starting with mentorship and subject expertise.

The analysis points out that inspiring curious students, adapting to unique learners, and vouching for accuracy in specialized fields are the core reasons postsecondary teaching is growing 7% from 2025 to 2035. You can start developing these skills right now by tutoring classmates, volunteering to help younger students, or going deep on a subject you are passionate about. The more genuine expertise and people skills you build, the more irreplaceable you become even as AI handles the prep work and paperwork.

Learn about AI governance and the debates happening inside universities right now.

The AAUP's national report found that 82% of students, 78% of faculty, and 74% of staff are concerned about AI's impact on job security, and faculty unions are actively pushing for shared governance over AI decisions. Follow the AAUP website (aaup.org) and read Inside Higher Ed to stay current on how institutions are negotiating AI policies. Understanding these conversations early means you will be prepared to participate in them as a future educator, not just be surprised by them.

Develop AI fluency the same way top universities are now requiring it.

Ohio State launched a campuswide AI fluency initiative requiring every student to learn how to use AI tools, and EDUCAUSE found that 94% of higher ed professionals used AI for work in the past six months. Seek out free AI literacy courses on platforms like Coursera or Khan Academy, and pay special attention to using AI for analyzing large datasets and automating repetitive tasks, since those are the specific use cases the EDUCAUSE study highlighted as most promising. Arriving in your career already fluent in these skills will set you apart from peers who are just catching up.

Practice critically evaluating AI-generated content in your own subject area.

The analysis notes that faculty are already using AI to draft lesson plans, generate practice questions, and summarize readings, but human judgment is still needed to catch errors and ensure accuracy in specialized fields. Pick a topic you know well and run it through a tool like ChatGPT or Claude, then fact-check every claim it makes. This habit of critical evaluation is exactly the skill that makes a postsecondary teacher valuable in an AI-assisted world, and you can start building it today with zero cost.

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Latest AI news for Postsecondary Teachers

These articles highlight the transformative role of AI in postsecondary education, emphasizing the need for adaptability among "Postsecondary Teachers, All Other." For instance, community colleges are evolving their curricula to incorporate AI literacy, reflecting the growing importance of this skill. Additionally, a study shows that postsecondary teachers are among the most exposed to AI tools, suggesting the necessity of integrating AI in teaching practices. Embracing AI can enhance teaching effectiveness and prepare educators for a changing landscape, fostering resilience in their careers.

A new project aims to bring more AI literacy to rural Ohio

www.statenews.org • 6/2/2026

Wright State University in Dayton is creating a new curriculum to help rural students understand artificial intelligence.

UC Irvine introduces AI in Higher Education course for postsecondary instructors

www.edtechinnovationhub.com • 2/25/2026

UC Irvine's Digital Learning Lab launches a new AI in Higher Education course for faculty and instructional designers.

‘It changes everything’: How AI is impacting post-secondary education

www.ctvnews.ca • 1/13/2026

Once considered a concerning new tool that could compromise academic integrity at universities, artificial intelligence is now being...

How AI is disrupting classroom, curriculum at community colleges

news.harvard.edu • 11/25/2025

Community colleges are scrambling to adjust to the many disruptive changes AI is bringing both to the classroom and to how the institutions...

College professors face the highest exposure to AI tools, study finds

universitybusiness.com • 3/24/2023

Of the 20 occupations most exposed to AI language modeling capabilities, 14 of them were postsecondary teachers.

More Career Info

Career: Postsecondary Teachers, All Other

They teach college students about specific subjects that aren't covered by regular departments, creating lessons and helping students understand complex topics.

SOC Code:

25-1199.00•Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics