India has a deficit of 1 million teachers, according to a 2021 UNESCO report on the state of education in India. Dispersed across government and private sectors, across different ages and subjects of schooling,
the teaching and academic sector in India has seen massive transformations and challenges with the impact of COVID-19 and shifting technological trends.
And the Indian government's National Education Policy envisions even more developments in the school education system to transform the country into a global knowledge superpower.
This sets the stage for a career that has a demand for educators who can make a difference in the lives of students and conduct research that can help solve real-world problems.
In the space of higher education, the field also offers lucrative salaries. Starting at 6 lakh rupees per annum, your salary can go up to 10 lakhs rupees per annum, to 22 lakh rupees per annum in 10 years, and as high as 40 lakh rupees per annum in 15 years.
And so, in this 1 million gap and demand for skilled educators, is a career in teaching and academics the right one for you? And what will it take to unlock the best opportunities for your career trajectory?
Hello and welcome to WiZR Voices, a podcast for learners and career makers. I'm your host, Anushka Chhikara. In this episode, we're diving into the world of teaching and academics.
We'll explore the skills needed, job roles available, and salaries across subjects in both schooling and higher education. Stay tuned.
What are the skills and qualifications needed to work in teaching and academics in India? Becoming a teacher in India requires a certain level of education, certification, and experience.
The initial trajectory starts with graduating with a bachelor's degree or higher in the first 3-4 years.
After that, you will have to pursue a Bachelor of Education degree for two years, as it's mandatory to become a teacher in most Indian schools.
After completing your B.Ed. program, you can appear for teacher or state eligibility tests for teaching jobs in government and government-aided schools.
After clearing the exams, acquiring additional qualifications such as a Master of Education or Diploma in Elementary Education can enhance your employability and career growth.
To become a college professor in India, you typically need to hold a Ph.D. in the relevant field of study.
Additionally, a good academic record throughout higher education, often with a master's degree in the relevant subject, is essential.
Many universities also consider research publications, teaching experience, and participation in academic conferences as valuable qualifications.
The selection process often involves a competitive exam or interview. Meeting the eligibility criteria
set by the University Grants Commission is crucial and candidates are required to qualify for the National Eligibility Tests or an equivalent state-level exam.
Specific requirements may vary between institutions and disciplines.
Now that the base is set, let's first explore teaching and academics on the schooling level and then in higher education. What are the different teaching jobs and their average salaries in schools across India?
Teaching and academics within the schooling level in India offers various job roles as nursery or kindergarten teachers, primary and secondary school teachers. The salary range varies according to the job role.
For a primary school teacher in India, the salary range starts from 1.2 lakh rupees per annum up to 3 lakh rupees per annum. And on average, for secondary school teachers, the salary is 4 lakh rupees per annum.
These teaching jobs also offer good career opportunities where you can climb the ladder from being a classroom teacher to becoming a principal, head of department, education consultant, curriculum developer, and more.
Now onto higher education. What are the different teaching and academic jobs and their average salaries in higher education? When it comes to higher education, job roles are more defined by the subject of expertise.
The most common job roles across subjects and disciplines are professor, researcher, and teacher. The most common job roles across subjects and disciplines are professor, researcher, and writer, academic advisor, dean, and head of department. Now let's take a look at the most popular subjects.
The first group of subjects in teaching and academics is social science and human behaviour. This has subjects like anthropology, sociology, and psychology.
We'll explore each subject, job roles, salary ranges, and skills that are common across all three disciplines. First we have anthropology, which studies human societies, cultures, and development.
The subject has job roles like anthropologist, archaeologist, professor, researcher, and more.
The average salary starting your career as an educator in anthropology is 4.8 lakh rupees per annum. By the end of five years, it can go up to 8 lakh rupees per annum.
Ten years into your career, you can earn up to 17 lakh rupees per annum. And in 15 years, you can expect a salary upwards of 36 lakh rupees per annum.
Then we have sociology, which is a discipline that focuses on human societies, social relationships, and institutions. You might be wondering, wait, isn't anthropology also a similar discipline?
Well, while anthropology delves into the specifics of social practices within distinct communities, sociology explores societal structures and human behaviour on a broader scale.
Common job roles in this field include professor, critic, and researcher. The average salary starting your career as an educator in sociology is 6 lakh rupees per annum.
By the end of five years, it can go up to 11 lakh rupees per annum. Ten years into your career, you can earn up to 23 lakh rupees per annum.
And in 15 years, you can expect a salary upwards of 32 lakh rupees per annum. And finally, in this group, we have psychology, which explores human behaviour, emotions, and mental processes.
Job roles in this field are psychologist, professor, researcher, and scientist. The average salary starting your career as an educator in psychology is 7.2 lakh rupees per annum.
By the end of five years, it can go up to 11 lakh rupees per annum. Ten years into your career, you can earn up to 24 lakh rupees per annum.
And in 15 years, you can expect a salary upwards of 45 lakh rupees per annum.
The common skills across anthropology, sociology, and psychology are strong research and analytical skills, effective communication for conveying complex concepts, and empathy and understanding of human behaviour.
Now the next group of subjects in teaching and academics is humanities and philosophy. This has subjects like humanities, literature, and philosophy.
We're going to look into every subject, the roles you can have, the range of salaries, and the skills shared among these three areas.
First, we have humanities as a subject, which encompasses literature, philosophy, history, and more, exploring the human experience, culture, and creativity.
The top teaching and academic job roles in humanities are professor, researcher, critic, and head of department.
The average salary starting your career as an educator in humanities is 6 lakh rupees per annum. By the end of five years, it can go up to 11 lakh rupees per annum.
Ten years into your career, you can earn up to 24 lakh rupees per annum. And in 15 years, you can expect a salary upwards of 38 lakh rupees per annum.
Next, we have literature, which involves the study of written works, exploring literary forms, themes, and cultural significance. Common job roles in literature include professor, literature analyst, and critic.
The average salary starting your career as an educator in literature is 4.8 lakh rupees per annum. By the end of five years, it can go up to 11 lakh rupees per annum.
Ten years into your career, you can earn up to 24 lakh rupees per annum. And in 15 years, you can expect a salary upwards of 36 lakh rupees per annum.
Then, we have philosophy, that delves into the fundamental questions about existence, knowledge, and values, encouraging critical thinking. The subject has job roles like professor, scientist, and writer.
The average salary starting your career as an educator in philosophy is 6 lakh rupees per annum. By the end of five years, it can go up to 11 lakh rupees per annum.
Ten years into your career, you can earn up to 23 lakh rupees per annum. And in 15 years, you can expect a salary upwards of 36 lakh rupees per annum.
The common skills across humanities, literature, and philosophy are proficiency in critical analysis and interpretation, effective communication for conveying abstract concepts, and strong writing skills for research and discourse.
And the final group of subjects in teaching and academics is social systems and policy. This group has subjects of economics, political science, and disaster management.
Let's delve into each subject, the various job roles available, their salary ranges, and the common skills found across all three fields.
First, we have the field of economics, which examines the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services covering economic policy.
The top teaching and academic job roles in economics are econometrician, professor, and department head. The average salary starting your career as an educator in economics is 6 lakh rupees per annum.
By the end of five years, it can go up to 11 lakh rupees per annum. Ten years into your career, you can earn up to 24 lakh rupees per annum.
And in 15 years, you can expect a salary upwards of 50 lakh rupees per annum. Next is political science, which studies political systems, government structures, ideologies, and international relations.
A career in political science includes roles like professor, writer, and activist. The average salary starting your career as an educator in political science is 5 lakh rupees per annum.
By the end of five years, it can go up to 9 lakh rupees per annum. Ten years into your career, you can earn up to 23 lakh rupees per annum.
And in 15 years, you can expect a salary upwards of 45 lakh rupees per annum. And finally, we have disaster management as a subject, which involves preparing for and responding to disasters,
including risk assessment and crisis management. The top roles in this field are trainer, researcher, disaster recovery specialist, manager, and director.
The average salary starting your career as an educator in disaster management is 5 lakh rupees per annum. By the end of five years, it can go up to 9 lakh rupees per annum.
Ten years into your career, you can earn up to 23 lakh rupees per annum. And in 15 years, you can expect a salary upwards of 36 lakh rupees per annum.
The common skills across economics, political science, and disaster management are analytical skill and problem-solving skills in handling real-world challenges and effective communication skills.
Now that we have a comprehensive understanding of the most popular and lucrative opportunities across both schooling and collegiate teaching and academics,
you might be wondering, well, what will my career trajectory as an educator look like in this field? We discussed the foundation of prerequisites and qualifications required for a teacher earlier,
namely a bachelor's degree, a bachelor's in education, and preparation for teacher and state eligibility tests. These help educators enter the field and explore their subject of expertise.
As you further progress, to unlock more opportunities and climb the ladder, you can acquire additional qualifications such as a master or diploma of education,
PhDs for college professors, and specialised skilling courses in your subject and field of expertise. This is where we at Wiser can help you discover, learn, and finance courses to grow your career in teaching and academics.
WiZR is India's ultimate skilling marketplace, and when you head on over to WiZR.in, you can explore skilling courses across subjects in teaching and academics, compare those courses based on your specific needs,
and receive no-cost EMI financing options for your course fees. T&C apply. As an educator, the more you skill and specialise, the more career opportunities you can unlock.
So start your journey with WiZR. That's WiZRwiser.in. The link is in the show notes. Now more than ever, teaching and academics is experiencing massive transformations,
with changing and evolving pedagogies and flexibility in teaching modes with new technologies. And India also faces a large skill gap of 1 million teachers needed in the field.
So the best opportunities in this field can be unlocked with adapting and uniquely skilling yourself in teaching and academics. Visit wiser.in to get started so you can grow wiser every day.
This podcast is a production of WiZR. I'm your host Anushka Chhikara. Achyutanand Dwiwedi is the head of audio and video production. And Loveleen Sehrawat is our executive producer.
For more information on how you can grow your career, visit WiZR.in. The link is in the description.
