Career comparison
Communications Professor vs. English Professor
Side-by-side pay, training, growth and day-to-day duties to help you choose between two related careers.
English professors earn more at the median ($78,760 vs. $78,580), while communications professors usually get to work faster (5–7 years after a bachelor’s of training). Communications professors teach public speaking, media and how people communicate. English professors teach college students to read closely and write well.
Pay data: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Outlook: BLS 2025–35 · Checked October 15, 2026
| Communications Professor | English Professor | |
|---|---|---|
| Median pay | $78,580 | $78,760 |
| Pay range (10th–90th) | $47,590 – $143,720 | $48,270 – $137,250 |
| Job growth, 2025–35 | +2.1% (slower than average) | 0.0% (little or no change) |
| Openings per year | 2,400 | 4,500 |
| Typical entry education | Doctoral or professional degree | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Training time | 5–7 years after a bachelor’s | 6–8 years after a bachelor’s |
| Key credential | Ph.D. in communication | Ph.D. in English |
| Work setting | Faculty work in classrooms, media labs and offices.. | Faculty work in classrooms, offices and libraries.. |
What each job does
Communications Professor
- Teach communications courses
- Coach public speaking
- Advise student media
- Conduct research
- Mentor students
English Professor
- Teach composition and literature
- Give feedback on student writing
- Research and publish
- Mentor students
- Advise literary magazines
How they’re similar
Both careers involve working with people, creative work, working independently, and desk work. Both are part of the education & childcare field, so many skills transfer between them.
Which should you choose?
Choose communications professor if…
- I love public speaking
- I follow media closely
- I give good feedback
Choose english professor if…
- I love books
- I love writing
- I give careful feedback
Still torn? Take the Communications Professor fit quiz and the English Professor fit quiz, or the full Career Match Quiz.
Quick comparisons
Which pays more, communications professor or english professor?
English Professors earn more at the median: $78,760 versus $78,580 for communications professors, based on BLS May 2025 data.
Which takes less time to train for?
Communications Professors typically train faster (5–7 years after a bachelor’s) than english professors (6–8 years after a bachelor’s).
Which career has better job growth?
BLS projects communications professors to grow +2.1% from 2025–35, compared with 0.0% for english professors.