Hiring guide · Education & Childcare
How to Hire an Economics Professor
Pay benchmarks, qualifications, sourcing, screening and interview questions for hiring economics professors, plus a plan to get them productive fast.
Write a clear job description, offer competitive pay (the national median is $123,920), recruit through college education programs and student-teaching placements, verify Ph.D. in economics where applicable, run a structured interview with a practical skills check, and onboard with a 30-60-90 day plan.
Pay data: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Outlook: BLS 2025–35 · Checked October 15, 2026
The hiring market for economics professors
There are about 14,600 economics professors employed in the U.S., with roughly 1,000 openings each year. Employment is projected to change +2.4% from 2025–35 (slower than average). Most openings come from replacing workers who retire or change careers, so a steady pipeline matters.
Pay benchmarks for offers
| Candidate level | Annual | Hourly* |
|---|---|---|
| Entry level (10th–25th percentile) | $64,060–$86,840 | $30.80–$41.75 |
| Typical / mid-career (median) | $123,920 | $59.58 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $168,770 | $81.14 |
| Top of market (90th percentile) | $224,200 | $107.79 |
*Annual ÷ 2,080 hours. National BLS data; adjust for your state and metro area. Many states and cities now require pay ranges in job postings.
What to look for
Must-haves
- Doctoral or professional degree (typical entry level)
- Economic theory
- Clear explanation
Nice-to-haves
- Ph.D. in economics
- Research grants
- Teaching certificate
- Experience with stata and R
Where to find economics professors
- College education programs and student-teaching placements
- Alternative certification and residency programs
- Substitute and paraprofessional pools
- Community colleges with early childhood (CDA) programs
- Job postings that use common alternate titles: Economics Faculty, Economist Professor, Microeconomics Professor, Econometrics Professor
Screening checklist
- State license or certification verification where required
- Fingerprint background checks and child abuse registry clearances
- CPR and first aid certification for childcare roles
- A sample lesson or classroom observation
Follow federal, state and local rules on background checks, drug testing and fair-chance hiring, and apply screening consistently to all candidates for the role.
Interview questions to ask
Ask every candidate the same questions and score answers on a structured scorecard.
1. “Describe your research.”
What a strong answer includes: Explain.
2. “How do you teach intro economics?”
What a strong answer includes: Explain.
3. “What methods do you use?”
What a strong answer includes: List.
4. “How do you mentor?”
What a strong answer includes: Share.
5. “What courses can you teach?”
What a strong answer includes: List.
Practical skills checks
A short demonstration beats a perfect resume. Ask candidates to talk you through, or perform under supervision, tasks such as:
- Teach Supply and Demand with a Classroom Market (see the steps)
- Run a Regression Analysis (see the steps)
- Write a Policy Brief (see the steps)
Red flags
- Can’t describe basic safety practices for the role
- Vague or inconsistent work history with no explanation
- Unfamiliar with core terms such as Tenure, Adjunct, Syllabus
- Negative talk about every past employer or coworker
Onboard for retention
The first 90 days decide whether a new hire stays. Use our Economics Professor 30-60-90 day onboarding plan and give every new hire the same foundation with Economics Professor training. Show them the path forward: Graduate Instructor → Assistant Professor → Associate Professor → Professor or Chair.
Hiring economics professors: FAQ
How much should I pay an economics professor?
The U.S. median wage for economics professors is $123,920 per year, according to BLS May 2025 data. Entry-level offers often fall near the 25th percentile ($86,840), while experienced hires command closer to the 75th percentile ($168,770). Adjust for your local market.
What qualifications should an economics professor have?
BLS lists “doctoral or professional degree” as the typical entry-level education. Look for Ph.D. in economics and Research grants where relevant, plus skills such as economic theory, econometrics, and statistics.
How long does it take to train a new economics professor?
Becoming qualified typically takes 5–6 years after a bachelor’s. After hire, plan for a structured 30-60-90 day onboarding period; BLS classifies on-the-job training for this occupation as “none.”