Have a Question? Call Now.

(706) 363-0539

Schedule An Intake Meeting
Is Working in Higher Ed Still Worth It? Navigating Career Stability in a Shifting Academic Job Market

Is Working in Higher Ed Still Worth It? Navigating Career Stability in a Shifting Academic Job Market

by | Sep 9, 2025 | Career Transitions, Higher Education, Job Search

The question of whether working in higher education is “worth it” has never been more complex. Academia has long been considered a bastion of stability—a place where skilled educators and administrators could build long, secure careers.

Today’s shifting landscape, marked by declining enrollment, funding hurdles, and a rapidly changing academic job market, has many educators and administrators questioning whether the traditional promise of a secure career still holds true. This shifting reality raises pressing concerns and makes the future of careers in higher ed feel more uncertain than ever before.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of postsecondary education administrators is projected to grow 3 percent from 2023 to 2033, slightly below the average for all occupations at 4%. On average, about 15,200 openings for postsecondary education administrators are projected each year from now until 2033. At the current pace, only 6,200 new positions are expected to be added by 2033. In contrast, the BLS projects that the growth of other management occupations during the same period will be double that rate, at 6%, resulting in 227,600 new positions. For context, the total number of postsecondary education administrators in the U.S. in 2023 was 216,400. For educators ready for a change, the opportunities are out there.

The Erosion of Traditional Stability.

Tenure-track positions once represented the gold standard in job security. Today, institutions increasingly rely on adjunct faculty and temporary contracts. This trend, driven in part by budget cuts and institutional restructuring, has created uncertainty about job security, even for those with long-established roles.

According to a “data snapshot” in Academe Magazine, the U.S. academic workforce has undergone a significant shift, transitioning from a majority of full-time, tenured, or tenure-track faculty to a primarily contingent workforce. This includes full-time non-tenure-track instructors, those in positions with no tenure system, and part-time faculty. In Fall 2021, over two-thirds (68 percent) of faculty members at U.S. colleges and universities held contingent positions, compared to about 47 percent in Fall 1987. Furthermore, nearly half (48 percent) of faculty members were employed part-time in Fall 2021, up from about 33 percent in 1987. Only 24 percent of faculty members held full-time tenured appointments in Fall 2021, down from about 39 percent in Fall 1987. This shift underscores the need for professionals to be adaptable and open to new opportunities.

Opportunities Hidden in Uncertainty.

While volatility poses challenges, it also brings new opportunities. Higher education is evolving to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse student population and a technology-driven landscape. For instance, in 2021, 61% of college students enrolled in at least one online class, with 28% taking courses exclusively online. This trend indicates a growing demand for professionals skilled in online learning

Similarly, technological advancements, shifting demographics, and changing economic conditions are driving the need for analysts who can evaluate trends and develop strategies for student enrollment and retention.

As higher education institutions rely more on data to enhance student outcomes, optimize resource allocation, and improve overall efficiency, the demand for Institutional Research Analysts is projected to grow by 23% by 2033.

The Importance of Transferable Skills

Transferable skills are your secret weapon in the ever-changing job market. These are abilities and knowledge that can be applied across various roles and work environments. Examples of these skills include communication, problem-solving, leadership, and adaptability. Employers highly value transferable skills because they demonstrate a candidate’s potential to succeed in different positions and handle new challenges effectively.

In today’s ever-changing job market, adaptability is crucial. Many skills developed in academia, including critical thinking, project management, research, and communication, easily translate into roles in corporate, nonprofit, and government sectors. Identifying and promoting these abilities can significantly broaden career opportunities beyond the campus gates.

Questions to Ask Yourself

  • Am I prepared to pivot if my role changes or disappears?
  • What skills do I have that are in demand outside academia?
  • Does my current position align with the future direction of higher ed?

Final Thoughts

Higher education can still be “worth it” for professionals who are proactive about career planning, continually developing their skill sets, and open to exploring roles both inside and outside the academy. The crucial point is not to rely on the old promise of security but to create your stability through strategic career management.

References:

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Postsecondary Education Administrators, at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/postsecondary-education-administrators.htm (Accessed 12 Aug. 2025).

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Top Executives,

at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/top-executives.htm (Accessed 12 Aug. 2025).

Colby, Glenn. “Data Snapshot: Tenure and Contingency in US Higher Education.” Academe Magazine, www.aaup.org/academe/issues/spring-2023/data-snapshot-tenure-and-contingency-us-higher-education. Accessed 12 Aug. 2025.

National Center for Education Statistics. (n.d.) Fast Facts: Distance Learning. Retrieved August 13, 2025, from https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=80#:~:text=Distance%20education1%20courses%20and,remained%20higher%20than%20fall%202019.

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Operations Research Analysts,

at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/math/operations-research-analysts.htm (Accessed 12 Aug. 2025).

“Unleashing The Potential: Transferable Skills Explained In English.” Proceffa, 15 Apr. 2023, proceffa.org/unleashing-the-potential-transferable-skills-explained/. (Accessed 12 Aug. 2025).

Garganta, Rosemarie G. “From Job to Job: The Power of Transferable Skills in Career Transitions.” Columbia University School of Professional Studies, https://careerdesignlab.sps.columbia.edu/blog/2024/10/03/from-job-to-job-the-power-of-transferable-skills-in-career-transitions. (Accessed 12 Aug. 2025).

What Do Institutions of Higher Education Need to Learn?

by | Jul 12, 2010 | Monday Morning Quarterback

Over the last few years, as the economy went into the tank, our public discussions about the future of higher education have increasingly been about budget cuts, rising tuition, and the need for accountability. A central talking point in these discussion has been the need to implement outcomes-based measurement.

This new emphasis has changed the way we plan programs and services in higher education. At many schools, everything must be matched to an outcome, and every outcome must be assessed in some way. Institutions then use this data to drive decisions about funding and priorities, and to justify their programs and services to state legislatures, donors, accreditation bodies, incoming students, their parents, alumni and an ever-growing number of watchdog groups like the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE).

So, like it or not, we live in interesting times. This can be viewed as a blessing or a curse, and it’s my opinion that we need to find the blessing in this situation, and to be thankful for the opportunity today’s political and financial environment provides. Change isn’t easy, and in our personal and professional lives, we all have periods of doubt. There are healthy and productive ways of dealing with this reality. Wanting things to stay the same is not one of them.

As a career coach, I help individuals work through these issues, by discovering their purpose, and finding ways to align that purpose with their work. This involves discussions about a person’s background and professional history, but more importantly, it requires exploration and discovery. The process that gets people unstuck is co-creative. Coaches ask the “big questions” and give activities that help clients explore them. We challenge assumptions, conclusions and doubts. We work through blocks. We help people explore new interests, research them, and focus on creating new, more positive patterns of behavior. We try to integrate the important parts of a person (talents, skills, abilities, interests and values) into each individual’s plan to move forward, and to help clients set S.M.A.R.T. (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time Limited) goals.

The best part of being a coach is that for the most part, clients come to you when they are ready to change. The discussions and activities are geared toward helping the client define, in real and measurable terms, what success means, and how they will know when they achieve it.

But lately, I’ve been wondering if higher education, as a field, is really ready to be coached. Furthermore, I’m not quite sure who should be coaching. I don’t think the state legislatures should be doing it, because they aren’t  looking at the big picture, only at the cost of doing business, and who should be paying it. And politicians are more worried about re-election (their S.M.A.R.T. goal) and what institutions shouldn’t be teaching, than how they should be teaching. Watchdog groups like FIRE are often most passionate about the what than the how, and many times, their approach shuts down discussion, or erodes into a chaotic and mind-numbing clash of talking points or a game to be won, rather than a co-creative, purposeful process of discovery.

Here are three resources that really got me thinking about these issues.

I’d like to start a dialogue on this topic. Please share your thoughts and questions by commenting on this post. Take whatever direction you like, but here are some questions to get you started:

  • What’s the purpose of higher education these days? Has it changed from in  the past?
  • What do institutions of higher education need to learn?
  • Is higher education, as a field, ready for change? (And if so, is higher education “coachable?”)
  • What learning outcomes do you think are most important?
  • What S.M.A.R.T. goals should the field set for measuring improvement?
  • Where should higher ed look for coaching on these goals? The legislature? The federal government? Professional associations? Somewhere else?

And if you have perspectives you’d like to share on these topics, in an upcoming guest post on Monday Morning QuarterBack, send me a message at sean@higheredcareercoach.com. I would ideally like to have guest posts on this topic each Monday for the next 2-3 weeks.