Skip to content
ADVERTISEMENT
Sign In
  • Sections
    • News
    • Advice
    • The Review
  • Topics
    • Data
    • Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
    • Finance & Operations
    • International
    • Leadership & Governance
    • Teaching & Learning
    • Scholarship & Research
    • Student Success
    • Technology
    • Transitions
    • The Workplace
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Special Issues
    • Podcast: College Matters from The Chronicle
  • Newsletters
  • Virtual Events
  • Ask Chron
  • Store
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
  • Jobs
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Professional Development
    • Career Resources
    • Virtual Career Fair
  • More
  • Sections
    • News
    • Advice
    • The Review
  • Topics
    • Data
    • Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
    • Finance & Operations
    • International
    • Leadership & Governance
    • Teaching & Learning
    • Scholarship & Research
    • Student Success
    • Technology
    • Transitions
    • The Workplace
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Special Issues
    • Podcast: College Matters from The Chronicle
  • Newsletters
  • Virtual Events
  • Ask Chron
  • Store
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
  • Jobs
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Professional Development
    • Career Resources
    • Virtual Career Fair
    Upcoming Events:
    Hands-On Career Preparation
    An AI-Driven Work Force
    Alternative Pathways
Sign In
The Work Force

These Are the Higher-Ed Jobs Being Refilled at the Highest Rates

By Audrey Williams June August 22, 2022

The size of higher education’s work force has been largely restored to what it was before the pandemic began, but it hasn’t been clear exactly which positions have been filled, even as hiring for others has languished. But new data provides an early indication of how hiring for certain positions rose as in-person events returned to colleges.

The position with the greatest growth was one with a direct link to activities: event-planning assistant. Between 2020-21 and 2021-22, the number of employees who held that job was up 193 percent, according to the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources, which broke down hiring into three categories: professionals, staff, and faculty.

To continue reading for FREE, please sign in.

Sign In

Or subscribe now to read with unlimited access for as low as $10/month.

Don’t have an account? Sign up now.

A free account provides you access to a limited number of free articles each month, plus newsletters, job postings, salary data, and exclusive store discounts.

Sign Up

The size of higher education’s work force has been largely restored to what it was before the pandemic began, but it hasn’t been clear exactly which positions have been filled, even as hiring for others has languished. But new data provides an early indication of how hiring for certain positions rose as in-person events returned to colleges.

The position with the greatest growth was one with a direct link to activities: event-planning assistant. Between 2020-21 and 2021-22, the number of employees who held that job was up 193 percent, according to the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources, which broke down hiring into three categories: professionals, staff, and faculty.

Among the other higher-ed-professional positions that saw the most growth were institutional research analyst, and director of campus museum. Jacqueline Bichsel, director of research for the association, said in a news release that the increase in both positions may stem from, respectively, a “growing demand for data” among institutional decision makers and efforts to honor institutions’ cultural histories.

Among staff members, the number of tutoring jobs also more than doubled — they were up 114 percent — perhaps fueled by colleges recognizing that students whose learning was affected by the pandemic during high school could benefit from their help, Bichsel said.

Positions with the greatest growth (and decline) are based on the percentage change in the relative number of incumbents colleges reported in each position in the association’s surveys during the past two academic years.

The increases are a sharp contrast to early in the pandemic, when colleges instituted hiring freezes, furloughs, and layoffs. Yet, despite the new hires, higher education faces the same employee-retention problems that have plagued most industries since the pandemic began.

For more data on the staff, professional, and faculty positions that grew and declined the most, see below:


A version of this article appeared in the September 2, 2022, issue.
We welcome your thoughts and questions about this article. Please email the editors or submit a letter for publication.
Tags
The Workplace Data
Share
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Email
June_Audrey_Williams.jpg
About the Author
Audrey Williams June
Audrey Williams June is the news-data manager at The Chronicle. She explores and analyzes data sets, databases, and records to uncover higher-education trends, insights, and stories. Email her at audrey.june@chronicle.com, or follow her on Twitter @audreywjune.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

More News

Collage of charts
Data
How Faculty Pay and Tenure Can Change Depending on Academic Discipline
Vector illustration of two researcher's hands putting dollar signs into a beaker leaking green liquid.
'Life Support'
As the Nation’s Research-Funding Model Ruptures, Private Money Becomes a Band-Aid
Photo-based illustration of scissors cutting through a flat black and white university building and a landscape bearing the image of a $100 bill.
Budget Troubles
‘Every Revenue Source Is at Risk’: Under Trump, Research Universities Are Cutting Back
Photo-based illustration of the Capitol building dome topping a jar of money.
Budget Bill
Republicans’ Plan to Tax Higher Ed and Slash Funding Advances in Congress

From The Review

Photo-based illustration of the sculpture, The Thinker, interlaced with anotehr image of a robot posed as The Thinker with bits of binary code and red strips weaved in.
The Review | Essay
What I Learned Serving on My University’s AI Committee
By Megan Fritts
Illustration of a Gold Seal sticker embossed with President Trump's face
The Review | Essay
What Trump’s Accreditation Moves Get Right
By Samuel Negus
Illustration of a torn cold seal sticker embossed with President Trump's face
The Review | Essay
The Weaponization of Accreditation
By Greg D. Pillar, Laurie Shanderson

Upcoming Events

Ascendium_06-10-25_Plain.png
Views on College and Alternative Pathways
Coursera_06-17-25_Plain.png
AI and Microcredentials
  • Explore Content
    • Latest News
    • Newsletters
    • Letters
    • Free Reports and Guides
    • Professional Development
    • Virtual Events
    • Chronicle Store
    • Chronicle Intelligence
    • Jobs in Higher Education
    • Post a Job
  • Know The Chronicle
    • About Us
    • Vision, Mission, Values
    • DEI at The Chronicle
    • Write for Us
    • Work at The Chronicle
    • Our Reporting Process
    • Advertise With Us
    • Brand Studio
    • Accessibility Statement
  • Account and Access
    • Manage Your Account
    • Manage Newsletters
    • Individual Subscriptions
    • Group and Institutional Access
    • Subscription & Account FAQ
  • Get Support
    • Contact Us
    • Reprints & Permissions
    • User Agreement
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • California Privacy Policy
    • Do Not Sell My Personal Information
1255 23rd Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20037
© 2025 The Chronicle of Higher Education
The Chronicle of Higher Education is academe’s most trusted resource for independent journalism, career development, and forward-looking intelligence. Our readers lead, teach, learn, and innovate with insights from The Chronicle.
Follow Us
  • twitter
  • instagram
  • youtube
  • facebook
  • linkedin