How to Write a Faculty Job Ad That Works

Short answer: a faculty job ad works when a qualified candidate can tell from the first few lines what the job is, where it is, what it pays and when to apply. Put the rank and field in the title, open with a two-sentence summary, list required and preferred qualifications separately, give a salary range, which 14 states and the District of Columbia now require, and set a review date. Paste your own ad into the checker below to see what it is missing.

By the AcademicCareers.com editorial team · Updated October 14, 2026 · 10-minute read

What a strong faculty ad contains

A faculty ad has two readers: the candidate deciding in a few seconds whether to read on, and the job sites and search engines deciding where to show it. Both are served by clear, specific information in a predictable order:

1. A title with the rank, field and appointment type.
2. A two-sentence summary: what, where, when and why it is attractive.
3. Responsibilities, including the teaching load.
4. Required qualifications, then preferred ones.
5. The salary range, appointment basis and benefits.
6. What to send, where, and the review date.
7. A short paragraph on the institution and location, then your equal opportunity statement.

Test a draft with the checker. It looks for the salary, title, dates, qualifications, location and application details, and counts the words.

The title, rank and first paragraph

Title

Lead with the rank and the field. "Assistant Professor of Chemistry (Tenure-Track)" works far better than "Faculty Position" or a requisition number, because candidates search for those words and job sites match on them. Google's guidelines for job data say the title should be the job title alone, without job codes, addresses, dates, salaries or employer names, so keep the requisition number in the body.

More sample titles: "Associate or Full Professor of Nursing" for a two-rank search, "Lecturer in Mathematics (Renewable, Non-Tenure-Track)", "Visiting Assistant Professor of Economics (One-Year)" and "Adjunct Instructor, English Composition (Online)".

First paragraph

Open with what, where and when: the rank and field, the department and institution, and the start date. Then add one sentence on why a strong candidate would want the job, such as a new program, research support, small classes or the students you serve. Save the institution's history for the end.

Sample, for Example State University, a fictional institution: "The Department of Biology at Example State University invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor of Microbiology, beginning August 2027. You will teach in a growing undergraduate program and build a research group in a newly renovated laboratory wing."

Responsibilities and qualifications

Responsibilities in plain terms

State the teaching load and courses ("3/3, including introductory microbiology and an upper-level elective"), the research or creative expectations, advising and service, and whether teaching is in person, hybrid or online. Specifics let candidates judge their fit and reduce applications from people who would not accept the job.

Required versus preferred qualifications

Keep the required list short: the degree, the field, and when the degree must be complete ("Ph.D. in microbiology or a related field by the start date"). Put everything else under preferred. A long list of requirements that are really preferences discourages good candidates and can force a committee to reject someone it would have hired.

For courses that transfer to a bachelor's degree, the accreditation guideline many colleges follow calls for a master's degree in the discipline or a master's with at least 18 graduate semester hours in it, so community college faculty ads often say exactly that.

Sample: "Required: Ph.D. in microbiology or a closely related field by August 2027. Preferred: postdoctoral research experience; experience teaching laboratory courses; experience mentoring undergraduate researchers."

Salary range and pay transparency

Give the salary range and the appointment basis. As of October 2026, 14 states and the District of Columbia require a pay range in job ads, among them California, Colorado, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Virginia, Washington and, since October 1, 2026, Connecticut. Several laws also reach remote jobs that could be filled from the state. Our guide to pay transparency laws for job ads covers every state.

Where no law applies, a range is still one of the strongest reasons to apply. Use the range you would genuinely offer rather than the whole pay grade, and do not rely on "commensurate with experience" alone. As a benchmark, AAUP's 2025-26 averages are $97,232 for assistant professors, $113,427 for associate professors and $163,836 for professors.

Sample: "Salary: $84,000 to $92,000 for the nine-month academic year, depending on qualifications, with summer teaching often available. Benefits include medical, dental and vision coverage, a retirement plan with employer contributions and tuition benefits."

Application materials and review dates

Say exactly what to send and where, with one link. A typical faculty application asks for:

• a cover letter and a CV;
• a teaching statement, and a research statement where research is expected;
• a writing sample or portfolio in some fields;
• names and contact details for three referees.

Asking for referee contacts rather than letters at the first stage saves work for candidates and referees; request letters from the shortlist. Ask only for what the committee will actually read first.

Then give dates: a review date ("Review of applications begins November 15, 2026"), whether applications are accepted after it, and the start date. In Colorado a posting needs an application deadline, and the state's guidance says "open until filled" alone does not comply; a good-faith deadline that you later extend, with the posting updated, is allowed.

Plain, neutral and inclusive language

Federal law makes it illegal to publish a job ad that shows a preference for, or discourages, applicants because of race, color, religion, sex (including transgender status, sexual orientation and pregnancy), national origin, age 40 or over, disability or genetic information. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's example is an ad seeking "recent college graduates," which may discourage older applicants. Describe the qualification instead: "Ph.D. completed by the start date" rather than "recent Ph.D."

Plain, neutral wording also widens the pool:

• Write to the candidate ("you will teach") in short sentences.
• Spell out acronyms and internal names: "the Center for Teaching and Learning," not "CTL."
• Use neutral terms such as "the successful candidate" or "they" rather than "he or she."
• Describe the work, not an ideal personality: "teach three courses each semester" says more than "dynamic, energetic teacher."
• Say how to request an accommodation during the application process, and close with your institution's standard equal opportunity statement.

Length, structured data and location fields

Most faculty ads work best at 400 to 900 words: enough for duties, qualifications, pay and process, and short enough to read on a phone. Use short paragraphs and lists, and move long descriptions of the institution to your careers site.

Job sites and search engines read structured fields as well as the text. Google's job posting guidelines require the title, description, hiring organization, job location and date posted, and recommend the employer-provided salary, the employment type and an expiry date. A fully remote job must be marked as remote and say where applicants may live, and expired jobs must be removed or marked as expired. So fill in location fields precisely (city, state and campus), and say clearly when a position is hybrid or remote.

On AcademicCareers.com every posting carries this structured job data, so there is nothing to code: the salary range, location and dates you give us flow into it.

Where to post

Post where your candidates look: a higher-education job board, your discipline's society job list, your own careers site and your faculty's networks. On AcademicCareers.com a single posting costs $295, stays up for 90 days, is featured in search results and goes to job seekers whose alerts match; combined postings also appear on UniversityJob.com and EngineeringUniversityJobs.com. Bundles of 3 to 15 postings save 15 to 30 percent, and unlimited annual plans cover every opening for one yearly price. You can also e-mail the ad to Info@AcademicCareersOnline.com and our staff will post it for you.

To see how other departments word their ads, browse current assistant professor jobs. For a comparison of boards and prices, see where to advertise faculty jobs and what it costs to post a faculty job.

Common mistakes

Most weak ads fail in the same few ways, and each has a simple fix:

A full example ad

Here is one position written two ways for Example State University, a fictional institution. The strong version is about 300 words and covers every element above; switch tabs to compare it with the weak one.

Paste the strong version into the checker above and it meets every item. The weak one has no salary, no rank in the title and no review date, lists preferences as requirements and leads with the institution's history.

Frequently asked questions

How long should a faculty job ad be?

Usually 400 to 900 words: enough for the summary, duties, qualifications, salary and application process. Longer material about the institution belongs on your website, with a link.

Should a faculty job ad include the salary?

Yes. Fourteen states and the District of Columbia require a pay range in job ads as of October 2026, and candidates everywhere use pay to decide whether to apply. Give the range and say whether it covers nine or twelve months.

What should a faculty job posting include?

The rank, field and appointment type; the department, institution, location and start date; responsibilities and teaching load; required and preferred qualifications; the salary range and benefits; the application materials and one link; a review date; and your equal opportunity statement.

Should we ask for recommendation letters with the application?

Usually not at first. Ask for the names and contact details of three referees, and request letters only from candidates on your shortlist. It saves work for candidates and referees and speeds your review.

How long should a faculty job ad stay up?

Until the position is filled or the search closes, and no longer. A fall search usually needs the ad up from early fall through the review date and beyond; an AcademicCareers.com posting runs 90 days. Google's guidelines require expired job postings to be removed or marked as expired.

What does "open until filled" mean in a job ad?

That the committee keeps accepting applications after the review date until it hires. Pair it with a review date so candidates know when reading starts. In Colorado, give an application deadline instead, since "open until filled" alone does not comply there.