A day in this work
You teach undergraduates, guide researchers and publish in your subject. It takes a long qualification path and real love for one subject.
Ways in
- Bachelor's and master's in your subject
- Clear UGC-NET or CSIR-NET for eligibility
- PhD, which most permanent posts expect
After Class 10
Any stream
Entrance exams to know
- CUET-UG and PG
- UGC-NET
- CSIR-UGC NET
- GATE
Years, cost and pay
- Years of study
- 7 to 11
- Whole-course cost, government or aided
- under ₹2 lakh
- Whole-course cost, private
- ₹2 to 8 lakh
- Typical starting pay
- ₹6 to 12 lakh a year
Indicative bands from the pilot dataset (0.1 (pilot), 19 September 2026). Real fees and pay vary a lot by college, city and year. Check the official sites below.
No college, coaching institute, lender or study-abroad agent pays to appear on these pages. Pathways takes no money from them.
Outlook, and how AI is changing this work
Outlook: Steady. AI changes some of the daily work.
Permanent posts are competitive. Strong research or industry links improve the odds.
Try this week
Pick the subject you like most and read one book about it that is not on the syllabus.
Check the facts yourself
These are official sites. Exam names, dates, fees and rules change every year, so confirm them there. Each link opens in a new tab.
Careers close to this one
See how well this fits you
Discovery in the app takes about eight minutes and gives each of these 52 careers a fit score from your own answers. It is free during the pilot, and nobody is asked for an email address or a phone number. Students under 18 need a parent or guardian to agree first, and children under 13 cannot join yet.