Wolfgang Wolck joined the faculty of the University at Buffalo's Department of Linguistics in 1970. He earned tenure in 1972 and was promoted to full professor in 1975. During his tenure at UB, Wolck served as chair and acting chair of the Department of Linguistics and held other administrative positions in the department. In 1998, he was named SUNY Distinguished Service Professor. Though Wolck retired in 2001, he continued to teach and advise students until 2012.