Environmental Science Teachers, Postsecondary
Teach courses in environmental science. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
- Median pay
- $94,980
- Doing it now
- 8,400
- By 2035
- Up 2.7%
- Usually needs
- Doctoral or professional degree
a year
across the country
600 openings a year
to get in
What the work involves
- Supervise undergraduate or graduate teaching, internship, and research work.
- Conduct research in a particular field of knowledge and publish findings in professional journals, books, or electronic media.
- Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.
- Evaluate and grade students' class work, laboratory work, assignments, and papers.
- Write grant proposals to procure external research funding.
- Supervise students' laboratory and field work.
- Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
What to study
The fields of study the Department of Education links to this occupation, most widely taught first.
- Geography and Environmental StudiesSee 39 colleges that teach it
- Environmental GeosciencesSee 9 colleges that teach it
- ChemistrySee 1,170 colleges that teach it
- Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject AreasSee 985 colleges that teach it
Who it suits
O*NET scores every occupation on six interest dimensions. This one leans hardest on these three.
Analytical and curious
Helping and teaching
Hands-on and practical
Careers like this one
- Physics Teachers, Postsecondary$100,310
- Biological Science Teachers, Postsecondary$84,620
- Chemistry Teachers, Postsecondary$93,250
- Atmospheric, Earth, Marine, and Space Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary$103,170
- Forestry and Conservation Science Teachers, Postsecondary$101,420
- Geography Teachers, Postsecondary$97,590
Where this comes from: the description and the task list are O*NET, which the Department of Labor maintains. Pay, workforce size, outlook and the education normally needed are the Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections programme, 2025 wages and 2025 to 2035 projections. Half of them earn more than $94,980 a year, which means half earn less, and what you would earn depends on where you work and how long you have been doing it. The fields of study come from the National Center for Education Statistics crosswalk.