Biological Science Teachers, Postsecondary

Pay and outlook

Median annual wage, May 2025

$84,620

Half earn more, half earn less

Middle half earn

$64,350 – $126,770

25th to 75th percentile

People employed, May 2025

50,190

Wage and salary jobs (OEWS)

Projected change, 2025–35

+7.3%

Growing at twice the all-jobs rate or more (7%+)

Openings a year (projected)

4,700

New jobs plus replacing people who leave

Typical education to enter

Doctoral or professional degree

BLS

• All figures are for the United States as a whole. Pay varies a lot by state and city.
• Wages are for everyone working in the occupation in May 2025, at every career stage. They are not starting salaries or figures for new graduates.
• Growth and openings are BLS projections for 2025–35. They are estimates, not promises. Openings include jobs that open up when people retire or change occupation, not just new jobs.

What the work involves

Teach courses in biological sciences. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.

Main tasks

• Evaluate and grade students' class work, laboratory work, assignments, and papers.
• Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as molecular biology, marine biology, and botany.
• Plan, evaluate, and revise curricula, course content, and course materials and methods of instruction.
• Prepare materials for laboratory activities and course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
• Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
• Supervise students' laboratory work.
• Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.
• Maintain student attendance records, grades, and other required records.

Description and tasks from the O*NET® 31.0 Database.

Getting in

Typical education to enter (BLS)

Doctoral or professional degree

O*NET Job Zone 5

Extensive preparation

Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).

Fields of study that lead here

From the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk, which links 83 programmes to this occupation. A link means the programme prepares people for this kind of work. It doesn't mean the programme is required, or that it's the only route.

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