Career
Biological science teachers, postsecondary
Teach biology at a college or university.
$84,620
Median pay
+7.3%
Job growth, 2025–35
4,700
Openings a year
Doctoral or professional degree
Typical education
7–8 years
Typical time after high school
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- 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.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on people & care, then ideas & analysis?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“Evaluate and grade students' class work, laboratory work, assignments, and papers.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Speaking, Learning Strategies, Instructing, Writing.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
7–8 years of education after high school (doctoral or professional degree), for a median of $84,620 a year and 4,700 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- BiologySee the degree →
- Teaching (by Subject)See the degree →
- Biochemistry and Molecular BiologySee the degree →
- NeuroscienceSee the degree →
- PhysiologySee the degree →
- Science Teacher Education/General Science Teacher EducationCIP 13.1316
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Atmospheric, Earth, Marine, and Space Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary$103,170 · +2.4%
- Chemistry Teachers, Postsecondary$93,250 · +2.3%
- Environmental Science Teachers, Postsecondary$94,980 · +2.7%
- Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary$107,310 · +17.9%
- Molecular and Cellular Biologists
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
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Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.