Career
Environmental science teachers, postsecondary
Teach environmental science at a college.
$94,980
Median pay
+2.7%
Job growth, 2025–35
600
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 course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
- Supervise students' laboratory and field work.
- Advise students on academic and vocational curricula and on career issues.
- Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.
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 ideas & analysis, then people & care?
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?
Reading Comprehension, Speaking, Active Listening, 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 $94,980 a year and 600 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- Teaching (by Subject)See the degree →
- Environmental Science and ConservationSee the degree →
- ChemistrySee the degree →
- Environmental StudiesCIP 03.0103
- Environmental ScienceCIP 03.0104
- Science Teacher Education/General Science Teacher EducationCIP 13.1316
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Forestry and Conservation Science Teachers, Postsecondary$101,420 · +2.8%
- Atmospheric, Earth, Marine, and Space Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary$103,170 · +2.4%
- Agricultural Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary$98,700 · +2.9%
- Biological Science Teachers, Postsecondary$84,620 · +7.3%
- Chemistry Teachers, Postsecondary$93,250 · +2.3%
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.