Environmental Science Teachers, Postsecondary: Career Overview
Teach courses in environmental science. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
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The Daily Work of Environmental Science Teachers, Postsecondary Do?
The core tasks performed by environmental science teachers, postsecondary span:
- 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.
- Supervise undergraduate or graduate teaching, internship, and research work.
- Plan, evaluate, and revise curricula, course content, and course materials and methods of instruction.
- Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
What Environmental Science Teachers, Postsecondary Need to Know
Effective environmental science teachers, postsecondary draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Most Important Skills
These are the skills most important for this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Related Job Titles
This career also goes by job titles like:
- Adjunct Professor
- Assistant Professor
- Associate Professor
- College Faculty Member
- College Professor
- Conservation Educator
- Conservation Science Teacher
- Educator
Employment and Demand
The U.S. employs around 260,192 environmental science teachers, postsecondary working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to grow by +10.6% over the projection horizon.
How Much Do Environmental Science Teachers, Postsecondary Make?
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $83,485 |
| Hourly median | $40.14 |
| 10th percentile | $55,973 |
| 25th percentile | $69,729 |
| 75th percentile | $97,241 |
| 90th percentile | $110,997 |
Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.
Environmental Science Teachers, Postsecondary Salary by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Kentucky | $109,970 |
| Montana | $109,760 |
| California | $109,710 |
| Oklahoma | $109,090 |
| Michigan | $108,180 |
| Maryland | $107,350 |
| New Mexico | $106,780 |
| New York | $102,860 |
| Nevada | $102,270 |
| Massachusetts | $101,830 |
| Virginia | $101,420 |
| Illinois | $100,220 |
| New Hampshire | $99,840 |
| Washington | $96,690 |
| Connecticut | $93,090 |
| South Carolina | $89,360 |
| Minnesota | $88,820 |
| Indiana | $85,490 |
| Iowa | $84,600 |
| Tennessee | $83,860 |
| Idaho | $82,980 |
| Vermont | $82,450 |
| New Jersey | $82,410 |
| Oregon | $82,270 |
| Pennsylvania | $81,060 |
| Colorado | $80,420 |
| Texas | $79,850 |
| North Carolina | $77,420 |
| Wisconsin | $76,680 |
| District of Columbia | $76,620 |
| Florida | $76,140 |
| Georgia | $76,140 |
| Arizona | $68,350 |
| Ohio | $63,170 |
| Louisiana | $63,170 |
| Arkansas | $59,050 |
Where Environmental Science Teachers, Postsecondary Earn the Most
Pay for environmental science teachers, postsecondary vary by region. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $103,157 | 11.7% | 0.73 |
| New England | $96,750 | 9.2% | 2.82 |
| Middle Atlantic | $93,969 | 22.2% | 1.54 |
| Rocky Mountains | $88,911 | 4.8% | 2.04 |
| Great Lakes | $87,172 | 14.0% | 0.99 |
| Southeast | $86,721 | 21.5% | 1.57 |
| Southwest | $78,746 | 13.1% | 1.05 |
| Plains States | $61,859 | 3.6% | 0.76 |
Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Environmental Science Teachers, Postsecondary
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $129,610 | 90 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | MN | $122,330 | 50 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | CA | $116,800 | 100 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | WA | $110,760 | 100 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | NC | $106,050 | 40 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | NY | $103,530 | 620 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | MA | $102,240 | 220 |
| Amherst Town-Northampton, MA | MA | $101,830 | 60 |
Industry Breakdown
The bulk of environmental science teachers, postsecondary are concentrated in the following sectors:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Educational Services | 7,100 | n/a |
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Tech Stack
- Document management software: Adobe Acrobat (hot technology)
- Computer aided design CAD software: Autodesk AutoCAD (hot technology)
- Geographic information system: ESRI ArcGIS software (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Google Docs (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Computer based training software: Learning management system LMS (in demand)
What the Workplace Is Like
Daily working conditions for environmental science teachers, postsecondary reflects the following characteristics:
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals
- Freedom to Make Decisions
Getting Started in This Career
This career aligns with Extensive Preparation Needed (Job Zone 5), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
- Natural Sciences Managers (Supplemental)
- Biologists (Supplemental)
- Conservation Scientists (Supplemental)
- Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health (Primary-Long)
- Mathematical Science Teachers, Postsecondary (Supplemental)
- Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary (Supplemental)
- Agricultural Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary (Primary-Short)
- Biological Science Teachers, Postsecondary (Primary-Short)
Degree Programs
Aspiring environmental science teachers, postsecondary commonly pursue programs in:
Education
1 programs across 1 majors
About the Data
This profile draws on the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 25-1053.00 (Environmental Science Teachers, Postsecondary).