Environmental Science Teachers, Postsecondary

Education and TrainingO*NET 25-1053.00United States

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

COMING SOON See related ASU learning

Median annual earnings: $84,440
Projected change: +9.1%
Typical education: Doctoral degree or more
Employment: 1.78M jobs

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Build the skills

ASU learning related to this career

These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.

The work

What environmental science teachers, postsecondary do

Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.

Evaluate and grade students' class work, laboratory work, assignments, and papers.
Supervise students' laboratory and field work.
Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
Advise students on academic and vocational curricula and on career issues.
Supervise undergraduate or graduate teaching, internship, and research work.
Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.
Plan, evaluate, and revise curricula, course content, and course materials and methods of instruction.
Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
Conduct research in a particular field of knowledge and publish findings in professional journals, books, or electronic media.
Maintain student attendance records, grades, and other required records.
Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
Maintain regularly scheduled office hours to advise and assist students.
Collaborate with colleagues to address teaching and research issues.
Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as hazardous waste management, industrial safety, and environmental toxicology.
Select and obtain materials and supplies, such as textbooks and laboratory equipment.
Participate in student recruitment, registration, and placement activities.
Write letters of recommendation for students.
Write grant proposals to procure external research funding.
Serve on academic or administrative committees that deal with institutional policies, departmental matters, and academic issues.
Compile bibliographies of specialized materials for outside reading assignments.
Review papers or serve on editorial boards for scientific journals, and review grant proposals for various agencies.

Pay and outlook

What the job pays and where it is heading

Annual earnings range

Reported earnings by percentile, United States

10th percentile: $49,147
25th percentile: $62,814
50th percentile: $84,440
75th percentile: $118,952
90th percentile: $175,749

The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $84,440 and half earn less.

Employment outlook

2025 to 2035 projection

+9.1%faster than average

20251,782,325 jobs

2035 projected1,944,527 jobs

162,202 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.

Preparation

Education levels

What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.

Doctoral degree or more: 82.2%
Master's or Professional degree: 17.8%

Skills

Skills employers ask for

Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.

Environmental Science
Environmental Studies
Biology
Ecology
Geography
Social Sciences
Chemistry
Environmental Policy
Environmental Health
Geology
Learning Management Systems
Curriculum Development
Environmental Justice
Economics
Statistics
Physics
Public Health
Environmental Engineering
Hydrology
Environmental Laws

How the work gets done

Core competencies

Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.

Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Science: Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
Instructing: Teaching others how to do something.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Learning Strategies: Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
Active Learning: Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Complex Problem Solving: Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Systems Evaluation: Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
Systems Analysis: Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Time Management: Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Mathematics: Using mathematics to solve problems.
Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.
Persuasion: Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.

In the market

Job titles and employers

Recent job postings in United States

Common job titles

01Science Faculties52 postings
02Environmental Science Lecturers43 postings
03Adjunct Faculties18 postings
04Environmentalists11 postings
05Adjunct Instructors9 postings
06Environmental Sustainability Managers8 postings
07Directors of Environmental Services6 postings
08Environmental Health Technicians6 postings
09Environmental Technologists6 postings
10Environmental Program Managers5 postings
11Assistant/Associate/Full Professors4 postings
12Environmental Education Instructors4 postings
13Environmental Geologists4 postings
14Leo Lecturers4 postings
15Professors of Environmental Science4 postings
16Adjuncts3 postings
17Biology Adjunct Faculties3 postings
18Environmental Analysts3 postings
19Environmental Chemists3 postings
20Environmental Department Managers3 postings

Top employers

01Herc10 postings
02Austin Community College District7 postings
03DePaul University7 postings
04Texas Christian University6 postings
05Bristol Community College5 postings
06California State University-Fullerton5 postings
07Georgia Gwinnett College5 postings
08Metropolitan Community College Area5 postings
09Tennessee Board of Regents5 postings
10Bellarmine University4 postings
11California State University-Chancellors Office4 postings
12Del Mar College4 postings
13Florida Gulf Coast University4 postings
14New York University4 postings
15The Evergreen State College4 postings
16University Of Michigan4 postings
17University of California4 postings
18University of California-Santa Barbara4 postings
19University of South Carolina4 postings
20University of Tampa4 postings

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