Education & Library
Chemistry Teachers, Postsecondary
Also called: Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Biochemistry Professor, Chemistry Faculty Member
US median pay
$93,250
per year, 2025
Job growth 2025–35
+2.3%
about average or slower
Openings a year (US)
1,700
24,900 employed
Typical entry education
Doctoral or professional degree
Preparation 5/5 · Extensive preparation
What this job is
Teach courses pertaining to the chemical and physical properties and compositional changes of substances. Work may include providing instruction in the methods of qualitative and quantitative chemical analysis. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching, and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
What they do day to day
- Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as organic chemistry, analytical chemistry, and chemical separation.
- Establish, teach, and monitor students' compliance with safety rules for handling chemicals, equipment, and other hazardous materials.
- Evaluate and grade students' class work, laboratory performance, assignments, and papers.
- Supervise students' laboratory work.
- Maintain student attendance records, grades, and other required records.
- Supervise undergraduate or graduate teaching, internship, and research work.
- Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
- Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
- Plan, evaluate, and revise curricula, course content, and course materials and methods of instruction.
- Maintain regularly scheduled office hours to advise and assist students.
Skills and knowledge that matter most
Skills
- Instructing3.9/5
- Complex Problem Solving3.9/5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.6/5
- Social Perceptiveness3.2/5
- Systems Analysis3.1/5
- Time Management3.0/5
- Service Orientation3.0/5
- Persuasion3.0/5
Knowledge
- Chemistry4.8/5
- English Language4.5/5
- Mathematics4.5/5
- Education and Training4.5/5
- Biology3.6/5
- Physics3.4/5
Importance rated by people working in the job (1 = not important, 5 = extremely important).
Education and preparation
Preparation level 5 of 5 — Extensive preparation. Usually a graduate degree (master's, PhD, MD, JD) and extensive experience.
Typical entry education (BLS): Doctoral or professional degree.
Highest education of people in this job:
- Master's degree35%
- Post-doctoral training31%
- Doctoral degree25%
Who this job suits
Mostly Investigative
Ideas, research and solving problems
Social
Helping, teaching and caring for people
Realistic
Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals
Based on the Holland (RIASEC) interest profile for this occupation.