Careers · Explore one path
Environmental Science Teachers, Postsecondary
Teach courses in environmental science. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
Other titles employers use
Adjunct Professor · Assistant Professor · Associate Professor · Environmental Engineering Professor · Environmental Sciences Professor · Environmental Studies Professor · Faculty Member · Instructor
Inside the work
What you would actually do.
6 responsibilities that define the role, before job titles and workplaces change the details.
- 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.
Who it suits
Would this work hold your attention?
This career often appeals to people drawn to analytical, helping and practical work.
- Analytical
- Investigating questions, testing ideas, and solving problems
- Practical
- Building, repairing, using tools, or working outdoors
Skills and strengths
What you would get good at.
Compare the skills the work relies on, the subjects behind it, and the abilities that make it easier to learn.
Core skills
- Reading Comprehension
- Speaking
- Active Listening
- Writing
- Science
- Critical Thinking
Subjects to know
- Education and Training
- English Language
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Mathematics
Useful strengths
- Oral Expression
- Written Comprehension
- Oral Comprehension
- Written Expression
- Deductive Reasoning
Working day
Picture yourself doing it.
These measures show how much of the day involves people, movement, conversation, and hands-on work.
| Measure | Out of 5 | What that means here |
|---|---|---|
| Close to other people | 3.0 | Largely your own space |
| On your feet | 2.6 | Mostly seated |
| Talking face to face | 4.6 | Continuous — the job is conversations |
| Working with your hands | 2.1 | Little of the day |
Preparation
How people prepare for this work.
Employers usually ask for a doctorate or a professional degree. Other routes may also lead into the field.
- A doctorate or professional degree 83%
- A master's degree 17%
Tools of the work
Technology you may use.
- Word processing software
- Electronic mail software
- Geographic information system
- Document management software
- Computer aided design CAD software
- Data base user interface and query software
- Spreadsheet software
- Office suite software
Opportunity near you
See where this work is growing.
Choose a state to compare the size of the field, annual openings, and expected hiring change.
- People doing this work
- 570
- Job openings each year
- 10
- Expected hiring change, 2022–2032
- 21.3%
Compare every available state
| State | People doing it | Job openings each year | Expected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 570 | 10 | 21.3% |
| New Jersey | 560 | 50 | 9.8% |
| Indiana | 370 | 30 | 5.7% |
| South Carolina | 330 | 30 | 10.0% |
| Virginia | 330 | 30 | 3.1% |
| Texas | 320 | 30 | 10.3% |
| Georgia | 290 | 20 | 7.4% |
| North Carolina | 290 | 30 | 16.0% |
| Colorado | 270 | 20 | 22.7% |
| Maryland | 270 | 20 | 17.4% |
| Ohio | 210 | 20 | — |
| Michigan | 200 | 20 | 5.3% |
| Washington | 190 | 20 | 18.8% |
| Illinois | 170 | 10 | — |
| Pennsylvania | 170 | 10 | — |
| Wisconsin | 170 | 10 | 6.3% |
| Oregon | 120 | 10 | 9.1% |
| Maine | 100 | 10 | — |
| Tennessee | 100 | 10 | 11.1% |
| Massachusetts | 90 | 10 | 12.5% |
| Montana | 90 | 10 | 12.5% |
| Vermont | 90 | 10 | — |
| Minnesota | 80 | 10 | 14.3% |
| Florida | 70 | 10 | 16.7% |
| Kentucky | 70 | 10 | — |
| Missouri | 70 | 10 | — |
| Nevada | 70 | 10 | 16.7% |
| Iowa | 60 | 0 | 20.0% |
| Nebraska | 60 | 10 | — |
| Alabama | 50 | 0 | — |
| Alaska | 30 | 0 | — |
| New Mexico | 30 | 0 | — |
| Idaho | 10 | 0 | — |
Career to college
Build a path toward this work.
Start with a related major, then compare colleges where students complete that field.
Where to study
Colleges with strong activity in these fields.
Start with program size, admission, and likely cost. Open a college for the full picture.
University of Colorado Boulder
- Degrees each year
- 505
- Admit rate
- 83%
- Annual cost after aid
- $19,000
University of California-Berkeley
- Degrees each year
- 593
- Admit rate
- 12%
- Annual cost after aid
- $10,000
University of California-Santa Barbara
- Degrees each year
- 535
- Admit rate
- 28%
- Annual cost after aid
- $13,000
Southern New Hampshire University
- Degrees each year
- 509
- Admit rate
- 96%
- Annual cost after aid
- $37,000
Texas A & M University-College Station
- Degrees each year
- 463
- Admit rate
- 63%
- Annual cost after aid
- $17,000
University of Washington-Seattle Campus
- Degrees each year
- 473
- Admit rate
- 43%
- Annual cost after aid
- $8,000
University of California-Santa Cruz
- Degrees each year
- 378
- Admit rate
- 63%
- Annual cost after aid
- $14,000
University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Degrees each year
- 474
- Admit rate
- 43%
- Annual cost after aid
- $8,000
Compare every college offering ecology, evolution, systematics, and population biology