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Atmospheric, Earth, Marine, and Space Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary

Typical education: Master's degreeModerate pressure

What they do

Teach courses in the physical sciences, except chemistry and physics. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching, and those who do a combination of teaching and research.

Kinds of work

  • Social: Helping, teaching, caring for and supporting other people.
  • Investigative: Science, research, figuring out how things work and solving complex problems.
  • Realistic: Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals, often outdoors.

Moderate pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $103,170 Median per year Most earn $59,700–$203,190

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
  • Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.
  • Conduct research in a particular field of knowledge and publish findings in professional journals, books, or electronic media.
  • Provide professional consulting services to government or industry.
  • Maintain student attendance records, grades, and other required records.
  • Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as structural geology, micrometeorology, and atmospheric thermodynamics.

Job outlook

United States
2% more jobs by 2035, slower than average · about 800 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Colleges, universities, and professional schools79.5%
  • Junior colleges19.7%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 1 to 2 years

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: Master's degreeExperience before this job: 1 to 2 years

This isn't usually a job you start straight out of school. Most people need at least a master's degree plus about 1 to 2 years of related work, so expect roughly 7 to 8 years of education and experience after high school.

  1. Bachelor's degree in atmospheric science, earth science, geology, or marine science

    4 years

    You learn the core physical science courses and get lab and field experience, which is the foundation for graduate study.

  2. Research Assistant

    1-2 years

    Working in a university or environmental lab builds hands-on research skills and shows you how science is done, which graduate programs and teaching jobs look for.

  3. Master's degree in atmospheric, earth, or marine science

    2 years

    Advanced coursework and a thesis prepare you to teach college-level classes, and many master's students gain classroom experience as teaching assistants.

  4. Postsecondary Earth Science Instructor

    Ongoing

    You teach atmospheric, earth, marine, or space science courses at a college, and some instructors also do research.

Where it can lead

  1. Environmental Science Teacher, Postsecondary

    2-4 years of experience first

    This role typically requires a doctoral degree and a stronger research record, and it focuses on environmental topics within the physical sciences.

  2. Associate Professor

    5-7 years of experience first

    Moving up usually means earning tenure through strong teaching, research publications, and service to the college, with more say in curriculum and department decisions.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take chemistry, physics, and advanced mathThese classes build the quantitative skills that earth and atmospheric science degrees rely on.
  • Join a science club or Earth science clubClubs give you hands-on projects, weather or astronomy activities, and a chance to explain science to others.
  • Enter a science fair or science competitionPresenting your own project teaches you to design experiments and communicate findings clearly, which matters for teaching.
  • Volunteer at a nature center, museum, or science centerHelping visitors learn about science gives you early experience explaining concepts to different audiences.
  • Get a summer or part-time job at a park, library, or tutoring centerTutoring younger students or working with the public builds the teaching and communication skills this career depends on.

In college

  • Major in atmospheric, earth, or marine science, with a minor in math or physicsA strong science major with quantitative support prepares you for master's-level study and teaching.
  • Work as a lab or field assistantHands-on lab or field experience builds the research skills that count toward graduate school and teaching roles.
  • Become a teaching assistant or tutor in a science courseHelping classmates learn gives you real teaching practice and may lead to a teaching assistant role in graduate school.
  • Join a geology, weather, or environmental clubStudent organizations offer field trips, conferences, and networking with professionals in the field.
  • Build research and presentation skillsPresenting posters or talks at campus research events helps you learn to communicate science to others, a key part of teaching.

Tips for getting started

  • Take extra math and physics courses along with your earth science classes, since many programs expect strong quantitative skills.
  • Look for research or teaching assistant jobs early, because they build the experience that graduate programs and college hiring committees want to see.
  • Talk with current earth science teachers or professors at a college near you to learn what their work is really like day to day.

Related jobs that often lead here

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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