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Chemistry Teachers, Postsecondary

Typical education: Doctoral or professional degreeHigh pressure

What they do

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.

Kinds of work

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

High 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 $93,250 Median per year Most earn $57,870–$172,110

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Write letters of recommendation for students.
  • Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
  • Advise students on academic and vocational curricula and on career issues.
  • Supervise students' laboratory work.
  • Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.
  • Maintain regularly scheduled office hours to advise and assist students.

Job outlook

United States
2% more jobs by 2035, slower than average · about 1,700 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 schools83.8%
  • Junior colleges15.7%

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

Experience before this job: 2 to 4 years

Career path

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

Typical education: Doctoral or professional degreeExperience before this job: 2 to 4 years

This is not an entry-level job. Most people need a doctoral degree and some years of research or postdoc work first, so the full path usually takes about 10 to 14 years after high school.

  1. Bachelor's degree in chemistry

    4 years

    You learn core chemistry and lab skills, and you can build a base by joining undergraduate research with a professor.

  2. PhD in chemistry

    4-6 years

    You do original research under a faculty mentor, write a dissertation, and often teach labs or classes as a teaching assistant, which builds the teaching experience schools look for.

  3. Postdoctoral Research Associate

    2-4 years

    You work as a research scientist on a fixed-term position after your PhD, publishing papers and building the research record that hiring committees expect.

  4. Chemistry Teacher, Postsecondary

    Ongoing

    You teach college or university chemistry courses, and some teachers also run their own research labs.

Where it can lead

  1. Department Chair

    5-10 years of experience first

    You take on leadership of a chemistry department, managing budgets, faculty hiring, and course planning, usually after years of teaching and a strong service record.

  2. Dean of Natural Sciences

    5+ years of experience first

    You lead several science departments across a college, which requires administrative experience, often including time as a department chair.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take AP or honors chemistry and calculusStrong math and chemistry skills are needed for a bachelor's in chemistry and later graduate study.
  • Join a science club or science fairDoing your own experiment shows you what research feels like and gives you something to talk about in college applications.
  • Tutor younger students in math or scienceExplaining concepts to others is practice for teaching, the core part of this career.
  • Look for a summer science program at a local college or museumMany schools and towns run short summer programs where you can work in a lab or learn from scientists.
  • Ask your chemistry teacher about extra lab workTeachers often know about after-school projects or volunteer lab roles that let you practice careful measurement and record-keeping.

In college

  • Major in chemistryA chemistry major gives you the required coursework, including organic, analytical, and physical chemistry, for a PhD program.
  • Join an undergraduate research labWorking with a professor on real research is one of the strongest signals graduate programs look for.
  • Work as a chemistry lab assistant or tutorCampus jobs like these build teaching skills and show you can explain chemistry to others.
  • Join a chemistry or science student clubClubs connect you with peers and faculty, and often hold talks, trips, and events that help you learn about graduate school.
  • Present at an undergraduate research symposiumPresenting your work practices scientific communication and can be listed on graduate school applications.

Tips for getting started

  • Talk with your chemistry teachers or college professors about undergraduate research. It is one of the best ways to see if you enjoy the work and to build a reference for graduate school.
  • Get teaching experience early, such as tutoring or being a lab assistant. Schools that hire chemistry teachers look for people who can explain ideas clearly.
  • Check the pay and job outlook for this career on its page in the app, which shows typical pay near you and nationally.

Related jobs that often lead here

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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