Environmental Science Teachers, Postsecondary

United States SOC 25-1053.00 Education Confidence ★★★★★

Also called: Adjunct Professor, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, College Faculty Member, College Professor, Conservation Educator, Conservation Science Teacher, Educator

Teach courses in environmental science.

Median annual pay
$94,980
25th–75th pct. $69,880–$126,900
Top pay (est.)
$213,400
Top 10% $164,190
Pay in 5 years
$108,600est.
2031
Pay in 10 years
$124,300est.
$106,900–$144,300
Outlook score
58/100
★★★☆☆ Average
AI replacement risk
57%
Moderate
Job growth (10 yr)
+2.7%
600 openings / yr

What environmental science teachers, postsecondary do

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

Typical tasks

Typical path into the job (BLS)

Education Doctoral or professional degreeRelated experience NoneOn-the-job training NoneO*NET Job Zone 5

Environmental Science Teachers, Postsecondary salary

The median annual wage for environmental science teachers, postsecondary is $94,980 (BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national). The lowest 10 percent earn less than $57,780 and the highest 10 percent earn more than $164,190. The mean annual wage is $103,610.

Median
$94,980
Mean
$103,610
10th percentile
$57,780
Entry level
25th percentile
$69,880
75th percentile
$126,900
90th percentile
$164,190
Top earners
In Japanese yen
¥14.94M
≈ at 157.25 JPY/USD

How does your pay compare with people your age?

Your numbers are not sent or stored. The comparison uses this occupation's BLS wage percentiles, adjusted for age with BLS median weekly earnings by age group (Q3 2026).

Pay by percentile

Entry level (10th pct.)
$57,780
Early career (25th pct.)
$69,880
Mid career (median)
$94,980
Experienced (75th pct.)
$126,900
Top earners (90th pct.)
$164,190

Annual wage percentiles from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Percentiles are a good proxy for pay by experience.

How median, percentiles and the pay range are defined →

Projected pay for Environmental Science Teachers, Postsecondary (3, 5 and 10 years)est.

Today $94,980 → in 3 years $103,000 → in 5 years $108,600 → in 10 years $124,300 (10-year range $106,900–$144,300). The model assumes pay growth of +2.7% per year.

$94,980
Now
2026
$103,000
In 3 yrs
2029
$95,100–$112,000
$108,600
In 5 yrs
2031
$97,900–$121,000
$124,300
In 10 yrs
2036
$106,900–$144,300

What drives the annual growth rate

Base wage growth +3.0%Labor demand -0.06%AI impact -0.21%Total +2.7% / yr

Projected pay = current pay × (1 + annual growth)^years. The annual growth rate starts from a base wage-growth rate and adds or subtracts labor demand (BLS projected employment growth), wage momentum and AI replacement risk for each occupation. Projections are not guarantees. How it is calculated →

Outlook score for Environmental Science Teachers, Postsecondary

58/100
★★★☆☆
Average · ranked #284 of all U.S. occupations
Pay level
80 pts
AI resistance
43 pts
Entry barrier
96 pts
Annual openings
49 pts
Projected growth
50 pts

Each component is a percentile rank among all occupations in the same country (0–100). Weights: labor demand 25, wage momentum / openings 15, pay level 15, AI resistance 25, aging workforce 10 (Japan only), entry barrier 10.

Will AI replace Environmental Science Teachers, Postsecondary? AI replacement risk

57%
Moderate
Ranked #610 safest from AI among all U.S. occupations
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

How AI is changing this job

A written analysis for this occupation is being prepared.

AI replacement risk compares the parts of a job that are easy to hand to AI or software (processing information, documentation, repetitive computer work) with the parts that are hard to automate (physical work, working closely with people, judgment in unpredictable settings), using O*NET work activities, work context, skills and knowledge. The result is a relative position among all occupations in the country, scaled to 0–100%. Methodology →

Labor demand for Environmental Science Teachers, Postsecondary

Employment
6,690
BLS OEWS
Projected employment
8,700
2025–35
Projected change
+2.7%
ranked #407 for growth
Annual openings
600
growth + replacement needs
Demand score
Average
42/100
Typical entry education
Doctoral or professional degree
Work experience
None
in a related occupation
On-the-job training
None

Employment projections are from the BLS Employment Projections program (2025–35). Annual openings include both new jobs and replacement of workers who leave the occupation.

Skills, education and requirements for Environmental Science Teachers, Postsecondary

Key skills

Reading Comprehension
5.0
Writing
4.8
Speaking
4.5
Science
4.5
Instructing
4.4
Active Listening
4.2
Critical Thinking
4.2
Active Learning
4.2

O*NET skill level ratings (0–7).

Key knowledge areas

Education and Training
5.9
Biology
5.4
English Language
5.3
Geography
5.2
Mathematics
5.1
Chemistry
5.0
Computers and Electronics
5.0
Engineering and Technology
4.0

What the work involves

Training and Teaching OthersUpdating and Using Relevant KnowledgeProcessing InformationOrganizing, Planning, and Prioritizing WorkThinking CreativelyGetting InformationCommunicating with Supervisors, Peers, or SubordinatesAnalyzing Data or Information

Important abilities

Oral ExpressionWritten ExpressionWritten ComprehensionSpeech ClarityOral ComprehensionDeductive Reasoning

Education of workers

Doctoral degree
52%
Post-doctoral training
30%
Master's degree
18%

Training before entry

Up to 1 month
29%
None / short demo
29%
2–4 years
15%
4–10 years
9%
3–6 months
5%
Over 10 years
4%
1–3 months
3%
1–2 years
3%
6–12 months
2%

Related work experience

2–4 years
27%
None
20%
1–2 years
19%
4–6 years
14%
Over 10 years
10%
6–8 years
6%
6–12 months
1%
8–10 years
1%
3–6 months
1%

Job Zone 5 — extensive preparation needed (O*NET)

Difficulty of entry: ★★★★☆ Demanding (from education, training, experience and Job Zone)

How to become environmental science teachers, postsecondary

Typical education
Doctoral or professional degree
BLS
Related experience
None
On-the-job training
None

A step-by-step guide for this occupation is being prepared. The education, training and experience data above show the typical path.

Career path and how to earn more as environmental science teachers, postsecondary

Career-path guidance is being prepared. Pay by percentile is shown in the Pay section.

Pay and employment figures are national statistics. Projected pay, outlook scores and AI replacement risk are estimates from the Shigoto Zukan model, not guarantees. To request a correction, use the contact form. How to read the data
Sources: BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025–35; O*NET 31.0 Database by USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0), modified by Shigoto Zukan. Pay ranges, projections and scores are Shigoto Zukan estimates.