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Biological Science Teachers, Postsecondary

Also called: Associate Professor, Biology Instructor, Biology Professor, Professor

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

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Median pay BLS, 2025$84,620
Openings a year BLS, 2025–354,700
Typical education to start BLSDoctoral or professional degree
AI exposure BLS, Aug 2026 Very high
Projected job growth BLS, 2025–35 +7.3%

What the data says: AI could halve the time on 16 of its 27 tasks, yet jobs are projected to grow 7.3% by 2035. In the most exposed occupations, the squeeze shows up first among early-career workers. How to think about this →

About this projection

BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”

It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”

On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”

Recent conditions

  • In 2024, 2.1% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Postsecondary teachers”
  • From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 7.8 hires for every 10 job openings in private educational services, which employs about 99% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.

How to read these

Pay compared with all occupations BLS median wages Pays more than 76% of 825 occupations
lowest-paidhighest-paid

Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates

$57k$129knot published

Median pay in every state
StateMedianMiddle half earnJobs
Alabama$77,540$61,440 to $100,6101,160
Arizona$83,030$71,230 to $132,880not published
Arkansas$77,670$57,840 to $95,120430
California$129,150$99,550 to $177,1803,610
Colorado$98,680$71,600 to $125,380810
Connecticut$96,470$73,930 to $127,880870
Delaware$101,380$83,200 to $126,230130
District of Columbia$96,830$76,560 to $129,860350
Florida$57,140$55,560 to $75,0702,020
Georgia$88,020$70,740 to $127,920980
Idaho$81,620$67,620 to $129,200220
Illinois$99,060$62,740 to $132,7802,340
Indiana$83,130$62,770 to $122,2101,100
Iowa$78,060$63,810 to $103,960540
Kansas$81,300$64,780 to $110,250430
Kentucky$70,630$58,220 to $99,120470
Louisiana$79,010$62,360 to $107,180390
Maine$84,080$67,530 to $127,570270
Maryland$83,500$66,580 to $118,500970
Massachusetts$105,050$78,980 to $163,5002,060
Michigan$103,620$78,380 to $133,0701,460
Minnesota$96,880$78,640 to $130,340780
Mississippi$66,830$53,350 to $81,610580
Missouri$80,970$62,600 to $127,6501,060
Montana$100,480$80,380 to $125,910110
Nebraska$81,190$61,580 to $130,760500
Nevada$85,040$65,880 to $106,850350
New Hampshire$102,410$78,100 to $160,070170
New Jersey$79,540$50,500 to $123,6601,570
New Mexico$98,820$76,460 to $129,280150
New York$98,180$75,500 to $132,5703,870
North Carolina$77,700$61,630 to $104,2901,960
North Dakota$90,740$58,490 to $108,090170
Ohio$79,600$61,060 to $100,6701,350
Oklahoma$65,960$53,950 to $97,220470
Oregon$100,820$77,840 to $127,000800
Pennsylvania$85,970$68,320 to $116,5002,410
Puerto Rico$84,590$68,670 to $103,280340
Rhode Island$102,300$61,990 to $131,270250
South Carolina$82,300$62,100 to $100,310750
South Dakota$76,570$62,120 to $102,280160
Tennessee$78,940$62,910 to $111,690830
Texas$82,470$62,210 to $105,3703,840
Utah$81,580$63,850 to $110,300300
Vermont$82,230$66,580 to $104,660170
Virginia$79,190$62,590 to $107,0701,760
Washington$97,280$77,900 to $133,500960
West Virginia$67,190$58,980 to $88,010220
Wisconsin$78,920$65,410 to $106,100950
Wyoming$82,930$60,880 to $99,980160

Nationally: $84,620. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this

How AI touches the work

What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.

AI could halve the time on 16 of its 27 tasks

6 · AI alone could halve the time 10 · AI + software built on it could 11 · Not much
AI ratingIts main tasks Share of Claude conversations
May 2026
AI + software Evaluate and grade students' class work, laboratory work, assignments, and papers. Not published
Not much Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as molecular biology, marine biology, and botany. Not published
AI + software Plan, evaluate, and revise curricula, course content, and course materials and methods of instruction. Not published
AI alone Prepare materials for laboratory activities and course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts. 0.01%
Not much Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions. Not published
Not much Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences. Not published
See all 27 tasks
AI + software Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others. Not published
Not much Supervise students' laboratory work. Not published
AI + software Maintain student attendance records, grades, and other required records. Not published
AI + software Advise students on academic and vocational curricula and on career issues. Not published
AI alone Assist students who need extra help with their coursework outside of class. 0.18%
AI + software Maintain regularly scheduled office hours to advise and assist students. Not published
AI + software Select and obtain materials and supplies, such as textbooks and laboratory equipment. Not published
AI + software Collaborate with colleagues to address teaching and research issues. Not published
Not much Supervise undergraduate or graduate teaching, internship, and research work. Not published
Not much Serve on academic or administrative committees that deal with institutional policies, departmental matters, and academic issues. Not published
AI alone Conduct research in a particular field of knowledge and publish findings in professional journals, books, or electronic media. Not published
Not much Provide students course-related experiences, such as field trips, outside the classroom. Not published
AI alone Compile bibliographies of specialized materials for outside reading assignments. Not published
Not much Participate in campus and community events, such as giving presentations to the public. Not published
AI alone Write grant proposals to procure external research funding. Not published
Not much Maintain or repair lab equipment. Not published
Not much Participate in student recruitment, registration, and placement activities. Not published
AI + software Review papers for publication in journals. 0.02%
AI + software Perform administrative duties, such as serving as department head. Not published
Not much Act as advisers to student organizations. Not published
AI alone Provide professional consulting services to government or industry. Not published

Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 3 of the 27 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.

Where people already use AI

The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 27 tasks fall under 22 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.

Tasks AI could speed up16 of 27 tasksEloundou et al. ratings (2023)
Its activities among the 50 people ask AI for help with most7 of 22 activities
  • #4 Maintain current knowledge in area of expertise
  • #10 Write material for artistic or commercial purposes
  • #23 Prepare informational or instructional materials
  • and 4 more, in the table below
Microsoft Copilot (2024), ranked among all 332 activities. The cut-off of 50 is ours.
Work activity This occupation's tasks under it People asked AI for help
in 10,000 conversations		 AI did it for them
in 10,000 conversations
Advise others on educational or vocational matters 14#74 34#36
Maintain current knowledge in area of expertise 408#4 247#8
Teach academic or vocational subjects 22#54 143#14
Develop educational programs, plans, or procedures 2.52#181 2.47#121
Assess student capabilities, needs, or performance 2.31#189 0.62#188
Supervise personnel activities 0.56#266 0.05#283
Write material for artistic or commercial purposes 149#10 105#18
Prepare informational or instructional materials 73#23 195#11
Show all 22 activities
Perform administrative or clerical activities 58#30 25#44
Compile records, documentation, or other data 52#33 33#37
Purchase goods or services 47#36 0.39#220
Select materials or equipment for operations or projects 45#38 19#49
Evaluate programs, practices, or processes 15#67 5.67#80
Promote products, services, or programs 14#72 85#20
Maintain electronic, computer, or other technical equipment 8.36#100 1.25#152
Plan events or programs 5.26#123 1.90#133
Evaluate scholarly work 4.55#134 1.06#165
Clean tools, equipment, facilities, or work areas 3.36#158 1.16#157
Maintain operational records 2.92#170 0.49#209
Direct organizational operations, activities, or procedures 1.85#204 0.36#225
Prepare proposals or grant applications 1.47#214 0.60#190
Serve on organizational committees 0.21#294 0.04#288
Task: AI alone Task: AI + software Task: not much #: rank among all 332 activities Microsoft measured (#1 = most common; activities that never came up share last place, shown as “tied”)
Where the two sources differ: “Assess student capabilities, needs, or performance” holds 2 tasks rated AI + software, yet people asked AI for help with it in 2.31 of every 10,000 conversations, #189 of 332.

How people in this work use Claude

What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations

  • An explanation or answer30%
  • Teaching material19%
  • A document or report11%
  • Math or a calculation7%
  • Advice or a recommendation6%

How they worked with Claude

30% handed the task off70% worked on it together

7% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.

How to read this

Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for biological science teachers, postsecondary specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.

The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.

More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude

High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs

BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.

AI exposure and projected job growth, 831 occupationsLow exposure: 134 of 213 occupations projected to grow. Moderate exposure: 151 of 206 occupations projected to grow. High exposure: 165 of 206 occupations projected to grow. Very high exposure: 141 of 206 occupations projected to grow.-20%-15%-10%-5%0%+5%+10%+15%+20%+25%Low134 of 213 growingModerate151 of 206 growingHigh165 of 206 growingVery high141 of 206 growing11 occupations outside −20% to +25% are drawn at the edge. Click a dot to see that occupation.Biological science teachers, postsecondary: +7.3%Biological Science Teachers, PostsecondaryAI exposure and projected job growth, 831 occupationsLow exposure: 134 of 213 occupations projected to grow. Moderate exposure: 151 of 206 occupations projected to grow. High exposure: 165 of 206 occupations projected to grow. Very high exposure: 141 of 206 occupations projected to grow.-20%-15%-10%-5%0%+5%+10%+15%+20%+25%Low134 of 213Moderate151 of 206High165 of 206Very high141 of 20611 occupations outside −20% to +25% are drawn at the edge. Tap a dot.Biological science teachers, postsecondary: +7.3%Biological Science Teachers, Postsecondary

Career moves into and out of this occupation

From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.

Where people moved next

of 3,758 moves out

  1. 1 Postsecondary Teachers, All Other Very high +2.0% 16%
  2. 2 Operations Research Analysts Very high +11.9% 9%
  3. 3 Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education High -0.4% 5%
  4. 4 Teachers and Instructors, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 5%
  5. 5 Education Administrators, Postsecondary High +1.8% 4%

Where people moved in from

of 5,241 moves in

  1. 1 Operations Research Analysts Very high +11.9% 13%
  2. 2 Postsecondary Teachers, All Other Very high +2.0% 10%
  3. 3 Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education High -0.4% 6%
  4. 4 Education Administrators, Postsecondary High +1.8% 5%
  5. 5 Teachers and Instructors, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 4%

Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).

Education and training for the occupation

Education people in it hold

O*NET survey of workers in this occupation

  • 1% associate's
  • 12% master's
  • 48% research doctorate
  • 38% post-doctoral training

O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 36 people answered.

Census survey (American Community Survey)

  • 1% less than high school
  • 3% high school
  • 4% some college
  • 2% associate's
  • 16% bachelor's
  • 28% master's
  • 5% professional degree
  • 42% doctorate

Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Postsecondary teachers” · 15,280 people surveyed.

Why the two can differ

O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide

Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Postsecondary teachers”

Programs that prepare people for it (NCES)
83 programs, such as Science Teacher Education/General Science Teacher Education, Biology Teacher Education and Biology/Biological Sciences, General.
See all
  • Science Teacher Education/General Science Teacher Education
  • Biology Teacher Education
  • Biology/Biological Sciences, General
  • Biomedical Sciences, General
  • Biochemistry
  • Biophysics
  • Molecular Biology
  • Molecular Biochemistry
  • Molecular Biophysics
  • Structural Biology
  • Photobiology
  • Radiation Biology/Radiobiology
  • Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
  • Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology, Other
  • Botany/Plant Biology
  • Plant Pathology/Phytopathology
  • Plant Physiology
  • Botany/Plant Biology, Other
  • Cell/Cellular Biology and Histology
  • Anatomy
  • Developmental Biology and Embryology
  • Cell/Cellular and Molecular Biology
  • Cell Biology and Anatomy
  • Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences, Other
  • Microbiology, General
  • Medical Microbiology and Bacteriology
  • Virology
  • Parasitology
  • Mycology
  • Immunology
  • Microbiology and Immunology
  • Microbiological Sciences and Immunology, Other
  • Zoology/Animal Biology
  • Entomology
  • Animal Physiology
  • Zoology/Animal Biology, Other
  • Genetics, General
  • Molecular Genetics
  • Microbial and Eukaryotic Genetics
  • Animal Genetics
  • Plant Genetics
  • Human/Medical Genetics
  • Genome Sciences/Genomics
  • Genetics, Other
  • Physiology, General
  • Molecular Physiology
  • Cell Physiology
  • Endocrinology
  • Reproductive Biology
  • Cardiovascular Science
  • Exercise Physiology and Kinesiology
  • Vision Science/Physiological Optics
  • Pathology/Experimental Pathology
  • Oncology and Cancer Biology
  • Aerospace Physiology and Medicine
  • Biomechanics
  • Pharmacology
  • Toxicology
  • Biometry/Biometrics
  • Computational Biology
  • Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology, Other
  • Biotechnology
  • Ecology
  • Marine Biology and Biological Oceanography
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Aquatic Biology/Limnology
  • Environmental Biology
  • Population Biology
  • Conservation Biology
  • Systematic Biology/Biological Systematics
  • Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
  • Ecology, Evolution, Systematics and Population Biology, Other
  • Molecular Medicine
  • Neuroscience
  • Neuroanatomy
  • Neurobiology and Anatomy
  • Neurobiology and Behavior
  • Neurobiology and Neurosciences, Other
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other
  • Biopsychology
  • Nutrition Sciences
  • Human Biology
  • Geobiology

Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023

<10% this occupation

45.3% all occupations

By kindThis occupationAll occupations
a licensenot published
a certificationnot published
an educational certificatenot published

Share of jobs whose employer requires it. BLS doesn't say which credential. How to read this

Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor

These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide

See where your own career could go Start by uploading your resume Browse careers

BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS · Brynjolfsson, Chandar and Chen, Stanford (Aug 2026)

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