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

Also called: Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Geology Professor, Professor

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.

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Median pay BLS, 2025$103,170
Openings a year BLS, 2025–35800
Typical education to start BLSDoctoral or professional degree
AI exposure BLS, Aug 2026 Very high
Projected job growth BLS, 2025–35 +2.4%

What the data says: AI could halve the time on 17 of its 26 tasks, yet jobs are projected to grow 2.4% 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 100% 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 86% of 825 occupations
lowest-paidhighest-paid

Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates

$63k$133knot published

Median pay in every state
StateMedianMiddle half earnJobs
Alabama$81,940$63,640 to $97,30090
Arizona$110,600$79,550 to $136,250240
California$133,230$99,270 to $202,4701,410
Colorado$79,190$56,050 to $111,150340
Connecticut$123,770$87,610 to $167,460230
Florida$81,980$66,970 to $102,490350
Georgia$94,790$78,690 to $126,06050
Illinois$87,150$66,540 to $129,450150
Indiana$99,970$79,270 to $108,210130
Iowa$97,660$79,790 to $123,72050
Kansas$101,750$62,250 to $139,43080
Kentucky$95,830$68,120 to $116,92040
Maine$95,320$80,240 to $126,670130
Maryland$107,700$80,070 to $152,970180
Massachusetts$108,930$83,430 to $178,480470
Michigan$104,780$80,750 to $138,810180
Minnesota$102,900$80,690 to $133,64090
Mississippi$77,670$61,720 to $79,820120
Missouri$102,200$76,090 to $128,240130
Nevada$105,860$84,580 to $126,04060
New Hampshire$130,230$86,280 to $163,45050
New Jersey$131,930$88,440 to $195,770270
New Mexico$106,990$64,970 to $111,67050
New York$87,350$63,720 to $124,3301,730
North Carolina$102,980$75,790 to $133,650360
North Dakota$98,000$79,960 to $110,92060
Ohio$94,890$77,960 to $122,070150
Oklahoma$104,270$91,030 to $135,73030
Oregon$128,140$98,500 to $137,110340
Pennsylvania$105,650$97,710 to $129,490220
South Carolina$76,500$63,850 to $86,07080
South Dakota$63,160$62,050 to $85,77070
Tennessee$85,020$63,030 to $104,060120
Texas$105,080$78,960 to $158,330690
Utah$97,240$73,580 to $130,540180
Virginia$119,940$96,950 to $163,710230
Washington$103,070$77,180 to $132,130210
West Virginia$81,850$78,670 to $98,83040
Wisconsin$107,370$79,520 to $141,200130
Wyoming$100,240$72,180 to $129,92050

Nationally: $103,170. 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 17 of its 26 tasks

5 · AI alone could halve the time 12 · AI + software built on it could 9 · Not much
AI ratingIts main tasks Share of Claude conversations
May 2026
AI + software Maintain student attendance records, grades, and other required records. Not published
AI + software Evaluate and grade students' class work, assignments, and papers. Not published
AI + software Plan, evaluate, and revise curricula, course content, and course materials and methods of instruction. Not published
AI alone Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts. Not published
AI + software Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others. Not published
Not much Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions. Not published
See all 26 tasks
Not much Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences. Not published
Not much Supervise laboratory work and field work. Not published
AI + software Maintain regularly scheduled office hours to advise and assist students. Not published
Not much Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as structural geology, micrometeorology, and atmospheric thermodynamics. Not published
AI + software Collaborate with colleagues to address teaching and research issues. Not published
AI + software Advise students on academic and vocational curricula and on career issues. Not published
AI + software Select and obtain materials and supplies, such as textbooks and laboratory equipment. Not published
Not much Serve on academic or administrative committees that deal with institutional policies, departmental matters, and academic issues. Not published
Not much Participate in campus and community events. Not published
AI alone Conduct research in a particular field of knowledge and publish findings in professional journals, books, or electronic media. Not published
AI alone Compile bibliographies of specialized materials for outside reading assignments. Not published
AI + software Participate in student recruitment, registration, and placement activities. Not published
Not much Supervise undergraduate or graduate teaching, internship, and research work. Not published
Not much Purchase and maintain equipment to support research projects. Not published
AI alone Write grant proposals to procure external research funding. Not published
AI + software Answer questions from the public and media. Not published
AI + software Perform administrative duties, such as serving as department head. Not published
Not much Act as advisers to student organizations. Not published
AI + software Review papers or serve on editorial boards for scientific journals, and review grant proposals for federal agencies. under 0.01%
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. 1 of the 26 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 26 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 up17 of 26 tasksEloundou et al. ratings (2023)
Its activities among the 50 people ask AI for help with most8 of 22 activities
  • #4 Maintain current knowledge in area of expertise
  • #5 Provide information or assistance to the public
  • #10 Write material for artistic or commercial purposes
  • and 5 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
Purchase goods or services 47#36 0.39#220
Teach academic or vocational subjects 22#54 143#14
Assess student capabilities, needs, or performance 2.31#189 0.62#188
Supervise personnel activities 0.56#266 0.05#283
Provide information or assistance to the public 356#5 1,375#2
Write material for artistic or commercial purposes 149#10 105#18
Show all 22 activities
Prepare informational or instructional materials 73#23 195#11
Perform administrative or clerical activities 58#30 25#44
Compile records, documentation, or other data 52#33 33#37
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
Plan events or programs 5.26#123 1.90#133
Evaluate scholarly work 4.55#134 1.06#165
Maintain operational records 2.92#170 0.49#209
Develop educational programs, plans, or procedures 2.52#181 2.47#121
Direct organizational operations, activities, or procedures 1.85#204 0.36#225
Prepare proposals or grant applications 1.47#214 0.60#190
Replenish inventories of materials, equipment, or products 0.43#276 0.10#268
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 answer60%
  • Teaching material8%
  • A document or report7%
  • Advice or a recommendation6%
  • An analysis or summary5%

How they worked with Claude

25% handed the task off75% worked on it together

9% 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 atmospheric, earth, marine, and space sciences 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.Atmospheric, earth, marine, and space sciences teachers, postsecondary: +2.4%Atmospheric, Earth, Marine, and Space Sciences 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.Atmospheric, earth, marine, and space sciences teachers, postsecondary: +2.4%Atmospheric, Earth, Marine, and Space Sciences 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 in from

of 428 moves in

  1. 1 Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive Very high -6.0% 43%
  2. 2 Teachers and Instructors, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 10%
  3. 3 First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers High +1.8% 8%
  4. 4 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 8%
  5. 5 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Moderate +3.8% 3%

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

  • 5% post-bachelor's certificate
  • 46% master's
  • 3% post-master's certificate
  • 29% research doctorate
  • 16% post-doctoral training

O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 37 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)
24 programs, such as Science Teacher Education/General Science Teacher Education, Earth Science Teacher Education and Climate Science.
See all
  • Science Teacher Education/General Science Teacher Education
  • Earth Science Teacher Education
  • Climate Science
  • Earth Systems Science
  • Environmental Geosciences
  • Mathematics and Atmospheric/Oceanic Science
  • Astronomy
  • Astrophysics
  • Planetary Astronomy and Science
  • Astronomy and Astrophysics, Other
  • Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology, General
  • Atmospheric Chemistry and Climatology
  • Atmospheric Physics and Dynamics
  • Meteorology
  • Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology, Other
  • Geology/Earth Science, General
  • Geochemistry
  • Geophysics and Seismology
  • Paleontology
  • Hydrology and Water Resources Science
  • Geochemistry and Petrology
  • Oceanography, Chemical and Physical
  • Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences, Other
  • Physics and Astronomy

Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023

6.1% this occupation

45.3% all occupations

By kindThis occupationAll occupations
a license<0.5%19.1%
a certification<0.5%5.8%
an educational certificate<0.5%2.8%

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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