Chemistry Teacher: Job, Education and Salary Information

• What high school chemistry teachers do
• Educational and certification requirements
• Income projections
• Pros and cons of being a high school chemistry teacher

What high school chemistry teachers do

High school chemistry teachers instruct ninth- through 12th-grade students in the study of the composition, structure and properties of matter. On a typical day, a high school chemistry teacher will be:

• Giving lectures
• Guiding classroom discussions
• Conducting laboratory demonstrations
• Supervising students’ lab experiments
• Leading question-and-answer sessions

High school chemistry teachers typically teach two to four classes of students throughout the day. Classes may last 45 to 90 minutes. Between classes, they have time to prepare lessons, grade student work and tests, and answer student questions about homework. They are usually expected to teach nine or 10 months of the year, with summers off and breaks throughout the school year.

Many schools assign students to classes based on their abilities, so chemistry teachers need to modify their lessons to match students’ aptitudes. Advanced-placement and honors chemistry classes require teachers to instruct their students at a more rigorous academic level that’s comparable to college courses.

Education and certification requirements

A bachelor’s degree in chemistry or another physical science qualifies you to teach chemistry in most U.S. high schools. High school chemistry teachers also need a teaching credential that meets state standards, unless you work for a private school where a state-issued certificate is not required. And if you want a higher salary and better job opportunities, pursue a master’s degree in chemistry or an education-related subject.

Income projections

The Bureau of Labor Statistics calculates the average annual salary for all high school teachers, and career-related websites offer average salaries for high school chemistry teachers:

• BLS: $57,200 (average of all high school teacher salaries)
• Glassdoor.com: $52,450
• SalaryGenius.com: $44,200
• Neuvoo.com: $58,530

The average salary outcome of a chemistry teaching degree is $54,256.

Pros and cons of being a high school chemistry teacher

It helps to think through the positive and negative aspects of becoming a high school chemistry teacher.

Pros

• Inspire the curiosity of young students on an exciting subject
• Many full-time jobs come with good benefits
• Potential to earn job security via tenure
• You may need only a bachelor’s degree
• Focus exclusively on teaching and students, rather than research and publication

Cons

• Frustrating when dealing with unmotivated or disruptive students
• Not as prestigious as a professorship
• Lower pay than some other chemistry-related jobs
• No opportunity for original research

• What community college chemistry instructors do
• Educational and certification requirements
• Income projections
• Pros and cons of being a community college chemistry instructor

What community college chemistry instructors do

Chemistry instructors teach their students about the behavior and properties of matter and energy in courses that focus on subdivisions of the college-level chemistry curriculum. For example, a community college chemistry instructor may teach General Chemistry (also known as Chemistry 101) or Organic Chemistry. They may also teach chemistry courses for non-science majors or courses designed for students lacking an academic background in chemistry.

Regardless of the courses they teach, all chemistry instructors have a similar set of job duties:

• Lecturing undergraduates on topics such as organic compounds, concentration calculations, gas laws, thermochemistry, bonding, molecular geometry, unit cell calculations and proper laboratory techniques
• Supervising student laboratory work
• Developing course materials such as a syllabus, tests, homework, handouts and lab report formats
• Grading students’ laboratory work, lab reports, exams and quizzes
• Holding regular office hours to answer questions and provide guidance
• Keeping up-to-date on current literature in chemistry journals/reviews
• Going to professional conferences

Most courses have two sections: lectures and laboratories. During lecture sections, chemistry instructors speak at length about a subtopic of chemistry. They may also answer questions or lead in-class discussions to further student understanding. During laboratory sections, students conduct experiments in a lab that’s related to the topic of their lectures. Chemistry instructors oversee student work during lab sections by answering questions and providing one-on-one guidance.

Educational and certification requirements

At minimum, community college chemistry instructors must have a master’s degree in chemistry or a similar field. Getting hired as full-time faculty at a community college can be very competitive, so you may need to have a doctorate in chemistry. In some cases, you may be able to combine an advanced degree in chemistry with an advanced degree in an education-related field to maximize your employment opportunities as a community college chemistry instructor.

Income projections

Here are a few estimates of what you might earn as a full-time chemistry instructor at a community college:

• BLS: $75,060
• Houston Chronicle: $65,840
• Salary.com: $58,413
• PayScale.com: $47,552

Full-time faculty at community colleges generally command higher salaries than adjunct instructors. Adjunct instructors are paid by the course and don’t always receive benefits. For more about the difference between full-time faculty and adjunct instructors, check out our article on community college instructors.

Pros and cons of being a community college chemistry instructor

These are the key advantages and disadvantages of becoming a community college chemistry instructor:

Pros

• Rewarding to educate many first-generation college students, often from immigrant families
• Focus on teaching exclusively
• Flexible hours and opportunities to take time off

Cons

• Little opportunity for research or publication
• Lower pay than professors at four-year colleges and universities
• Many teaching positions at community colleges are adjunct, meaning lower pay, few benefits and little job security

• What chemistry professors do
• Educational and certification requirements
• Income projections
• Pros and cons of being a chemistry professor

What chemistry professors do

Chemistry professors teach college-level courses in chemistry at universities and other four-year institutions of higher education. Physics professors usually specialize in a subdiscipline such as organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry, chemical engineering or biochemistry.

Chemistry professors conduct experiments, analysis, and research in their chosen subdiscipline and publish their discoveries in academic papers and books. Let’s take a deeper look at the research, teaching and administrative responsibilities of a chemistry professor.

Research

A chemistry professor’s research duties usually include:

• Contributing original research to the academic field of chemistry and enhancing the university’s reputation through publications
• Developing hypotheses and theories
• Testing hypotheses/theories with laboratory experiments and/or simulations
• Conducting quantitative analysis of laboratory and/or simulation results
• Revising and further developing theories based on quantitatives analyses and other data
• Applying for grants to gain external funding from foundations, governments and businesses
• Establishing and leading a team of research/teaching assistants
• Writing articles, books or other original materials based on research findings
• Reading extensively to keep up with advances in chemistry
• Supervising graduate students’ research projects

Teaching

Chemistry professors’ teaching duties usually include:

• Teaching introductory and/or general chemistry courses
• Teaching advanced chemistry courses in a chosen or assigned subdiscipline
• Creating and updating the curriculum and each course’s syllabus, content and instructional methods
• Delivering lectures on chemistry to undergraduate students
• Selecting and leading a team of teaching assistants
• Maintaining regular office hours to answer questions and provide guidance
• Advising students on appropriate coursework

Professors lead teams of teaching assistants who help with many key teaching tasks. Chemistry professors use their discretion in deciding how closely to manage their assistants, whose duties include:

• Answering questions during or after lectures and labs
• Obtaining materials and supplies such as textbooks
• Assembling course materials such as homework assignments and handouts
• Supervising student research projects
• Grading students’ exams, quizzes, homework and lab reports

Administrative management

As members of a college faculty, chemistry professors may have administrative responsibilities that include:

• Participating in faculty evaluations, including providing input on the admission of new professors
• Mentoring new faculty members
• Serving on advisory boards, hiring committees and ad hoc committees
• Joining the Faculty Senate
• Taking part in commencement or other ceremonies
• Advising their department on the designation of learning outcomes, administrative measurements and student evaluation standards
• Collaborating with faculty colleagues and administrators in developing program standards/policies and selecting textbooks

Check out this video to learn more about the role of a chemistry professor:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxOj0-Dnpkw

Educational and certification requirements

Gaining a professorship at a university or four-year college can be a long, difficult task. At minimum, aspiring chemistry professors must earn a doctorate demonstrating a commitment to research and inquiry in the field of chemistry. Getting a full-time faculty position at a college or university also requires that you publish original research and earn the respect and admiration of your colleagues.

Income projections

Chemistry professors usually earn significantly more than their counterparts at high schools and community colleges. Here are some annual salary estimates for chemistry professors:

• BLS: $86,070
• Houston Chronicle: $81,460
• Salary.com: $95,814

Pros and cons of being a chemistry professor

Consider both the advantages and disadvantages of becoming a chemistry professor at a four-year college or university.

Pros

• Full benefits for health insurance and retirement
• Higher pay than most other chemistry educators
• Tenure-track position, with an opportunity for long-term job security
• Ample opportunities for research
• Publish your findings in prestigious journals and books
• Many students have a passion for learning and achievement
• May be able to take on a leadership role at a college or university

Cons

• Probably responsible for joining a committee and attending many extra meetings and professional events
• Can be frustrating to work within highly bureaucratic institutions like universities
• Academia can be highly competitive and exhausting, with a “publish-or-perish” norm
• Many years of advanced education are required