Occupation · SOC 25-1052
Chemistry Teachers, Postsecondary
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.
Median wage
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Projected growth
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Annual openings
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per year
Employed (US)
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Job Zone 5
Typical preparation
Extensive preparation
Stackable credential programs
835 mapped
Core skills
Reading ComprehensionWritingSpeakingMonitoringActive LearningLearning StrategiesActive ListeningScience
Knowledge areas
ChemistryEnglish LanguageMathematicsEducation and TrainingBiology
Technology & tools
Analytical or scientific softwareComputer based training softwareCalendar and scheduling softwareWord processing softwareInformation retrieval or search software
Representative tasks
Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as organic chemistry, analytical chemistry, and chemical separation.Establish, teach, and monitor students' compliance with safety rules for handling chemicals, equipment, and other hazardous materials.Evaluate and grade students' class work, laboratory performance, assignments, and papers.Supervise students' laboratory work.Maintain student attendance records, grades, and other required records.Supervise undergraduate or graduate teaching, internship, and research work.Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.Plan, evaluate, and revise curricula, course content, and course materials and methods of instruction.Maintain regularly scheduled office hours to advise and assist students.Conduct research in a particular field of knowledge and publish findings in professional journals, books, or electronic media.Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.Advise students on academic and vocational curricula and on career issues.Write grant proposals to procure external research funding.Select, order, and maintain materials and supplies for teaching and research, such as textbooks, chemicals, and laboratory equipment.Collaborate with colleagues to address teaching and research issues.Write letters of recommendation for students.Prepare and submit required reports related to instruction.Serve on academic or administrative committees that deal with institutional policies, departmental matters, and academic issues.Clean laboratory facilities.Participate in student recruitment, registration, and placement activities.Serve on committees or in professional societies.Perform administrative duties, such as serving as a department head.Participate in campus and community events.Act as advisers to student organizations.Compile bibliographies of specialized materials for outside reading assignments.Provide professional consulting services to government or industry.
Competency framework
Skill expectations by proficiency level.
emerging
Undergraduate lecture content on foundational chemistry topics — prepare and deliver with close faculty mentorship in a university classroom setting.Laboratory safety protocols for chemical handling and hazardous materials — follow and communicate to students under direct supervision in a postsecondary teaching lab.Student assignments and lab reports — evaluate and apply grading rubrics under faculty guidance in an introductory chemistry course.Undergraduate laboratory sessions — supervise student work and reinforce proper technique while co-instructing alongside an experienced faculty member.Course syllabi and homework assignments — draft and format according to departmental templates for entry-level postsecondary chemistry courses.Student attendance and grade records — maintain accurately using institutional learning management systems under administrative oversight.Examination materials for introductory chemistry sections — compile and administer using established item banks with faculty direction.Scientific literature relevant to course topics — read and synthesize to support lecture preparation in organic and analytical chemistry.Student comprehension during lectures and lab sessions — monitor and adjust pacing using basic active-listening and observation techniques.Presentation software and word processing tools — use to produce course handouts and lecture slides for undergraduate chemistry instruction.
developing
Lectures on intermediate chemistry topics such as analytical chemistry and chemical separation — prepare and deliver independently to undergraduate cohorts in a semester-based course structure.Student compliance with laboratory safety rules — establish, reinforce, and monitor routinely across multiple lab sections in a postsecondary chemistry department.Student class work, laboratory performance, and written papers — evaluate and grade consistently using self-developed rubrics with reduced faculty oversight.Undergraduate laboratory work across a range of experimental techniques — supervise and troubleshoot common procedural issues during scheduled lab periods.Examinations for undergraduate chemistry courses — compile, administer, and grade independently, delegating item review tasks to teaching assistants as appropriate.Course materials including syllabi, problem sets, and reference handouts — prepare and revise each semester based on student performance data and curriculum updates.Graduate teaching assistants assigned to laboratory sections — orient, direct, and provide feedback on their instructional performance within a defined course framework.Learning management and scheduling software — utilize to coordinate course calendars, post materials, and communicate assignment deadlines to enrolled students.Student learning strategies — adapt instructional approaches for familiar non-routine cases such as mixed skill-level cohorts in general chemistry courses.Chemistry and biology knowledge domains — integrate across course content to contextualize chemical concepts within broader scientific systems for undergraduate learners.
proficient
Graduate-level lectures on advanced topics such as organic synthesis mechanisms and instrumental analysis — design and deliver autonomously with scholarly depth in a research-intensive university environment.Laboratory safety culture and compliance standards — establish, enforce, and continuously improve across multiple courses and research settings within a postsecondary chemistry department.Complex student assessments including research papers, original lab investigations, and comprehensive examinations — evaluate with nuanced judgment and provide developmental written feedback.Graduate research work and thesis-related laboratory activities — supervise independently, guiding experimental design and data interpretation across extended project timelines.Non-routine instructional challenges such as academic integrity issues or remediation needs — diagnose and resolve using critical thinking and institutional resources.Full course portfolios including syllabi, assignments, and assessment instruments — develop from scratch and refine based on learning outcomes analysis and disciplinary standards.Undergraduate and graduate internship and research placements — coordinate, monitor, and assess student progress in collaboration with external partners and departmental advisors.Analytical and scientific software platforms used in chemistry instruction — integrate into laboratory curricula to build students' computational and data-analysis competencies.Inductive and deductive reasoning across chemistry, mathematics, and physics domains — apply to design problem-solving curricula that develop students' higher-order scientific thinking.Comprehensive student records and performance data — maintain and analyze to identify achievement patterns and inform evidence-based course redesign at the departmental level.
advanced
Departmental chemistry curriculum spanning undergraduate and graduate programs — lead strategic redesign to align with evolving disciplinary standards and accreditation requirements.Faculty instructional development in chemistry education — mentor junior and mid-level faculty on pedagogy, lab safety leadership, and assessment design at organizational scale.Research program direction integrating graduate supervision, grant acquisition, and interdisciplinary collaboration — sustain and expand within a research-intensive postsecondary institution.Laboratory safety policy and institutional compliance frameworks — author and implement across an entire chemistry division, establishing accountability structures for faculty and staff.Long-range course and program assessment systems — design and oversee to produce department-wide evidence of student learning outcomes and continuous improvement cycles.Cross-disciplinary academic partnerships involving chemistry, engineering, and biology — initiate and govern to create integrated degree pathways and collaborative research opportunities.Departmental technology adoption strategy for analytical software, electronic mail, and instructional platforms — define and champion to enhance teaching quality and research productivity.Distinguished public scholarship in chemistry — produce and disseminate through peer-reviewed publication and invited lecture, elevating the department's national and international reputation.Institutional academic integrity and student conduct standards pertaining to laboratory and research environments — interpret, enforce, and refine as a senior faculty leader.Emerging pedagogical methodologies and scientific advances in chemistry — evaluate and integrate into institutional teaching practice, modeling intellectual curiosity and achievement orientation for the entire faculty.
Also known as
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