Skip to content
Boston Career Explorer

Educational Instruction and Library

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.

Also called: Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Biochemistry Professor, Chemistry Faculty Member, Chemistry Instructor, Chemistry Professor

Compare with my current job (Postsecondary Teachers, All Other)
Median pay in Greater Boston
$123,250
Jobs in Greater Boston
530
Massachusetts 2024–2034
+5.9%
60 openings a year
Typical U.S. entry requirement
Doctoral or professional degree

Greater Boston: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, May 2025. Growth and openings: Massachusetts statewide projection.

Pay range in Greater Boston

Yearly pay in Greater Boston by percentile
10th25thMedian75th90th
$66,080$86,390$123,250$177,480$284,230

10% of workers earn less than the first figure and 10% earn more than the last.

What you’d do

  • 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.

AI and this job

AI exposure: how much of this job’s work AI tools can do or help with, based on national research. It is not a forecast of job loss.

Higher exposure83 of 100

The index averages three national research measures, each shown as a percentile of all jobs:

  • AIOE 90
  • Language-model AIOE 93
  • GPTs-are-GPTs 65

Observed AI use today: Substantial (Anthropic Economic Index)

AI exposure for this job is higher, and observed AI use is substantial. That means AI tools can already help with tasks like preparing lectures, grading, and keeping records. Tasks that depend on being in the lab with students, like teaching safe chemical handling and supervising experiments, are not something AI tools do.

Likely to change

  • Drafting lectures and course materials
  • Grading assignments and keeping student records

Still relies on people

  • Teaching and enforcing lab safety rules
  • Supervising students' hands-on laboratory work

Written with AI from the data on this page. Check with a career coach before making a decision.

Next steps from here

Related jobs that build on what you already do.

  • Chemists

    Your chemical analysis and lab knowledge carry over directly. This job focuses on developing methods and analyzing compounds, with a lower AI exposure and a bachelor's degree entry point.

    Pay difference
    +$4,040 median
    AI exposure
    Moderate
    MA growth
    +1.0%
    To get started
    Bachelor's degree

  • Physics Teachers, Postsecondary

    Your college-level teaching, grading, and lab supervision skills carry over, and AI exposure is somewhat lower. Median Boston pay is $128,640.

    Pay difference
    +$5,390 median
    AI exposure
    Higher
    MA growth
    +6.3%
    To get started
    Doctoral or professional degree

  • Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary

    You already prepare courses and keep up with science. This teaching field is projected to grow 20.4% in Massachusetts, with higher median pay.

    Pay difference
    +$41,200 median
    AI exposure
    Higher
    MA growth
    +20.4%
    To get started
    Doctoral or professional degree

Training near Boston

College and school programs in the Boston metro area that lead to this job, with 2023-24 completions (IPEDS).

31 programs near Boston (plus 33 graduate)

Related occupations

Talk to a career coach

A coach at the Office of Workforce Development can help you plan your next step, and connect you with training, apprenticeships and City partner programs that are not listed here.

Talk to a career coach