Skip to content
Boston Career Explorer

Educational Instruction and Library

Environmental Science Teachers, Postsecondary

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

Also called: Adjunct Professor, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Environmental Engineering Professor, Environmental Sciences Professor, Environmental Studies Professor

Median pay in Greater Boston
$107,010
Jobs in Greater Boston
170
Massachusetts 2024–2034
+6.4%
20 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
$65,530$81,760$107,010$161,790$193,130

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

What you’d do

  • Evaluate and grade students' class work, laboratory work, assignments, and papers.
  • Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
  • Supervise students' laboratory and field work.
  • Advise students on academic and vocational curricula and on career issues.
  • Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.
  • 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 exposure86 of 100

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

  • AIOE 92
  • Language-model AIOE 97
  • GPTs-are-GPTs 68

Observed AI use today: Some (Anthropic Economic Index)

AI exposure for this job is higher, though observed AI use so far is only some. AI tools can help with grading and building course materials. They do not replace supervising field and lab work or advising students about their careers.

Likely to change

  • Building syllabi, handouts, and homework
  • Grading papers and routine assignments

Still relies on people

  • Leading students in hands-on field work
  • Advising students on careers and coursework

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.

  • Physics Teachers, Postsecondary

    Course preparation, grading, and lab teaching carry over. The job has somewhat lower AI exposure and higher median Boston pay of $128,640.

    Pay difference
    +$21,630 median
    AI exposure
    Higher
    MA growth
    +6.3%
    To get started
    Doctoral or professional degree

  • Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary

    Your course-building and keeping-up-with-the-field skills carry over. This field is projected to grow 20.4% in Massachusetts, with higher pay.

    Pay difference
    +$57,440 median
    AI exposure
    Higher
    MA growth
    +20.4%
    To get started
    Doctoral or professional degree

  • Microbiologists

    Your lab skills and community environmental health knowledge carry over. The work has lower AI exposure and a bachelor's degree entry point.

    Pay difference
    +$15,340 median
    AI exposure
    Moderate
    MA growth
    +1.1%
    To get started
    Bachelor's degree

Training near Boston

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

38 programs near Boston (plus 17 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