Teaching science can be a challenging and rewarding career path. There are many factors to consider in choosing the right school district and teaching position for you. A science teacher may focus on biology, chemistry or physics, depending on their area of interest. In general, teachers spend half of their time in the classroom with students and half traveling to conferences or workshops to learn new techniques that they can use at school.
Science teachers bring a wealth of knowledge to their classrooms and are highly valued by their students and upper management. Although the level is not extremely high, science teachers will find themselves making a very comfortable living as they embark on their careers.
Parting with a Science Teacher is never easy. From recruiting to retaining the right candidates, the salary will play a crucial role in determining the future talent pool of teachers that we can draw upon throughout their career.
The average annual salary for science teachers is $48,890. African Americans and Hispanic/Latino people earn less on average than their white counterparts. One way to close this gap would be to pay teachers more overall, which can help attract and retain highly skilled workers.
Salary For Science Teachers Overview
Science teachers are the backbone of the next generation. They shape the minds and nurture the curiosity of young people, helping them to understand how the world works and giving them the tools to continue learning throughout their lives.
While many science teachers get paid well for their work, there is a wide range of salaries for science teachers based on location, experience and other factors. In this article we’ll discuss what you can expect to make as a science teacher in different parts of the country and how much your pay can vary depending on your level of education and experience.
High School Science Teacher Salary by State
According to Payscale, high school science teachers make anywhere between $40,000-$65,000 per year depending on where they live. The highest paying states for high school science teachers include:
1) District of Columbia – $55,000 per year
2) Massachusetts – $53,000 per year
3) New Jersey – $50,000 per year
What Is A Science Teacher
Do you want to dedicate your life to science education by becoming a science teacher? If you love science and want to transfer your knowledge to a new generation, then becoming a science teacher could be your dream job. A science teacher is one of the most exciting, rewarding, and valuable professions. Teaching is a job that comes with inspiration, competitive salaries, flexible hours, diversified days, job security, fun, and much more! Becoming a teacher, you’ll get an ideal opportunity to help children become self-aware individuals and instill them with a lifelong love of science. Using your knowledge and skills, you’ll inspire, motivate, and prepare children to embrace science and potentially pursue it as a career choice. As a science teacher, you’ll have an opportunity to encourage students to explore the natural world around them and help them demonstrate how science works in reality. In short, you’ll play a crucial role in shaping the lives of young people and encouraging the new generation of learners to make a positive impact on the world around them. As a science teacher, your prime objective is to pass on your love of science to your students by creating an inquiry-based classroom and developing scientific reasoning in them. Teaching science, you may need to explain technical and complex scientific terms and concepts to your students and help them build a practical connection between abstract concepts and real-world applications.
If you’re thinking of becoming a science teacher, then it’s good to know that there are many options available to you that can put you on the road to becoming a science teacher. If you want to teach science at the elementary or middle school level, you may need to get a bachelor’s degree, focused on general science education. However, if you wish to teach at the secondary level, then getting a bachelor’s degree in a specific field of science such as biology, physics, or chemistry may help you become a potential candidate for this position. Alternatively, if you already have a science degree, you may decide to take a year of educational courses to earn your teaching certificate. Earning a master’s degree in science, Ph.D., or alternative certification programs, teaching courses, and internships may pump your resume for teaching science. Whatever the degree option, before working as a science teacher, you’ll need to get a state-issued teaching certificate or license to teach. Mostly, employers prefer a dedicated professional, an analytical thinker, who has a passion and enthusiasm for teaching, and a solid background in science education for the role of science teacher. He/she must be hands-on with experiments and science projects.
Working as a science teacher, you won’t necessarily have a base classroom. You may spend most of your time in a science laboratory, handling apparatus, demonstrating experiments, or carrying equipment and books from room to room between your lessons. Usually, you’ll work for 39 weeks of the year. Your day will start before the school day starts and end when school is finished. Sure, you’ll have some long days, parent-teacher conferences, grading homework, and attending after-school activities but, mostly, your duties sync with the school calendar. One of the most exciting parts of teaching is that you’ll get designated school holidays, such as spring break, summer holidays, and winter vacations. Teaching science, your salary may vary depending on what level you’re teaching, your education, years of experience, state, and school district. Generally, as a high school teacher, you can expect to earn $53,116, along with additional benefits of health insurance, sick days, tuition reimbursement, generous vacation allowance, and a pension. On top of all that, teaching science offers opportunities for advancement and increased pay over time. By acquiring increased subject knowledge, learning innovative teaching techniques, and honing your leadership skills, you can genuinely make a difference in the lives of the next generation.
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a Science Teacher. For example, did you know that they make an average of $28.88 an hour? That’s $60,064 a year!
Middle school science teachers
Middle school science teachers generally teach students from sixth to eighth grades and are trained to understand the psychological, social, and intellectual development of children ages 11-14.
Teaching students of this age group has elements of teaching both high school and elementary school students. The time during middle school is when youth are most transformed. They enter as children and leave as teens. Having a strong understanding of adolescent psychology and being able to relate to this age group is important for middle school teachers.
The academic curriculum in middle school begins to get more subject-specific than is taught in elementary school. During grades six through eight, the science curriculum focus is Earth science, life science and physical science.
High school science teachers
High school science teachers generally teach students from the ninth through 12th grades. Students in high school range in age from 14 to 18. With this wide range of ages comes a wide range of abilities and cognitive development, which can be a challenge at times.
Teaching high school science is more specialized than teaching middle school students. High school teachers typically teach one subject to numerous classes. During high school, science classes are targeted in specific subject areas and teachers are more likely to be experts in their field and teach the same subject to many different classes.
The fundamental high school science classes across the United States are:
- physical science
- biology
- chemistry
- physics
- AP physics
- chemistry II
- AP chemistry
- marine science
- astronomy
- anatomy and physiology
- environmental science
Postsecondary science teachers
Postsecondary science teachers have a variety of options of where to work, from a four-year private university or state college to a two-year junior (or community) college. Their students are comprised of traditional students, as well as adults of all ages who are interested in science.
The amount of time spent teaching versus serving on committees and doing research varies with their position and where they work.
Postsecondary teachers also have more flexibility over the format of their instructional methods than their K-12 counterparts. They have greater control over their schedules, with many postsecondary instructors teaching part time. They have fewer classroom management and procedural responsibilities, but are expected to devote significant time to preparing lectures and instructions for assignments, in addition to grading and providing individual guidance to students when necessary.
With today’s computer technology, the advent of relatively affordable telecommunications and online college courses, postsecondary teachers have additional teaching options. Many online instructors work in adjunct teaching roles. To learn more about adjunct professors, see our adjunct professor article.
Specific duties delegated to postsecondary teachers:
- Conduct research to advance knowledge in their field
- Publish original research and analysis in books and academic journals
- Supervise graduate students who are working toward doctoral degrees
Education and certification requirements for science teachers
- Education: Bachelor’s, master’s or doctorate degree
- Typical study time: 4-10 years
A bachelor’s degree in education — preferably with teacher preparation courses specific to science — is a minimum education requirement for beginning science teachers at the middle and high school levels. Most states require the completion of a master’s degree within five years of obtaining certification for continued employment.
Postsecondary science teachers may find employment at community colleges and trade schools with a master’s degree and relevant experience. Most four-year colleges and universities require doctoral degrees for employment.
Teachers come from various backgrounds of study. Most future teachers enroll in a teacher education program in college. These programs offer studies relating to classroom management, curriculum development and a semester-long student teaching practicum. These students usually graduate with a bachelor’s degree in education and can begin teaching immediately.
Other teachers, after completing a more specialized program of studies and sometimes even after spending years as a professional in a related field, turn to a career in education.
With a bachelor’s degree, education hopefuls find enrollment in education-based master’s and doctoral degree programs imperative in finding a career as a teacher.
