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Aerospace

Atmospheric, Earth, Marine, and Space Sciences Teacher, Postsecondary

Teach courses within a higher education environment. Includes teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those with a combination of teaching and research. Career and Technical Education (CTE) faculty are also responsible for meeting postsecondary CTE program assurance requirements. Depending on the institution type, faculty may be classified as adjuncts, lecturers, professors, researchers, or tenure-track professors. Each classification has specific structures and requirements.

Annual openings

233

Median wage

$79,190

Typical education

A minimum of a Master’s (in any field or education related) degree is required for this position.

Growth 2024–2034

+8%

Median wage source: Colorado BLS OEWS (2025).

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Career requirements

What does this career require?

Explore education, required qualifications, voluntary credentials and employer preferences for this role. Check the details to see which apply.

Typical education

A minimum of a Master’s (in any field or education related) degree is required for this position.

Credential requirement

Credential requirements not reported

Credential detail

There are often no additional credentials required for this job. Specific for CTE faculty, the detail for credentials is available here.

Experience detail

2-5 years experience teaching and research in the field of study is valued, with specific requirements being under the control of each postsecondary institution.

Employer competency information

  • ● Instructing (including Education & Training) - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects ● Communication - Listen, speak, write, and signal so others can understand ● Writing - Knowledge of the structure and content of the written language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar ● Reading - Understand written sentences, paragraphs, and figures in work-related documents ● Working with Tools & Technology - Select, use, and maintain tools and technology (including computer and telecommunication) to facilitate work activity
Each postsecondary institution has a different mix of faculty between adjuncts, lecturers, professors, researchers, and tenure-track professors. It is best to speak with someone at the institution to understand how your interests and career goals match with their faculty positions.
There are a wide variety of subject areas taught by Higher Education Faculty and each has different salary and demand information. Select the jobs that match your subjects of interest to explore which are in demand in your region.
For more information about the industries and jobs covered in CTE courses, visit here.

Is this work a fit?

What the work actually feels like

How people in this career tend to spend their time, the interests it draws on, and a look at a typical day.

A typical day

  1. Maintain student attendance records, grades, and other required records.
  2. Plan, evaluate, and revise curricula, course content, and course materials and methods of instruction.
  3. Serve on academic or administrative committees that deal with institutional policies, departmental matters, and academic issues.
  4. Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as structural geology, micrometeorology, and atmospheric thermodynamics.
  5. Evaluate and grade students' class work, assignments, and papers.
  6. Supervise laboratory work and field work.
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