How much does a chemistry professor make?

Pay in the United States can differ with experience and seniority, and it also depends on the kind of college: universities generally pay more than community colleges. Location matters too, since chemistry professors’ pay differs among states.

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. Excludes “Biological Science Teachers, Postsecondary” (25-1042) who teach biochemistry.

What's a typical day like?

They teach a class on topics such as organic chemistry, then supervise students in the lab and enforce chemical-safety rules. Between classes, they may answer questions during office hours, grade work, and conduct research.

In the U.S., chemistry professors usually earn a Ph.D. in chemistry; some then do a 2–3-year research job called a postdoc. Graduate students may gain teaching experience as teaching assistants before applying for faculty jobs.

Graduate degree or long training (preparation level 5 of 5)

Good for people who like figuring things out and helping and teaching.

At BYU, new chemistry professors can spend their first semester setting up a lab instead of teaching—ordering gear from flasks to a mass spectrometer!