What does a biology instructor do?
A Biology Instructor is a teacher responsible for educating students on biology either in middle school, high school, or at a college level. They are responsible for creating a learning curriculum that covers scientific investigations and lab experiments. They must also design student assessment programs, liaise with parents on student growth, and create school policies and regulations. Other duties include coordinating field trips, attending staff meetings, and establishing student rapport.
Biology instructor responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real biology instructor resumes:
- Manage studies to meet FDA approval of new medical devices, drugs, materials, and techniques.
- Manage externally fund genome sequencing projects as a principal investigator.
- Lead and engage students in case study discussions regarding physiological scenarios.
- Repair, maintain, and oversee use of FT-IR, NMR, GC/MS, UV-Vis, and GC instrumentation.
- Design specific PCR primers using Oligo software.
- Create a laboratory program for this course.
- Guide students to make connections between chemistry and mathematics.
- Serve on several national scientific society committees and NSF grant review panels.
- Work in GMP and GLP environment as a tech transfer and assay development associate scientist.
- Determine the role of RECQ1 helicase and replication fork restart on repair of repeat DNA sequences.
- Follow current GLP/GCP guidelines set forth by the FDA and protocols as established by scientists and research technicians.
- Monitor student's activities and provide quality training according to their syllabus.
- Develop a new protocol for mapping DNA translocations after damage with next generation sequencing technology.
- Develop syllabus and exams, collaborate on curriculum and overall course structure, administer all grades.
- Instruct courses in comparative literary analysis, psychological perspectives on literature, and general composition skills.
Biology instructor skills and personality traits
We calculated that 14% of Biology Instructors are proficient in Anatomy, Student Learning, and Lab Experiments. They’re also known for soft skills such as Interpersonal skills, Speaking skills, and Writing skills.
We break down the percentage of Biology Instructors that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Anatomy, 14%
Developed curriculum and lesson plans for biology and human anatomy courses.
- Student Learning, 7%
Incorporate exciting and engaging activities that reinforce student participation and reinforce student learning.
- Lab Experiments, 7%
Supervised lab experiments and special projects.
- Biology Courses, 7%
Created and executed classroom lectures and laboratory courses in biotechnology, molecular/cellular biology, genetics, and various biology courses.
- Professional Development, 7%
Demonstrated knowledge of the subject matter and participated in designated professional development activities to promote educational enhancement.
- General Biology, 7%
Lectured and conducted labs for General Biology(bi 101 & L), General Botany (bi 201 & L)
Most biology instructors use their skills in "anatomy," "student learning," and "lab experiments" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential biology instructor responsibilities here:
Interpersonal skills. One of the key soft skills for a biology instructor to have is interpersonal skills. You can see how this relates to what biology instructors do because "postsecondary teachers need to work well with others for tasks such as instructing students and serving on committees." Additionally, a biology instructor resume shows how biology instructors use interpersonal skills: "graduate assistant, department of anthropology (fall 2016) interpersonal communication. "
Speaking skills. Many biology instructor duties rely on speaking skills. "postsecondary teachers need good communication skills to present lectures and provide feedback to students.," so a biology instructor will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways biology instructor responsibilities rely on speaking skills: "presented topics in life science, supervised laboratory sections, evaluated student performance. "
Writing skills. This is an important skill for biology instructors to perform their duties. For an example of how biology instructor responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "postsecondary teachers need strong writing ability to publish original research and analysis." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a biology instructor: "instructed and graded 10 senior bmb students in cell biology lab with emphases on extensive writing. ".
The three companies that hire the most biology instructors are:
- Laramie County Community College3 biology instructors jobs
- University of Florida2 biology instructors jobs
- UT Health East Texas1 biology instructors jobs
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Compare different biology instructors
Biology instructor vs. Science department chairperson
The work of a research associate professor is conducting research, publishing papers, and attending conferences. The professor is also tasked with the job of attending academic events and networking with other researchers and field experts, as well as supervising, advising, and mentoring teaching assistants and graduate students.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a biology instructor are more likely to require skills like "lab experiments," "biology courses," "professional development," and "general biology." On the other hand, a job as a science department chairperson requires skills like "science curriculum," "physiology," "colleges," and "science faculty." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Science department chairpeople tend to make the most money working in the education industry, where they earn an average salary of $55,265. In contrast, biology instructors make the biggest average salary, $52,962, in the education industry.On average, science department chairpeople reach similar levels of education than biology instructors. Science department chairpeople are 4.7% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and 3.7% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Biology instructor vs. Research associate professor
A science faculty member teaches the science subject and facilitates laboratory activities. They can work in elementary schools, high schools, and even colleges and universities. Their responsibilities typically include developing lesson and coursework plans, preparing teaching materials, conducting quizzes and examinations, establishing guidelines, and monitoring the students' academic progress, assisting them when necessary. Moreover, as a science faculty member, it is essential to maintain an active communication line with the faculty staff and keep a safe and healthy classroom environment for the students.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that biology instructor responsibilities requires skills like "anatomy," "student learning," "lab experiments," and "biology courses." But a research associate professor might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "public health," "biomedical," "research projects," and "sas."
Research associate professors may earn a higher salary than biology instructors, but research associate professors earn the most pay in the health care industry with an average salary of $113,117. On the other hand, biology instructors receive higher pay in the education industry, where they earn an average salary of $52,962.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Research associate professors tend to reach similar levels of education than biology instructors. In fact, they're 3.4% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 3.7% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Biology instructor vs. Science faculty member
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, biology instructors are more likely to have skills like "student learning," "lab experiments," "biology courses," and "general biology." But a science faculty member is more likely to have skills like "philosophy," "social work," "physiology," and "scholarship."
Science faculty members typically earn lower educational levels compared to biology instructors. Specifically, they're 5.5% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Biology instructor vs. Science professor
Types of biology instructor
Updated January 8, 2025
