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Chemistry laboratory instructor education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a chemistry laboratory instructor. Chemistry laboratory instructors usually study chemistry, biology, or biochemistry, biophysics, molecular biology. 77% of chemistry laboratory instructors hold a bachelor's degree, and 13% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 455 real chemistry laboratory instructor resumes to see exactly what chemistry laboratory instructor education sections show.

The most common colleges for chemistry laboratory instructors are the University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus and the University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus.

There are also many online chemistry laboratory instructor courses to help get the education required to be a chemistry laboratory instructor.

What education do you need to become a chemistry laboratory instructor?

What degree do you need to be a chemistry laboratory instructor?

The most common degree for chemistry laboratory instructors is bachelor's degree, with 77% of chemistry laboratory instructors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 13% and master's degree degree at 4%.
  • Bachelor's, 77%
  • Master's, 13%
  • Doctorate, 4%
  • Associate, 3%
  • Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become a chemistry laboratory instructor?

You should major in chemistry to become a chemistry laboratory instructor. 53% of chemistry laboratory instructors major in chemistry. Other common majors for a chemistry laboratory instructor include biology and biochemistry, biophysics, molecular biology.

Most common colleges for chemistry laboratory instructors

Chemistry laboratory instructors often get their degrees at University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus, University of Hartford, and Oakwood University. Here are the most common colleges for chemistry laboratory instructors in the US based on their resumes.
Chemistry laboratory instructor common collegePercentages
University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus10.53%
University of Hartford7.89%
Oakwood University7.89%
Florida State University6.58%
University of Pittsburgh5.26%

Best majors for chemistry laboratory instructors

Best colleges for chemistry laboratory instructors

The best colleges for chemistry laboratory instructors are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.

A chemistry laboratory instructor with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for chemistry laboratory instructors. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become chemistry laboratory instructors.

1. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

2. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

3. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

4. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

5. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

6. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

7. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

In-state tuition

$49,816

Enrollment

6,840

8. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

9. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Enrollment

34,564

10. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

20 best online courses for chemistry laboratory instructors

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1. Introduction to Chemistry: Structures and Solutions

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This is an introductory course for students with limited background in chemistry; basic concepts such as atomic and molecular structure, solutions, phases of matter, and quantitative problem solving will be emphasized with the goal of preparing students for further study in chemistry...

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Chemical biology is a burgeoning field that has rapidly risen to prominence. This surge of interest has been fuelled by chemical biology’s applicability to understanding critical processes in live cells or model organisms in real time. This success has arisen because chemical biology straddles a nexus between chemistry, biology, and physics. Thus, chemical biology can harness rapid chemistry to observe or perturb biological processes, that are in turn reported using physical assays, all in an...

3. Complete General Chemistry 20+ hours of lectures & examples

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4.1
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Master General Chemistry in 4 weeks by solving examples & problems! Rahsoft Chemical Engineering Department RAHCH101...

4. Dr. K's Complete First Semester General Chemistry I Course

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4.8
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A Course to Prepare You for College Level General Chemistry...

5. Introduction to Molecular Spectroscopy

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The course introduces the three key spectroscopic methods used by chemists and biochemists to analyse the molecular and electronic structure of atoms and molecules. These are UV/Visible , Infra-red (IR) and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopies. The content is presented using short focussed and interactive screencast presentations accompanied by formative quizzes to probe understanding of the key concepts presented. Numerous exercises are provided to facilitate mastery of each topic...

6. Materials in Oral Health

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The drive for development of new and novel oral biomaterials has never been more important with many people using oral biomaterials today and seeing their benefits in restoring and improving their oral health for a more enjoyable lifestyle. The unique properties of biomaterials such as titanium (Ti), zirconia (ZrO2) and various polymeric materials have made them materials of choice in oral health: dental implants, oral and maxillofacial surgery, and even regenerative medicine. Oral biomaterials...

7. Chemistry 101 - Part 1 Principles of Chemistry

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An introductory course for anybody who wants to study chemistry - either towards future pathways or just for fun!...

8. Introduction to Cheminformatics and medicinal chemistry

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4.5
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Understand the underlying chemistry of drug development and use free softwares to analyze molecules...

9. Nanotechnology and Nanosensors, Part 2

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Learn about novel sensing tools that make use of nanotechnology to screen, detect and monitor various events in personal or professional life. Together, we will lay the groundwork for infinite innovative applications, starting from diagnosis and treatments of diseases, continuing with quality control of goods and environmental aspects, and ending with monitoring security issues. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Nanotechnology and nanosensors are broad, interdisciplinary areas that...

10. Statistical Molecular Thermodynamics

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This introductory physical chemistry course examines the connections between molecular properties and the behavior of macroscopic chemical systems...

11. Organic Chemistry: Spectroscopy Master Class

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Gain confidence in NMR (1H and 13C), IR, and MS with guided practice problems...

12. Become a Microbiology Laboratory Technician

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4
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Microbiology...

13. Sensory Science: Conducting Tests

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This course will introduce the sensory evaluation laboratory and will teach you best practices for testing and documentation. We'll explore how various factors, especially the testing environment, can influence sensory experiments. Our main focus will be on two specific sensory tests: duo-trio discrimination and 3-product consumer testing. Through case studies, we’ll examine how these tests can address product challenges. For both test types, we’ll dive into how to develop an appropriate...

14. Biology Everywhere Foundations

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In this course, we will explore the nature of science and biology. We will discuss what the “biology everywhere” philosophy means and the history of the “biology everywhere” project. We will also discuss what science (and biology) are as a discipline of inquiry and how chemistry is foundational to understanding biology...

15. Fundamentals of Plastics and Polymers

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4.4
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Polymer chemistry, properties, processing, testing and applications...

16. Introduction to Instrumentation

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This course was developed and based on my experiences (more than 12 years ) in Instrumentation ...

17. Introduction to Translational Science

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Translational science seeks to speed up the process of moving research discoveries from the laboratory into healthcare practices. Numerous scientific and organizational roadblocks can act as obstacles along the path of translation and ultimately hinder the speed of progress in medical research. The National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) was established by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to transform and accelerate the translational research process, with the...

18. Translational Science

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An introduction to the field of Translational Science and its applications to improve patient and community health through the four stages of translational research.\n\nTranslational science is the process of turning observations in the laboratory, clinic, and community into interventions that improve the health of individuals and populations.\n\nAs the translational research enterprise — both in the United States and internationally — continues to expand, there is a growing need to increase...

19. Data Analysis with Python

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Statistics introduction applied to data science. Focus on Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA)...

20. Introduction to Particle Accelerators (NPAP MOOC)

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Welcome to the Nordic Particle Accelerator Program's (NPAP) Massive Open Online Courses and to the fascinating world of particle accelerators! Did you know that in the year of 2000 there were more than 15 000 particle accelerators in the world? Yet, today it has grown to more than 30 000 of them! A third of the particle accelerators are dedicated to medical applications, such as radio therapy, and a half are used for ion implantation in semiconductor devices. Also numerous particle accelerators...

Top 10 most affordable universities for chemistry laboratory instructors

The most affordable schools for chemistry laboratory instructors are University of Florida, california state university - bakersfield, and hunter college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for chemistry laboratory instructors are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for chemistry laboratory instructors.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

3. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

4. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

5. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

6. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

7. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

8. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Cost of attendance

25,527

9. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

10. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for chemistry laboratory instructors

The hardest universities for chemistry laboratory instructors to get into are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.

Some great schools for chemistry laboratory instructors are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for chemistry laboratory instructors based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

3. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

4. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

5. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

6. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

7. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

8. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

9. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

10. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for chemistry laboratory instructors

The easiest schools for chemistry laboratory instructors to get into are Wayland Baptist University, barry university, and university of the incarnate word.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a chemistry laboratory instructor without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for chemistry laboratory instructors.

1. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

2. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

3. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

4. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

5. Our Lady of the Lake University

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,002

6. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

7. The University of Texas at El Paso

El Paso, TX • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,035

8. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

9. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

10. The University of Texas Permian Basin

Odessa, TX • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,046

Average chemistry laboratory instructor salary by education level

According to our data, chemistry laboratory instructors with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $56,354 annually. Chemistry laboratory instructors with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $48,836.
Chemistry laboratory instructor education levelChemistry laboratory instructor salary
Master's Degree$48,836
Doctorate Degree$56,354

Chemistry laboratory instructor education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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