How To Become A Science Faculty Member: What It Is and Career Path

What is a science faculty member and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Dr. Floyd Beachum

As a member of the science faculty, your contribution to the faculty of science may be in the form of lecturing students, hosting seminars, conducting academic research, and giving students advice. You may even serve on professional science committees on an advisory basis. If you are a professor, you will be expected to meet deadlines, submit grades on time and provide students with constructive criticism on their performance. Furthermore, as a highly esteemed academic community member, you will be expected to conduct your lectures with the utmost skill and ensure that your students benefit academically from your knowledge.

If you are in the science faculty on a tenure basis, you are expected to make significant contributions to the knowledge in your field through continuous studies and research. Therefore, you need to have extensive knowledge of your field in the sciences. You need to be an excellent communicator, both written and verbal, as you will conduct lectures, write and proofread several research papers.

To become a faculty member, you will need to have obtained a doctoral degree in your scientific field of specialty, work as a research assistant under the supervision of a professor and gain post-doctoral experience. Your extensive scientific knowledge coupled with experience in academia should suffice in order for you to become a member of the science faculty

What general advice would you give to a science faculty member?

Dr. Floyd Beachum

Bennett Professor of Urban School Leadership, Lehigh University

When starting your career as a new faculty member, you should first try to negotiate as high as
possible when taking your first position (be reasonable of course). This does not mean ask for
the same salary as the dean, but rather look up that institution or comparable institutions and
negotiate towards the high end of what new faculty members make. Also, if a college or
university cannot give you salary (actual dollars), try to negotiate for start-up funds. These are
college/university accounts that spend a lot like real money but they can be used for travel,
hardware, software, student support, etc.

ScoreScience Faculty MemberUS Average

Salary

5.5

Avg. Salary $70,683

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

5.2

Growth rate 12%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

5.1

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.28%

Asian 14.74%

Black or African American 6.79%

Hispanic or Latino 9.70%

Unknown 4.87%

White 63.62%

Gender

female 51.30%

male 48.70%

Age - 46

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 46

Stress level

5.2

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

10.0

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

5.7

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a science faculty member

Explore science faculty member education requirements

Most common science faculty member degrees

Bachelor's

61.8 %

Master's

18.4 %

Doctorate

8.4 %

Start to develop specific science faculty member skills

Skills	Percentages
Philosophy	12.25%
Social Work	8.64%
Physiology	6.28%
Scholarship	6.16%
Anatomy	6.09%

Research science faculty member duties and responsibilities

Used blackboard online to manage students tests, grade papers and assign materials.
Develop lectures for review of anatomy and physiology as well as in depth pathophysiology lectures pertaining to certain medical conditions.
Attend meetings and suggest ideas for club improvements and involvements within the math and science field
Plan and conduct botany, ecology, and biochemistry education programs for the college student.

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