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Job outlook for science faculty members in the United States
Science faculty member job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected science faculty member job growth rate is 12% from 2018-2028.
About 159,400 new jobs for science faculty members are projected over the next decade.
Science faculty member salaries have increased 12% for science faculty members in the last 5 years.
There are over 13,219 science faculty members currently employed in the United States.
There are 30,806 active science faculty member job openings in the US.
The average science faculty member salary is $70,683.
Are science faculty member jobs in demand?
Science faculty member job and salary trends over time
Science faculty member jobs over time
Science faculty member job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 13,219 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 14,043 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 14,336 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 14,064 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 13,634 | 0.00% |
Average science faculty member salary over time
Science faculty member salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $70,683 | $33.98 | +2.8% |
| 2025 | $68,784 | $33.07 | +0.9% |
| 2024 | $68,164 | $32.77 | +5.5% |
| 2023 | $64,605 | $31.06 | +2.1% |
| 2022 | $63,292 | $30.43 | +1.8% |
Science faculty member jobs by state
Most common states for science faculty members
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 249 | 36% |
| 2 | Alaska | 739,795 | 171 | 23% |
| 3 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 834 | 20% |
| 4 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 264 | 20% |
| 5 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 148 | 20% |
| 6 | Delaware | 961,939 | 162 | 17% |
| 7 | Vermont | 623,657 | 100 | 16% |
| 8 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 979 | 13% |
| 9 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 139 | 13% |
| 10 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 116 | 13% |
| 11 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 145 | 11% |
| 12 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 710 | 8% |
| 13 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 491 | 7% |
| 14 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 462 | 7% |
| 15 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 396 | 7% |
| 16 | Kentucky | 4,454,189 | 321 | 7% |
| 17 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 125 | 7% |
| 18 | Hawaii | 1,427,538 | 94 | 7% |
| 19 | New York | 19,849,399 | 1,157 | 6% |
| 20 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 355 | 6% |
Most common cities for science faculty members
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Newark | 6 | 18% | $85,958 |
| 2 | Elizabethtown | 3 | 10% | $48,771 |
| 3 | Bradenton | 2 | 4% | $73,536 |
| 4 | Owensboro | 2 | 3% | $47,640 |
| 5 | Davenport | 2 | 2% | $65,052 |
| 6 | Coral Gables | 1 | 2% | $75,603 |
| 7 | Washington | 10 | 1% | $87,714 |
| 8 | Baltimore | 4 | 1% | $74,076 |
| 9 | Pasadena | 2 | 1% | $68,592 |
| 10 | Boulder | 1 | 1% | $60,683 |
| 11 | Cambridge | 1 | 1% | $79,129 |
| 12 | Phoenix | 6 | 0% | $69,626 |
| 13 | Los Angeles | 3 | 0% | $68,787 |
| 14 | Miami | 2 | 0% | $75,597 |
| 15 | Atlanta | 1 | 0% | $58,118 |
| 16 | Des Moines | 1 | 0% | $62,917 |
Science Faculty Member job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of science faculty member experts
Kean University
North Carolina State University
Lehigh University
Ashford University
Texas State University
What general advice would you give to a Science Faculty Member?
Alex Holte PhD: My advice for someone new to the field of academia is to learn time management skills early and learn what type of service work you find interesting and would like to contribute to. From there, learn how to say “no” to opportunities that may not align with your goals as well. I feel a lot of new professors tend to find the need to be involved in everything, which can result in burning out later in their career.
What Science Faculty Member skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Alex Holte PhD: I would say being able to work with AI may be something that is more important in the next 3-5 years. Right now it’s a new technology and people are just now learning how to integrate it in the workplace, but I feel it is possible the future workforce of tomorrow will necessitate some form of being able to use AI technology.
What will help Science Faculty Members increase their earning potential?
Alex Holte PhD: When you are starting out at any career, it is important to negotiate your salary. Many candidates feel that they have to accept their first offer, but in reality, at many jobs, there is some room for negotiation. Be mindful however, to not request a salary that is much higher than what is being offered as they may feel like a compromise would not be possible and move on to the next candidate.
What general advice would you give to a Science Faculty Member?
Mia Fiore Ph.D.: First, I would tell all students that it is VERY different from teaching k-12. Unlike K-12, you are not placed in a school with a teaching job upon graduation; teaching in higher education is one of the most competitive fields, period. The next difference is that you are expected to be an expert/ master of your field. If you're also willing to accept that you will likely have to work as an adjunct professor (for low pay) first, then go for it! Teaching in higher education is the most rewarding job, especially for people who love learning.
Dr. Floyd Beachum
Bennett Professor of Urban School LeadershipLehigh University
Educational Administration And Supervision
What general advice would you give to a Science Faculty Member?
Dr. Floyd Beachum: 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.
What Science Faculty Member skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Floyd Beachum: This advice would be for a recent graduate of a doctoral program who is interested in pursuing
a career as a faculty member at a college or university. Three quick pieces of advice I would give
include: get organized, get focused, and get moving. Get organized in terms of getting all of
their materials together as they embark upon a new position or as they look for a position. They
will need to have easy access to relevant documents, official paperwork, files, and/or work
products. Organization is the key to a better work flow. Get focused in terms of having the right
mindset to be successful as an academic. This requires that the person work diligently to
develop a research agenda in which they will have to publish articles, books, book chapters, and
present their research at academic conferences. Two major conferences in educational
leadership are the annual meeting of the University Council of Educational Administration
(UCEA) and the American Educational Research Association (AERA). Focus also includes
teaching various courses in educational leadership. It will take a considerable amount of time to
plan, read, coordinate, teach the course, and continuously learn while teaching. Focus also
means getting used to serving on various department, college, and/or university committees.
Service work helps evenly distribute work loads to help accomplish the goals of that college or
university. The last step, is get moving. This means that once the preliminary steps are taken,
then the person should be very purposeful as they go about doing all of the things mentioned
here. There is no time to waste because a person in the role of a new faculty member usually
has about three years before their first big review and six years before they must go up for
tenure and promotion. These decision points are high stakes because if they are productive,
then employment continues, if they are not productive, specific improvement advice can be
given and/or employment can be terminated.
What will help Science Faculty Members increase their earning potential?
Dr. Floyd Beachum: In the next three years, professors of educational leadership should look to develop skills in the
areas of technology, problem-solving, and diversity awareness. Technology, including the
proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI) will surely transform the overall career landscape. In
educational leadership, faculty members should develop skillsets that will enhance their
understanding so that the technology can better support their teaching and research
endeavors. The skill of problem-solving is universal. For educational leadership professors, this
skill will better align them with the real-world issues that their students face. Being a better
problem-solver will also help build credibility with their students as well as practicing
administrators who sometimes call on professors for advice or consul. Diversity-awareness is an
important skill because the demographic landscape in the United States will become more
diverse. It is counter-productive to try and ignore, downplay, or refute this fact. School leaders
who recognize and prepare themselves to deal with diverse communities will be much better
off than those who choose not to engage.
Fabio Lanza
ProfessorAshford University
History
What Science Faculty Member skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Fabio Lanza: To put it bluntly, if you want to make money, this is really not the career for you.
What will help Science Faculty Members increase their earning potential?
Fabio Lanza: Difficult to say, given how quickly things change. Digital humanities was and still is fashionable and important. Public history (museum, exhibitions, outreach). And teaching.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Science Faculty Members to find work opportunities?
Dr. Rodney Rohde Ph.D.: There are large vacancy rates all over the country. This is a good news/bad news issue. However, with a degree in medical laboratory science (also known as a clinical laboratory science) AND certification, one can find employment anywhere in the U.S. One of the great things about this career is that graduates honestly can decide where they "fit best" with regard to geography and employer (urban, rural, large, or small).