Two or three days a week, I'm teaching: on a typical teaching day, you might see me preparing for class, finishing some grading, updating a website, entering some information from an Excel chart, finalizing a lecture, then spending a few hours actually teaching a class. Other than that, I'll hold office hours, go to plenty of meetings, network with journalists and help them solve data/statistics-based problems, attend a lot of conferences, research new concepts, and write journalistic articles!
CAREER
Mathematical Science Teachers, Postsecondary
Overview
Salary Median (2020)
$73,650
Projected Job Growth (2019-2029)
+1.3% (little or no change)
Most Common Level of Education
Doctoral or professional degree
Career
Roadtrip Nation Leaders in This Career
What Mathematical Science Teachers, Postsecondary Do
Teach courses pertaining to mathematical concepts, statistics, and actuarial science and to the application of original and standardized mathematical techniques in solving specific problems and situations. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
Other Job Titles Mathematical Science Teachers, Postsecondary May Have
Adjunct Mathematics Instructor, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Instructor, Math Teacher, Mathematical Sciences Professor, Mathematics Instructor (Math Instructor), Mathematics Lecturer, Mathematics Professor, Professor
How Leaders Describe a Typical Day at Work
Tasks & Responsibilities May Include
- Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
- Evaluate and grade students' class work, assignments, and papers.
- Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as linear algebra, differential equations, and discrete mathematics.
- Maintain student attendance records, grades, and other required records.
- Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
Education
Level of Education Attained by Mathematical Science Teachers, Postsecondary
Most common level of education among people in
this career: Doctoral or professional degree (47%)
Bachelor's degree
Master's degree
Doctoral or professional degree
Other*
*All other responses combined for clarity.
Majors Related to Career
Educational Paths Suggested by Leaders
Suggested Path
High School
Bachelor
Mathematics, General
Doctorate
Mathematics, General
Graduate
Mathematics, General
Additional Skills & Experiences That Can Help You Excel
I was trained in mathematics, so I obviously know a whole lot of math, but I was never really trained how to teach, or how to write professionally. One of the biggest things I had to learn and kind of teach myself was how to communicate, whether it be as a professor to my students or as a peer to my fellow professors, some of whom write for a living. Luckily, the teaching component came fairly naturally to me, but writing was something I really had to figure out on my own.
Getting Started
Recommended First Step for:
Middle School Students
If you're interested in problem-solving and you tend to think outside of the box from a young age, go get yourself some Martin Gardner puzzle books and embrace your mathematical side. Be aware that your high school-level math classes aren't going to give you a very good view of what math can actually do, so once you get to college, take a class higher than calculus. Once you see the kinds of cool and unusual math taught at the college level, you'll know whether or not math is right for you.
This page includes information from theO*NET 26.1 Databaseby the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under theCC BY 4.0license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
