Biological Science Teachers, Postsecondary
In short: today's best AI models could do about 25% of this job's working time (projected from METR's April 2026 measurement and Epoch's November 2026 index) if the work were set up for them, and about 50% by the end of 2028 if progress keeps its long-run pace. The conversations, in-person and hands-on work, about 43% of the time, stays with people.
Teach courses in biological sciences. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
50,190 people do this job in the US. $84,620 a year.
Reviewed on October 19, 2026: what each task is made of, and what handing it over would ask.
A typical 40-hour week
- AI could take on2 h
- A person checks AI's work8 h
- Desk work AI can't do yet13 h
- Stays with people17 h
Biological Science Teachers, Postsecondary, now: of a 40-hour week, AI could take on 2 hours, 8 hours become checking its work, 13 hours are desk work it can't do yet, and 17 hours stay with people.
The largest pieces: Grade students' work (about 2 h, a person checks); Plan and revise curricula (about 2 h, a person checks); Prepare course and lab materials (about 1 h).
Estimates for a typical week of this job, if progress keeps its long-run pace, counting work the best models finish four times in five. Every task is below.
of the working time. Now is projected from METR's April 2026 measurement and Epoch's November 2026 index.
- 56%
- 2%
- 10%
- 24%
- 9%
of the work: Anthropic's measure of what people already bring to Claude at work (2025). It counts help with part of a task, so it can be higher than the share within reach.
On the chosen pace and reliability. Estimate.
Share of the working time within reach, now to 2030
Change assumptionsHide assumptionsLong-run pace, four in five
What each choice means: , , , , . Every pace starts from .
At this date and pace, models finish tasks up to 2.4 work days long four times in five.
What handing it over would take, now
The 25% within reach splits by what a model would need. The dates, pace and reliability follow the controls above. Estimates.
of the working time. The material can be handed to a model and the result handed back.
of the working time. The model has to be connected to the system the work lives in.
is conversation short enough by length. This site leaves conversation with people, so it is not in the total.
How far this has come
With GPT-4, measured in March 2023, 0% of this job's working time was within reach at . With Claude 3.7 Sonnet, measured in February 2025, 0%. With Claude Mythos Preview (early), measured in April 2026, 7%. Today's estimate: 25%.
A backcast: today's task data with the best model METR had measured by each date. It shows how fast the models have moved, not what anyone forecast at the time.
Measured use over time
Of the Claude.ai conversations Anthropic sampled and tied to a work task, 0.13% went to this job's tasks in May 2026, the 137th largest of the 447 jobs that showed up at all; 6 of its 27 tasks showed up. Within each of Anthropic's methods, never across a change: 0.14% to 0.38% (released February and March 2025); 0.71% to 1.1% (August 2025 to February 2026); 0.13% to 0.13% (April to May 2026).
Each release
| Conversations | Share | Rank | Tasks seen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Released February 2025 | 0.14% | 123 of 708 | 20 of 27 |
| Released March 2025 | 0.38% | 46 of 703 | 19 of 27 |
| The week of Aug 4, 2025 (released September 2025) | 0.71% | 27 of 655 | 18 of 27 |
| The week of Nov 13, 2025 (released January 2026) | 1.5% | 14 of 672 | 23 of 27 |
| The week of Feb 5, 2026 (released March 2026) | 1.1% | 19 of 677 | 22 of 27 |
| April 2026 (released June 2026) | 0.13% | 138 of 434 | 5 of 27 |
| May 2026 (released June 2026) | 0.13% | 137 of 447 | 6 of 27 |
Measured, not estimated: Anthropic's samples of Claude.ai conversations, each tied by a model to an O*NET task, from the Anthropic Economic Index. It says where Claude's use goes, not how much of this job's working time it covers, so it is not on the same scale as the reach above. The releases differ in their sample, their classifier and the smallest share they report (the June 2026 file rounds each task to a hundredth of a percent, so a smaller task reads as none), which is why a change of method starts a new line. At least 96% of each older release's task-tied use matched this site's tasks, and all of the newest. Claude.ai only, so use through other tools and other companies' models is not in it. Every job ranked.
Robots and the physical work
Anthropic rates 15% of this job's working time as physical work. For 0% of the working time, a robot has been shown doing most of the task somewhere. 0.00 of 3.
- Not physical 85%
- No robot shown 15%
Anthropic's rating, not this site's estimate: Claude Opus 5, searching the web, rated each physical O*NET task by the kind of setting in which a robot it could cite (deployed, sold or demonstrated) does most of the task, weighted by its own estimate of each task's share of the time (What work can robots do?, September 30, 2026, data CC BY 4.0; every job ranked). A robot shown somewhere is not a robot in your building: cost, setup and safety decide that. The share within reach on this page still counts no body work. The robot behind each rated task is under the task below.
What changes for the people in this job
From the task-by-task review, by the end of 2028 on the long-run pace at four in five. It says which parts of the work stay with people and which change, not whether anyone keeps a job: that depends on decisions no data set can see.
What stays with people
41% of the working time: the conversation, in-person and hands-on parts of the tasks.
- Do research and publish, the hands-on work, 8%
- Serve as department head, the conversation, 4%
- Supervise laboratory work, the in-person work, 4%
- Hold office hours, the in-person work, 3%
- Keep up with the field, the in-person work, 3%
- Supervise student teaching and research, the in-person work, 3%
What becomes checking the machine
44% of the working time: desk work a model could do by then, in tasks where a mistake costs something or a licensed person signs. A person checks it. Another 6% is desk work that is small if wrong, which can be handed over with lighter checks.
- Write grant proposals, costly if wrong, 14%
- Plan and revise curricula, costly if wrong, 9%
- Do research and publish, costly if wrong, 5%
- Grade students' work, costly if wrong, 5%
- Set and grade examinations, costly if wrong, 2%
- Serve as department head, costly if wrong, 2%
What to learn
- Briefing a model and checking its drafts. About 56% of the time is documents and data, the part models reach first: writing a clear brief, giving the right material, and checking what comes back.
- Reviewing work you did not do yourself. The tasks under What becomes checking the machine, where a mistake costs something, stay a person's to check: spotting what a draft gets wrong is a skill of its own.
- The conversations. About 34% of the time is conversation and in-person work, which this site leaves with people: listening, explaining, persuading, calming.
- Dealing with people outside the organization. Customers, patients, suppliers or the public: trust with them is built by a person.
- Handling protected records. Much of the work touches protected personal records: knowing what may be shared with a model, and how, is part of the job.
Your own version of this job: read it against your job description. The headline is free; the full personal report, every task with its timeline and what to learn, is $19 (a sample).
The tasks
Sorted by . 27 tasks from .
| Task | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conduct research in a particular field of knowledge and publish findings in professional journals, books, or electronic media.Reading, analysis and writing, with work at the bench or in the field.Done more than weekly by most who do it. AI observed on this task.Robots: no robot shown. Anthropic's rating. | 19% | 3.5 work weeks4.2 work days to 2.4 work months | Documents 60%, hands-on 40% | 0%Desk part half by Jan 2029 |
| Write grant proposals to procure external research funding.Writing the proposal.Done yearly or less by most who do it. | 15% | 1.3 work weeks2.1 work days to 3.3 work weeks | Documents 100% | 2%Half by Jan 2028 |
| Plan, evaluate, and revise curricula, course content, and course materials and methods of instruction.Working out the course content on paper, with discussion among colleagues.Done daily by most who do it. AI observed on this task. | 11% | 1.3 work days3.3 h to 4.2 work days | Documents 80%, conversation 20% | 35%Desk part half by Dec 2026 |
| Evaluate and grade students' class work, laboratory work, assignments, and papers.Marking papers and lab reports, with the work handed back.Done more than weekly by most who do it. AI observed on this task. | 6% | 2.5 h1.3 h to 6.7 h | Documents 80%, in person 20% | 79%Desk part half by now |
| Perform administrative duties, such as serving as department head.Mostly conversation with the department's people, plus reading and deciding.Done yearly or less by most who do it. | 6% | 6.7 h3.3 h to 2.1 work days | Conversation 60%, documents 40% | 34%Desk part half by now |
| Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.Reading, talking with colleagues and conferences; the knowing is the teacher's own.Done daily by most who do it. AI observed on this task. | 5% | 2.5 h50 min to 6.7 h | In person 60%, documents 40% | 38%Desk part half by now |
| Supervise undergraduate or graduate teaching, internship, and research work.Meetings with the students about their work, and reading it.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 5% | 2.5 h50 min to 5 h | In person 60%, documents 40% | 39%Desk part half by now |
| Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as molecular biology, marine biology, and botany.Writing the lecture and giving it in the hall.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 5% | 2.5 h1.7 h to 6.7 h | In person 60%, documents 40% | 40%Desk part half by now |
| Supervise students' laboratory work.In the lab with the students as they work.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 4% | 1.7 h50 min to 3.3 h | In person 100% | Stays with people |
| Prepare materials for laboratory activities and course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.Writing syllabi, assignments and handouts, and readying the lab.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 4% | 2.5 h1.3 h to 1 work day | Documents 80%, hands-on 20% | 78%Desk part half by now |
| Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.Writing and marking the exam, and sitting the room.Done more than monthly by most who do it. AI observed on this task. | 4% | 5 h1.7 h to 1.7 work days | Documents 70%, in person 30% | 56%Desk part half by now |
| Maintain regularly scheduled office hours to advise and assist students.Students at the office door.Done daily by most who do it. | 3% | 1.7 h50 min to 2.5 h | In person 100% | Stays with people |
Within reach, per task: the share of the task's time whose instances are short enough for a model to finish at the chosen date, pace and reliability. Half by: the date half of that time comes within reach. Made of: how the task's time splits among five kinds of doing. Only the documents and systems parts can count as within reach, so a task that is 30% documents can be at most 30% within reach.
Jobs that share skills with this one
From O*NET's related occupations. Within reach now and by the end of 2028, long-run pace, four in five.
- Atmospheric, Earth, Marine, and Space Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary46% now, 74% by 2028
- Chemistry Teachers, Postsecondary38% now, 69% by 2028
- Environmental Science Teachers, Postsecondary45% now, 71% by 2028
- Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary26% now, 49% by 2028
- Molecular and Cellular Biologists18% now, 40% by 2028
- Agricultural Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary39% now, 75% by 2028
Where this job works
The industry groups that employ the most of it (BLS, May 2025).
Where the most of these jobs are
The metro areas with the most people in it (BLS, May 2025).
Questions about this job
- How much of the work of Biological Science Teachers, Postsecondary is within reach of AI now?
- An estimated 25% of the working time is within reach of AI models now and 50% by the end of 2028, on METR's long-run pace at four in five (38% to 56% across the three paces the site shows). Within reach means a model could finish work that long at that reliability. It is not a forecast of jobs lost or of savings.
- Which tasks of Biological Science Teachers, Postsecondary come within reach first?
- Weighted by the time each takes, the tasks with the most within reach now (projected from METR's April 2026 measurement and Epoch's November 2026 index) are: Grade students' work (79% of the task's time now); Plan and revise curricula (35% of the task's time now, 80% by the end of 2028); and Prepare course and lab materials (78% of the task's time now).
- Which tasks of Biological Science Teachers, Postsecondary stay with people?
- Tasks that are people work or body work are not counted as within reach at any date. The largest: Supervise laboratory work; Hold office hours; and Lead classroom discussions. Together such tasks are about 17% of the working time, and the people and body parts of the other tasks stay with people too.
- What should Biological Science Teachers, Postsecondary learn as AI takes on more of the work?
- By the job's own task-by-task review, the first things to learn are briefing a model and checking its drafts; reviewing work you did not do yourself; and the conversations. By the end of 2028 on the long-run pace at four in five, about 41% of the working time stays with people, 44% becomes checking a model's work and 6% could be handed over with lighter checks. It says which parts of the work change, never whether anyone keeps a job.
- Do people already use AI for the work of Biological Science Teachers, Postsecondary?
- In the Claude.ai conversations Anthropic sampled for May 2026 and tied to a work task, 0.13% went to this job's tasks, the 137th largest share of the 447 jobs that showed up; 6 of its 27 tasks appeared. Anthropic's labor market measure puts the share of the job's tasks seen in real Claude use at work at 29%. These are measures of use, not of how much of the work AI could finish, and they cover Claude only.
- Can robots do the physical work of Biological Science Teachers, Postsecondary?
- Anthropic's robot exposure rating (September 2026) finds 15% of the working time is physical work, and that a robot has been shown doing most of the task, somewhere, for 0% of the working time. Its index is 0.00 of 3. A robot shown somewhere is not one in every workplace; this site's own estimates still count no physical work as within reach.
- How is this estimated?
- From the 27 tasks O*NET lists for the occupation, each with an estimated length checked against GDPval and a share of the working time, reviewed one task at a time on October 19, 2026 for what each is made of (documents, business systems, conversation, in person, hands-on), and METR's measurements of how long a task the best AI models can finish, carried forward to the date from the latest, Claude Mythos Preview (early) in April 2026. Data checked November 10, 2026.
This job in your state or metro area
Embed these figures on your site
A small card with the share of working time within reach now and at the end of 2027, 2028 and 2030, the date and a link back. Free under CC BY 4.0; the card carries the credit.
Your own version of this job
The page above is the occupation. Your job is your title and what you actually do: give both, and they are read against these tasks in your browser, nothing sent anywhere. The headline is free: how much of your working time is within reach now and by the end of 2028, and how many of the tasks your description names.
The full personal report is $19, to print or save as a PDF: every task with when it comes within reach, which ones your description names, the parts of your description the task list does not cover, what stays with you, what becomes checking the machine and what to learn.