The person who teaches toxicology — to medical, pharmacy, or graduate students — covering mechanisms of toxicity, drug overdose and poisoning, environmental toxicology, and the clinical reasoning toxicology contributes to medicine and public health.
Most days tend to involve a blend of classroom and small-group teaching, scholarly work, and program participation — leading didactic sessions on a fast-moving field, supervising graduate students or research projects, and contributing to curriculum and assessment. You'll often spend part of the time on assessment work — writing exams and evaluating student work.
The harder part is often bridging the depth of toxicology science with the clinical relevance students need. You'll typically work across cohorts with varied science preparation, while keeping content current with evolving toxicology and the rapid pace of new exposures and therapies.
People who tend to thrive here are scientifically deep, patient teachers, and skilled at translating complex toxicology into clinically usable knowledge. The trade-off is the academic salary reality and the cumulative work of teaching, scholarship, and service. If you find satisfaction in building knowledge students will draw on across clinical contexts, the role can be quietly consequential.
Where this role sits in the broader career landscape — and where it can take you.
Roles like this one sit within a broader occupational category. The numbers below reflect that full landscape — helpful for context, but your specific experience will depend on level, specialty, and where you work.
The person who teaches toxicology — to medical, pharmacy, or graduate students — covering mechanisms of toxicity, drug overdose and poisoning, environmental toxicology, and the clinical reasoning toxicology contributes to medicine and public health.
Median pay for a Toxicology Teacher is about $106K nationally, with the field ranging roughly from $52K to $208K depending on experience, employer, and metro (BLS).
Core skills for this role include Speaking, Reading Comprehension, Instructing, Active Learning, and Learning Strategies.
Most people in this role hold a master's degree.
Employment in this field is projected to grow about 17.3% through 2034, with roughly 229,720 people working in it today (BLS).
Closely related roles include Health Teacher, First Aid Teacher, and Clinical Instructor.
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