diff --git a/tests/util/test_typing.py b/tests/util/test_typing.py
index c0dd731fb55..2fe5592605c 100644
--- a/tests/util/test_typing.py
+++ b/tests/util/test_typing.py
@@ -2,10 +2,13 @@
 
 from __future__ import annotations
 
+import sys
 from pathlib import Path
 from types import GenericAlias
 from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, get_args
 
+import pytest
+
 from pymatgen.core import Composition, DummySpecies, Element, Species
 from pymatgen.entries import Entry
 from pymatgen.util.typing import CompositionLike, EntryLike, PathLike, PbcLike, SpeciesLike
@@ -17,6 +20,8 @@
 __date__ = "2022-10-20"
 __email__ = "janosh@lbl.gov"
 
+skip_below_py310 = pytest.mark.skipif(sys.version_info < (3, 10), reason="requires python 3.10 or higher")
+
 
 def _type_str(some_type: Any) -> str:
     return str(some_type).replace("typing.", "").replace("pymatgen.core.periodic_table.", "")
@@ -43,6 +48,7 @@ def test_entry_like():
     assert Entry.__name__ in str(EntryLike)
 
 
+@skip_below_py310
 def test_species_like():
     assert isinstance("H", SpeciesLike)
     assert isinstance(Element("H"), SpeciesLike)
@@ -50,6 +56,7 @@ def test_species_like():
     assert isinstance(DummySpecies("X"), SpeciesLike)
 
 
+@skip_below_py310
 def test_composition_like():
     assert isinstance("H", CompositionLike)
     assert isinstance(Element("H"), CompositionLike)
@@ -64,6 +71,7 @@ def test_pbc_like():
     assert get_args(PbcLike) == (bool, bool, bool)
 
 
+@skip_below_py310
 def test_pathlike():
     assert isinstance("path/to/file", PathLike)
     assert isinstance(Path("path/to/file"), PathLike)