A Guide on Career Paths, Job Prospects & More
If you want to help people learn and grow, then a career in teaching could be for you. All teachers, regardless of what they teach, have the chance to shape people’s minds. Plus, there are a ton of opportunities available to teachers, allowing them to build their own careers around subjects they love, and teach at levels they’re interested in. Sound like fun? Then here is everything you need to know about being a teacher, from what the job market is like — spoiler: it’s pretty good! — to what you can earn and where you can work.
What Does a Teacher Do?
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a teacher’s primary job is to “give students the knowledge and tools to succeed both in school and beyond the classroom.” And while what you teach and who you teach it to can greatly impact what a day in the life of teaching looks like, there are a few things all teachers do: They prepare lesson plans, then execute those lessons in some kind of classroom setting; they track students’ progress and do what they can to help them learn and absorb knowledge; they create and administer tests; they make classroom rules — and enforce them; and they likely work with some sort of administrator or supervisor to make sure their school’s goals are also being met as well as the students’.
How to Become a Teacher
There are many steps to becoming a teacher, and they vary based on what and where you will teach. But here are some steps consistent across all teaching fields and levels.
1. Determine how much education you will need: Some teachers — like self-enrichment teachers — need only a high school diploma to teach, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Preschool teachers need an associate’s degree. But “all other teaching occupations typically need at least a bachelor’s degree, with postsecondary teachers usually requiring a master’s or doctoral degree,” the Bureau of Labor Statistics says. So, make sure you pursue the level of education you need.
2. Get certified if necessary. To teach in public schools, such as middle or high schools, you will need to get a teacher’s license or a certification. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, “This may mean completing a teacher education program and passing tests that demonstrate subject-matter and instructional knowledge.”
3. Pass a background check. Before you can work in most schools, you will need to complete and pass a background check. A potential employer should administer it.
4. Continue your education.While not all states will require it, “most states also require teachers … to complete continuing education classes or seminars in order to maintain their certification or license,” the Bureau of Labor Statistics says. “National Board Certification is a voluntary credentialing option that may allow teachers to bypass continuing education in some states, but it does not replace each state’s individual requirements.”
How Much Does a Teacher Make?
Teachers’ salaries range depending on what they teach, what level they teach at and where they live. But on average, Glassdoor data shows that teachers can expect to earn $45,082 each year. An English teacher, for example, can make $48,483 per year, while a science teacher can make $52,697 a year, the data shows — and a biochemistry teacher can earn $61,144 each year.
Teacher Job Market
The job market varies greatly for teachers depending on what level they teach at, what subjects they teach and where they live. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, all education, training and library occupations are expected to grow by 9.4 percent between 2018 and 2026, which is a higher rate of growth than the estimated 7.4 percent for all jobs. For postsecondary life science teachers, that number climbs to 13.7 percent, while it drops to 7.8 percent for Preschool, primary, secondary and special education school teachers, the BLS estimates.
What Fields and Places Do Teachers Work In?
Teachers can work in a variety of educational fields and settings. Those might include:
- Preschool
- Elementary school
- Middle school
- High school
- Special education
- Post-secondary
- Technical education
- Literacy
- Self-enrichment education
- Vocational education
- Fitness studies
- At colleges (as teaching assistants)
- Diploma studies
Related Careers in Education
You may not want to be a teacher, but there are plenty of other jobs in education and related fields. Here are a few other options, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Average Salary: $56,310
- Degrees Required: Master’s degree
- Average Salary: $26,970
- Degrees Required: Some college, no degree
- Average Salary: $23,240
- Degrees Required: High school diploma or equivalent
- Average Salary: $64,450
- Degrees Required: Master’s degree
- Average Salary: $59,050
- Degrees Required: Master’s degree
