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Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education
Teach one or more subjects to students at the secondary school level.
Other titles employers use
Art Teacher · English Teacher · Math Teacher (Mathematics Teacher) · Music Teacher · PE Teacher (Physical Education Teacher) · Science Teacher · Secondary Teacher · Social Studies Teacher
Inside the work
What you would actually do.
6 responsibilities that define the role, before job titles and workplaces change the details.
- Prepares you for later grades by encouraging them to explore learning opportunities and to persevere with challenging tasks.
- Instruct through lectures, discussions, and demonstrations in one or more subjects, such as English, mathematics, or social studies.
- Establish and enforce rules for behavior and procedures for maintaining order among students.
- Prepare materials and classrooms for class activities.
- Adapt teaching methods and instructional materials to meet students' varying needs and interests.
- Prepare, administer, and grade tests and assignments to evaluate students' progress.
Who it suits
Would this work hold your attention?
This career often appeals to people drawn to helping, creative and organizing work.
- Creative
- Making, designing, writing, or performing without one set answer
- Organizing
- Creating order, checking details, and keeping work accurate
Skills and strengths
What you would get good at.
Compare the skills the work relies on, the subjects behind it, and the abilities that make it easier to learn.
Core skills
- Instructing
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Learning Strategies
- Critical Thinking
Subjects to know
- Education and Training
- English Language
- Customer and Personal Service
- Computers and Electronics
- Psychology
Useful strengths
- Oral Expression
- Oral Comprehension
- Written Comprehension
- Written Expression
- Speech Recognition
Working day
Picture yourself doing it.
These measures show how much of the day involves people, movement, conversation, and hands-on work.
| Measure | Out of 5 | What that means here |
|---|---|---|
| Close to other people | 4.2 | Arm’s length or closer, most of the day |
| On your feet | 3.3 | Up and down through the day |
| Talking face to face | 4.7 | Continuous — the job is conversations |
| Working with your hands | 2.3 | Little of the day |
Preparation
How people prepare for this work.
Employers usually ask for a bachelor's degree. Other routes may also lead into the field.
- A four-year degree 77%
- A master's degree 11%
- A doctorate or professional degree 8%
- A two-year degree 4%
Tools of the work
Technology you may use.
- Spreadsheet software
- Office suite software
- Presentation software
- Document management software
- Word processing software
- Computer based training software
- Video creation and editing software
- Development environment software
Opportunity near you
See where this work is growing.
Choose a state to compare the size of the field, annual openings, and expected hiring change.
Selected stateTexas
- People doing this work
- 120,620
- Job openings each year
- 8,340
- Expected hiring change, 2022–2032
- 12.8%
Compare every available state
| State | People doing it | Job openings each year | Expected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 120,620 | 8,340 | 12.8% |
| California | 96,400 | 6,190 | 4.3% |
| New York | 90,930 | 1,400 | 18.2% |
| Ohio | 57,280 | 3,620 | 2.8% |
| Florida | 55,240 | 3,800 | 12.2% |
| Pennsylvania | 50,640 | 3,140 | 1.0% |
| Illinois | 45,960 | 2,910 | 3.0% |
| New Jersey | 37,420 | 2,410 | 4.6% |
| North Carolina | 29,520 | 1,960 | 8.1% |
| Virginia | 28,290 | 1,740 | — |
| Georgia | 27,130 | 1,840 | 10.2% |
| Colorado | 23,110 | 1,640 | 16.1% |
| Missouri | 22,520 | 1,420 | 2.9% |
| Michigan | 21,280 | 1,320 | — |
| Tennessee | 20,810 | 1,470 | 15.9% |
| Wisconsin | 20,780 | 1,340 | 4.9% |
| Maryland | 20,580 | 1,400 | 10.9% |
| Indiana | 20,270 | 1,280 | 2.6% |
| Minnesota | 20,160 | 1,290 | 4.1% |
| Oklahoma | 20,060 | 1,310 | 5.8% |
| Arizona | 19,930 | 1,270 | 3.9% |
| Washington | 18,080 | 1,480 | 13.0% |
| Alabama | 17,210 | 1,120 | 5.5% |
| South Carolina | 16,910 | 1,130 | 8.8% |
| Connecticut | 15,520 | 1,020 | 6.7% |
| Iowa | 15,310 | 1,000 | 6.6% |
| Louisiana | 14,660 | 940 | 3.8% |
| Mississippi | 12,960 | 830 | 4.5% |
| Kentucky | 11,880 | 740 | 1.6% |
| Arkansas | 11,870 | 750 | 3.0% |
| Utah | 11,830 | 860 | 19.3% |
| Kansas | 11,620 | 740 | 2.9% |
| Massachusetts | 9,260 | 630 | 10.1% |
| Nebraska | 8,440 | 540 | 3.7% |
| Oregon | 7,870 | 500 | 2.9% |
| New Mexico | 6,880 | 450 | 6.2% |
| Nevada | 6,270 | 410 | 6.1% |
| Idaho | 6,140 | 430 | 15.8% |
| Maine | 6,080 | 380 | — |
| Rhode Island | 5,120 | 320 | 1.8% |
| New Hampshire | 4,950 | 310 | — |
| Delaware | 4,850 | 330 | 11.0% |
| Montana | 3,970 | 260 | 4.7% |
| South Dakota | 3,720 | 240 | 6.3% |
| West Virginia | 3,720 | 240 | 3.3% |
| Puerto Rico | 3,580 | 240 | 9.8% |
| District of Columbia | 3,410 | 220 | 6.2% |
| Vermont | 3,280 | 210 | 4.5% |
| North Dakota | 3,080 | 210 | 8.5% |
| Wyoming | 1,990 | 140 | 10.6% |
| Alaska | 1,680 | 100 | 1.2% |
| Virgin Islands | 530 | 30 | −5.4% |
Career to college
Build a path toward this work.
Start with a related major, then compare colleges where students complete that field.
CareerSecondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education
Most direct field Teaching, by subject → Related field Teaching, by grade level → Related field East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics → Related field Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics → Related field Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics → Related field Political science → Related field Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language → Related field Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics →
Where to study
Colleges with strong activity in these fields.
Start with program size, admission, and likely cost. Open a college for the full picture.
UT
Western Governors University
- Degrees each year
- 1,777
- Admit rate
- Not reported
- Annual cost after aid
- $13,000
Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College
- Degrees each year
- 1,375
- Admit rate
- 74%
- Annual cost after aid
- $20,000
Virginia Commonwealth University
- Degrees each year
- 1,359
- Admit rate
- 93%
- Annual cost after aid
- $21,000
University of Kentucky
- Degrees each year
- 1,030
- Admit rate
- 92%
- Annual cost after aid
- $16,000
Illinois State University
- Degrees each year
- 1,406
- Admit rate
- 89%
- Annual cost after aid
- $16,000
Arizona State University Campus Immersion
- Degrees each year
- 2,961
- Admit rate
- 90%
- Annual cost after aid
- $17,000
State University of New York at Cortland
- Degrees each year
- 566
- Admit rate
- 51%
- Annual cost after aid
- $20,000
Ohio State University-Main Campus
- Degrees each year
- 2,137
- Admit rate
- 51%
- Annual cost after aid
- $10,000