Salary Information & Employment Opportunities for Secondary Teachers

Career as a Secondary School Teacher

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The average value of the Bachelor degree needed to become a Secondary school teachers, except special and vocational education is $1,139,213.00.

Points of Interest

Secondary teachers must have bachelor's degrees in their subject and must be licensed to teach in their state. Some may need Master's degrees.
Job prospects for secondary teachers are average. Secondary teaching positions will grow about 9% from 2008 to 2018, though projections depend on geographical location and subject taught.
Teachers must have mastery over their subject matter and communication skills as well as know how to inspire and motivate students.

Nature of the Work

Teachers are the front line in the education of young adults across the United States. Secondary teachers have the task of educating students in grades 9-12 to prepare them for college or immediate employment and to form them into responsible and productive citizens. Teachers specialize in a particular subject matter, like math, chemistry, English, or foreign languages, but may also teach other courses and electives. They can find employment in both public and private schools, with significant differences in education requirements, salaries, and classroom environments.

Secondary school teachers must be well versed in their chosen discipline and must be able to effectively communicate it to students. Many schools and states require end of year exams on these subjects, so teachers must have the end goal of exams in mind as they educate.

Teachers have daily responsibilities related to teaching, advising, disciplining, and administrating. At the most basic level, teachers spend most of their time in classrooms lecturing, guiding, disciplining, and inspiring the next generation of college students, workers, and voters. Teachers also must put in time after class in activities such as grading assignments, papers, and tests, giving extra help to students, meeting with parents, and planning out lessons for future classes. Teachers' most important tasks are evaluating students and tailoring his or her teaching styles and methods towards these students abilities, needs, and goals.

Teaching Careers Secondary School The number of students under his or her care will depend on the school's location, size, and the teacher's subject matter, but most teachers can expect to teach multiple classes of at least 20 students. Due to these class sizes, which are expected to increase further, teachers must also maintain order in the classroom. To this end, they must be ready to negotiate, discipline, and resolve conflicts among students, teachers, and staff. This is especially important for teachers dealing with students from diverse racial, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds.

Teachers must also continue to learn themselves. The best teachers will stay updated on the latest trends in education and the newest methods and technologies that help students learn in the classroom. For example, computers and the Internet are becoming increasingly important tools for student education, research, and outreach. Thus, teachers must keep abreast of the latest technological developments and their applications in secondary education. Many keep updated on their own discipline; some even contribute to it by writing essays and doing research. Others get training in issues of diversity and social justice and their impact on the classroom and pedagogy. Some teachers continue to update their skills and knowledge by taking continuing education courses. While this is not necessarily required by schools, teachers who continually improve can expect increased responsibility, better pay, and more prestige.

The duties beyond these most basic functions will vary, but most teachers also play an administrative role in school. At the very least, they must attend faculty meetings, but some take positions of authority, such as department heads. Some teachers run after school clubs or sports teams, either within his or her expertise or outside of it. Most teachers also have an official or unofficial advising or mentoring role for students, helping them determine their aspirations, college choices, and career goals.

Overall, the work conditions for teachers are good. Since students must apply to private schools, conditions in private schools are often better than public schools. Most teachers get the summer months off, though some teach summer school or take extra jobs during this period. During the school year, teachers often work more than 40 hours a week, including many long hours outside of class grading, evaluating, and mentoring. Most teaching jobs are secured by tenure laws, which prevent teachers from being fired for unjust or undue reasons, though this does not provide absolute security.

Some have to deal with less than ideal teaching environments: troubled or unruly students, lack of funding, and poor schools. Some teachers struggle with increased workloads and class sizes as budgets continue to shrink; these factors may be mitigated in private schools. Teachers in public schools are greatly affected by changes in government funding and local support, while private school teachers are more insulated from these external factors.

Training, Other Qualifications, and Advancement

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Most states require teachers to have a bachelor's degree and teaching certification. For a secondary school teacher, he or she often majors in the intended subject matter, complementing this degree program with a minor or certificate program in teacher education. Some aspiring teachers get trained by attending professional development schools. Regardless of the program, most require in-class internship or student teaching.

Teachers must be licensed in order to work in public schools. Each state has its own rules and regulations about licensure. The requirements for each state will vary, but most require at least a Bachelor's degree, credits from a teacher education program, and classroom experience. Some states have requirements about technology and other continuing education, while others require teachers to obtain a Master's within a few years of obtaining their teaching license.

In order to get licensed, teachers must show their competence in reading, writing, math, and other basic skills, as well as meeting the standards of the subject they will teach. Some states require teachers to have satisfactory performance in a classroom to allow full certification; others require continuing education credits in order to renew a license.

Teachers who have a bachelor's in their subject but no formal education training or experience do not necessarily have to go back to school to earn the required degrees. These teachers are given provisional licenses to teach in their subject, but must take education courses after school. Once they have taken all the required courses, they can obtain a regular license. In cases of extreme teacher shortage, states may issue emergency licenses in order to fill in gaps immediately.

Teachers may also obtain a national teaching license, which allows them to teach in multiple states, get a better salary, and enjoy other benefits.

Private schools are not subject to the same regulations. Each private school has different standards of hiring, but most require teachers to have a bachelor's degree in their intended subject and perhaps some work experience in that field.

With further training and experience, teachers may advance into other positions in a school. Some become department heads, instructional coordinators, and librarians; others move into administrative positions like supervisors or principals. Teachers who gain enough experience may also become senior teachers, enjoying higher pay, better benefits, and more authority within the school. Many older teachers help guide and mentor new teachers.

Employment

Teaching jobs in particular areas are proportional to the population in those areas. About 1.1 million secondary school teachers are employed in the United States.

Job Outlook

Secondary school teaching jobs are expected to grow 9%, an average pace, from 2008 to 2013. The prospects for growth depend on geographical location and on subject matter. Student enrollment will continue to increase in the South and West, but will remain the same or decline in the Midwest and Northeast. Many teachers will also retire in the next decade, causing a need for replacements. This need is also deepened by the moderate teacher turnover within two years of initial employment. More jobs will also be available in rural and urban school districts than in suburban.

Certain subjects will have more openings than others. Qualified teachers are needed in mathematics, chemistry, physics, and foreign languages. Social studies, history, and English teachers will find fewer opportunities. Due to the number of students speaking a foreign language, bilingual teachers will see increased demand for their skills.

Projections

The number of teachers will increase as job prospects continue to improve and funding increases. Many states and the federal government are instituting programs to draw more qualified teachers into the school system; this number of teachers will be bolstered by career changers and other professionals looking to go into education. From 2008 to 2018, approximately 96,300 new secondary teaching positions will be created.

Earnings

The average salary of a secondary school teacher is $47,100 to $51,180. Starting teachers will earn less, usually around $33,227.

Teachers can earn extra money by taking on other responsibilities in the school. Some run clubs, while others coach sports teams. Teachers with advanced degrees, like Master's, and national certification can earn more money.

Wages

Actual wages will depend on geographical location and on whether the school is public or private. For example, a teacher in Arizona can expect to earn $43,670, while a teacher in New York can earn about $68,010 on average. Since many teachers belong to unions that fight for teachers' employment rights, earnings and benefits should remain competitive.

Related Occupations

Secondary school teachers not only need to know their technical field, but also how to guide and discipline young adults, communicate and research effectively, and have excellent organizational skills. Other jobs requiring these skills include:

Counselors
Educational administrators
Elementary teachers
Middle school teachers
Special education teachers
Vocational teachers
Social workers
Librarians

Sources of Additional Information

Information on local, state, and federal policies and requirements can be found on websites for these units. Some sites of general interest include:

National Center for Alternative Certification

Information about national licensing. American Federation of Teachers

National Education Association - sites for teachers' unions

Related Jobs

People with the educational background, skills, and desire to become a Secondary school teachers, except special and vocational education might be well suited to work in one of the following fields as well:

Online Degrees