Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education
Teach one or more subjects to students at the secondary school level.
- Median pay
- $72,040
- Doing it now
- 1,087,500
- By 2035
- Down 0.2%
- Usually needs
- Bachelor's degree
a year
across the country
63,500 openings a year
to get in
What the work involves
- Establish and enforce rules for behavior and procedures for maintaining order among students.
- Instruct through lectures, discussions, and demonstrations in one or more subjects, such as English, mathematics, or social studies.
- Establish clear objectives for all lessons, units, and projects, and communicate those objectives to students.
- Prepare, administer, and grade tests and assignments to evaluate students' progress.
- Prepare materials and classrooms for class activities.
- Adapt teaching methods and instructional materials to meet students' varying needs and interests.
- Maintain accurate and complete student records as required by laws, district policies, and administrative regulations.
What to study
The fields of study the Department of Education links to this occupation, most widely taught first.
- Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsSee 1,219 colleges that teach it
- Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject AreasSee 985 colleges that teach it
- Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural EducationSee 41 colleges that teach it
- Biology, GeneralSee 1,382 colleges that teach it
Who it suits
O*NET scores every occupation on six interest dimensions. This one leans hardest on these three.
Helping and teaching
Creative and expressive
Organised and precise
Careers like this one
- Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education$63,970
- Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$64,370
- Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education$38,140
- Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education$62,680
- Self-Enrichment Teachers$46,800
- Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors$61,540
Where this comes from: the description and the task list are O*NET, which the Department of Labor maintains. Pay, workforce size, outlook and the education normally needed are the Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections programme, 2025 wages and 2025 to 2035 projections. Half of them earn more than $72,040 a year, which means half earn less, and what you would earn depends on where you work and how long you have been doing it. The fields of study come from the National Center for Education Statistics crosswalk.