Self-Enrichment Teachers
Teach or instruct individuals or groups for the primary purpose of self-enrichment or recreation, rather than for an occupational objective, educational attainment, competition, or fitness.
- Median pay
- $46,800
- Doing it now
- 419,100
- By 2035
- Up 3.5%
- Usually needs
- High school diploma or equivalent
a year
across the country
50,000 openings a year
to get in
What the work involves
- Adapt teaching methods and instructional materials to meet students' varying needs and interests.
- Monitor students' performance to make suggestions for improvement and to ensure that they satisfy course standards, training requirements, and objectives.
- Observe students to determine qualifications, limitations, abilities, interests, and other individual characteristics.
- Instruct students individually and in groups, using various teaching methods, such as lectures, discussions, and demonstrations.
- Establish clear objectives for all lessons, units, and projects and communicate those objectives to students.
- Prepare students for further development by encouraging them to explore learning opportunities and to persevere with challenging tasks.
- Prepare materials and classrooms for class activities.
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
- Cognitive ScienceSee 66 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
Leading and persuading
Careers like this one
- Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$72,040
- Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$64,370
- Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education$63,970
- Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors$61,540
- Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education$38,140
- Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education$62,680
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 $46,800 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.