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High School Teacher Training and Jobs


Schools and Degrees

High school teachers should at least hold a bachelor’s degree. They should complete an approved teacher training program, a student teacher internship, pass a state licensing exam and have excellent interpersonal and communication skills. They may also need to take additional courses in education. Private schools may have different standards for their teachers.

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Training and Education

You'll generally want a bachelor's degree for this career path. Of current employees, 96% graduated from college with degrees. Some 4% of high school teachers attened college but did not go on to get a bachelor's degree. A high school education was sufficient for 1% of workers.


Job Overview

High school teachers teach students in ninth through twelfth grades, who are usually between 14 and 18 years old. They teach subjects such as English, history, math, science and foreign languages. They are also in charge of managing their classrooms, and they develop lesson plans to teach subjects according to the school or district curriculum. They establish classroom rules so the classroom is a place where students can comfortably work and learn. They often also supervise activities of student clubs and organizations. They participate in faculty meetings and discuss school and class issues with school administrators.

High school teachers take care of the daily tasks involved in running a classroom. They take attendance to check which students are present in school. They also assign homework so their students can practice lessons at home. They keep track of scores by recording them in a grade book and then analyze the scores to create progress reports and report cards. High school teachers may provide advice to students with behavioral or academic problems and meet with students, parents and administrators to try and resolve these problems.


Job Requirements

High school teachers should have a high level of job-related social interaction with students, including speaking with them in and out of the classroom setting. They are often placed in conflict situations where students and parents may become angry or unpleasant. They should be responsible for the health and safety of students, work as part of a team and be responsible for work done by others.


Nature of Work

High school teacher teach using methods such as lecture and demonstrations. They usually work indoors but may work outdoors to teach physical education or sports. They may occasionally be exposed to noise levels that are distracting. They must ensure all work is done accurately as errors could cause students to receive incorrect grades and must meet strict daily and weekly deadlines. They work regular school hours and might have to work overtime to complete grades.


Area Job Conditions

Finding employees is easiest in Kankakee (Illinois), Vallejo (California), and Sandusky (Ohio), and by comparison more challenging in Springfield (Illinois), Mobile (Alabama), and Redding (California).

The pay is best in Nassau (New York), Yuba City (California), and Chicago (Illinois) and worst in St. Joseph (Missouri), Sioux Falls (South Dakota), and Fayetteville (North Carolina).


Part-Time and Self Employment

High school teachers working part-time accounted for 8% of those employed in 2008.


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High School Teachers by Metropolitan Area (city and its surroundings)

In the table below, a Job Density near 0% means the area has an average number of people in this occupation, for its population. A higher or lower Job Density (e.g., +22% or -45%) tells you there are that many more or fewer workers of that type there than in the average US metro area. So, the higher the number, the more common the occupation.

Alabama

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Auburn $53,000 430 +51%
Birmingham $52,000 2,720 -25%
Decatur $49,000 380 +8%
Dothan $49,000 490 +27%
Florence $48,000 680 +100%
Gadsden $45,000 290 +33%
Huntsville $48,000 1,090 -27%
Mobile $49,000 1,060 -16%
Montgomery $42,000 900 -23%
Tuscaloosa $46,000 500 -19%

Arizona

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Flagstaff $42,000 370 0%
Kingman $39,000 340 +11%
Phoenix $45,000 24,350 +85%
Prescott $37,000 430 +21%
Tucson $40,000 2,850 +13%

Arkansas

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Fayetteville $53,000 1,330 -9%
Fort Smith $45,000 1,120 +30%
Hot Springs $47,000 260 +14%
Jonesboro $44,000 410 +36%
Little Rock $50,000 2,310 -9%
Pine Bluff $42,000 330 +76%

California

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Bakersfield $66,000 1,860 -2%
El Centro $63,000 450 +39%
Fresno $58,000 3,840 +64%
Los Angeles $65,000 36,890 +22%
Merced $65,000 940 +151%
Modesto $73,000 1,640 +49%
Napa $62,000 70 -83%
Oakland $67,000 7,610 +2%
Oxnard $59,000 2,980 +37%
Riverside $63,000 10,470 +17%
Sacramento $62,000 8,690 +34%
Salinas $58,000 1,120 -2%
San Diego $70,000 8,870 -9%
San Francisco $65,000 4,510 -39%
San Jose $71,000 4,750 -29%
San Luis Obispo $61,000 680 +7%
Santa Ana $73,000 7,050 -35%
Santa Barbara $58,000 970 -19%
Santa Cruz $56,000 660 +11%
Santa Rosa $57,000 760 -39%
Stockton $59,000 1,580 +4%
Vallejo $58,000 1,270 +51%
Visalia $63,000 1,670 +76%
Yuba City $61,000 610 +152%

Colorado

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Colorado Springs $46,000 2,450 +33%
Denver $55,000 7,640 -18%
Fort Collins $48,000 800 -9%
Grand Junction 430 +15%
Greeley $47,000 620 +27%
Pueblo $47,000 460 +23%

Connecticut

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Bridgeport $70,000 4,150 +32%
Danbury $65,000 660 +44%
Hartford $66,000 4,140 -3%
New Haven $64,000 2,660 +34%
Norwich $64,000 980 +14%
Waterbury $68,000 1,170 +157%

Delaware

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Wilmington $57,000 2,680 +12%

District of Columbia

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Washington $70,000 14,490 -20%

Florida

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Gainesville $55,000 720 -15%
Jacksonville $48,000 2,820 -37%
Miami 5,000 -32%
Orlando $51,000 5,670 -25%
Tallahassee $57,000 820 -29%
Tampa $57,000 5,850 -31%
West Palm Beach $53,000 3,070 -20%

Georgia

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Albany $45,000 130 -68%
Athens $56,000 540 +13%
Atlanta $54,000 14,980 -13%
Augusta $45,000 1,110 -25%
Brunswick $52,000 280 +7%
Dalton $55,000 260 -43%
Gainesville $57,000 730 +56%
Macon $46,000 540 -13%
Savannah $48,000 490 -54%
Valdosta $46,000 220 -32%

Hawaii

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Honolulu $48,000 6,050 +86%

Idaho

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Boise $55,000 2,560 +34%
Lewiston $44,000 240 +72%
Pocatello $46,000 230 +23%

Illinois

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Bloomington $57,000 660 +40%
Champaign $50,000 890 +26%
Chicago $74,000 34,680 +23%
Danville $47,000 190 +14%
Decatur $50,000 350 +19%
Kankakee $46,000 790 +201%
Peoria $51,000 1,730 +42%
Rockford $59,000 1,600 +61%
Springfield $46,000 600 -20%

Indiana

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Anderson $45,000 360 +50%
Bloomington $43,000 360 -23%
Columbus $35,000 520 +116%
Elkhart $46,000 780 +4%
Evansville $49,000 1,310 +7%
Fort Wayne $50,000 1,500 +2%
Gary $50,000 2,500 +27%
Indianapolis $47,000 5,780 -13%
Kokomo $47,000 280 +14%
Lafayette $51,000 460 -10%
Michigan City $46,000 340 +30%
Muncie $44,000 280 -5%
South Bend $45,000 1,150 +26%
Terre Haute $47,000 860 +88%

Iowa

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Ames $42,000 510 +117%
Cedar Rapids $41,000 800 -19%
Davenport $50,000 1,390 +4%
Des Moines $53,000 3,180 +31%
Iowa City $44,000 610 +28%
Sioux City $40,000 660 +35%
Waterloo $41,000 420 -28%

Kansas

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Lawrence $43,000 280 +1%
Manhattan $41,000 390 +14%
Topeka $49,000 1,080 +40%
Wichita $48,000 2,730 +30%

Kentucky

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Bowling Green $49,000 360 -2%
Elizabethtown $52,000 320 +12%
Lexington $50,000 1,160 -34%
Louisville $50,000 3,910 -13%
Owensboro $54,000 310 +1%

Louisiana

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Baton Rouge $50,000 2,430 -11%
Houma $46,000 590 -10%
Monroe $47,000 650 +25%
New Orleans $50,000 3,260 -17%
Shreveport $50,000 1,130 -12%

Maine

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Bangor $51,000 480 +18%
Lewiston $44,000 450 +37%
Portland $50,000 1,470 +2%

Maryland

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Baltimore $60,000 11,480 +17%
Bethesda $68,000 3,860 -10%
Hagerstown $56,000 1,030 +54%
Salisbury $59,000 380 +8%

Massachusetts

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Barnstable Town $62,000 1,100 +60%
Boston $66,000 9,870 -24%
Brockton $61,000 1,420 +129%
Framingham $60,000 1,310 +12%
Haverhill $57,000 1,090 +95%
Lawrence $73,000 480 +21%
Leominster $55,000 510 +58%
Lowell $61,000 990 +17%
New Bedford $65,000 760 +76%
Peabody $61,000 780 +10%
Pittsfield 410 +103%
Springfield $59,000 2,890 +32%
Taunton $60,000 370 +28%
Worcester $60,000 2,560 +40%

Michigan

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Ann Arbor $60,000 1,180 -1%
Battle Creek $53,000 320 -5%
Bay City $55,000 310 +53%
Detroit $55,000 3,260 -35%
Flint $54,000 820 -11%
Grand Rapids $55,000 1,670 -40%
Holland $53,000 990 +49%
Jackson $51,000 380 +20%
Kalamazoo $49,000 1,150 +20%
Lansing $59,000 750 -48%
Monroe $58,000 360 +56%
Muskegon $53,000 500 +36%
Niles $52,000 530 +38%
Saginaw $51,000 270 -52%
Warren $61,000 5,130 -36%

Minnesota

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Duluth $49,000 940 +3%
Mankato $48,000 300 -19%
Minneapolis $52,000 11,660 -13%
Rochester $45,000 700 -2%
St Cloud $53,000 440 -33%

Mississippi

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Gulfport $45,000 780 +4%
Hattiesburg $39,000 460 +21%
Jackson $42,000 1,990 +8%
Pascagoula $43,000 470 +57%

Missouri

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Cape Girardeau $42,000 370 +29%
Columbia $41,000 630 +16%
Jefferson City $39,000 870 +74%
Joplin $42,000 550 +2%
Kansas City $46,000 7,300 -4%
Springfield $45,000 960 -30%
St Joseph $38,000 420 +26%
St Louis $51,000 11,250 +13%

Montana

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Billings $40,000 940 +63%
Great Falls $50,000 350 +51%
Missoula $51,000 250 -27%

Nebraska

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Lincoln $70,000 860 -25%
Omaha $44,000 2,760 -21%

Nevada

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Las Vegas $49,000 3,440 -46%

New Hampshire

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Manchester $51,000 610 -15%
Nashua $51,000 1,070 +10%
Rochester $48,000 430 +22%

New Jersey

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Atlantic City $62,000 1,470 +43%
Camden $64,000 4,520 +16%
Edison $65,000 10,770 +40%
Newark $69,000 9,860 +32%
Ocean City $64,000 520 +98%
Trenton $66,000 2,000 +21%
Vineland $62,000 580 +45%

New Mexico

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Albuquerque $59,000 2,040 -28%
Farmington $48,000 390 +21%
Las Cruces $59,000 780 +82%

New York

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Albany $59,000 4,140 +24%
Binghamton $59,000 780 -1%
Buffalo $56,000 3,790 -8%
Elmira $61,000 350 +45%
Glens Falls $58,000 690 +102%
Ithaca $64,000 320 +22%
Kingston $72,000 750 +87%
Nassau $86,000 12,210 +29%
New York $75,000 36,700 -6%
Poughkeepsie $67,000 2,990 +66%
Rochester $57,000 5,650 +51%
Syracuse $66,000 2,630 +14%
Utica $56,000 1,240 +41%

North Carolina

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Asheville $45,000 1,590 +25%
Charlotte $47,000 4,890 -23%
Durham $47,000 1,140 -44%
Fayetteville $39,000 1,140 +28%
Greensboro $47,000 1,170 -55%
Greenville $44,000 470 +4%
Hickory $42,000 560 -46%
Raleigh $48,000 3,700 -3%
Wilmington $44,000 960 -1%
Winston Salem $44,000 2,030 +33%

North Dakota

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Bismarck $44,000 390 -11%
Fargo $47,000 600 -30%
Grand Forks $47,000 380 +21%

Ohio

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Akron $58,000 3,200 +35%
Canton $52,000 1,860 +56%
Cincinnati $56,000 7,680 +1%
Cleveland $63,000 9,300 +22%
Columbus $58,000 5,960 -13%
Dayton $54,000 2,870 +2%
Lima $50,000 300 -12%
Mansfield $49,000 620 +83%
Sandusky $55,000 240 +10%
Springfield $54,000 630 +102%
Toledo $48,000 2,080 -4%
Youngstown $53,000 2,280 +39%

Oklahoma

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Lawton $42,000 350 +34%
Oklahoma City $44,000 3,830 -11%
Tulsa $46,000 2,690 -15%

Oregon

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Bend $48,000 490 +16%
Eugene $51,000 380 -62%
Medford $56,000 570 +8%
Portland $56,000 6,110 -20%
Salem $48,000 1,210 +14%

Pennsylvania

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Allentown $58,000 3,810 +49%
Altoona $47,000 790 +96%
Erie $54,000 1,630 +80%
Harrisburg $58,000 2,190 -7%
Johnstown $55,000 460 +24%
Lancaster $59,000 1,700 -1%
Philadelphia $61,000 17,840 +25%
Pittsburgh $54,000 9,710 +13%
Reading $59,000 2,030 +70%
Scranton $57,000 2,020 +6%
State College $50,000 310 -26%
Williamsport $55,000 440 +30%
York $57,000 1,490 +18%

Rhode Island

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Providence $63,000 5,390 +30%

South Carolina

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Anderson $48,000 410 +10%
Charleston $51,000 1,630 -23%
Columbia $52,000 3,210 +24%
Florence $47,000 480 -11%
Greenville $46,000 1,070 -51%
Spartanburg $52,000 900 +11%
Sumter $46,000 220 +8%

South Dakota

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Rapid City $44,000 410 -4%
Sioux Falls $40,000 730 -26%

Tennessee

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Chattanooga $49,000 1,420 -14%
Clarksville $45,000 600 +13%
Jackson $48,000 330 -15%
Johnson City $47,000 490 +1%
Kingsport $48,000 790 -7%
Knoxville $48,000 1,810 -26%
Memphis $48,000 4,630 +1%
Morristown $43,000 260 -12%
Nashville $46,000 4,580 -17%

Texas

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Abilene $43,000 550 +30%
Amarillo $49,000 900 +21%
Austin $51,000 6,870 +17%
Beaumont $49,000 1,720 +49%
Brownsville $50,000 1,640 +78%
College Station $48,000 820 +29%
Corpus Christi $49,000 1,600 +25%
Dallas $57,000 18,860 +20%
El Paso $53,000 3,880 +95%
Fort Worth $56,000 8,500 +32%
Houston $56,000 24,730 +25%
Killeen $50,000 1,510 +66%
Laredo 1,090 +104%
Longview $45,000 880 +33%
Lubbock $45,000 840 -5%
Mcallen $55,000 4,250 +155%
San Angelo $53,000 710 +168%
San Antonio $56,000 8,340 +28%
Sherman $51,000 600 +127%
Texarkana $46,000 510 +43%
Tyler $47,000 840 +35%
Victoria $48,000 360 +16%
Waco $46,000 1,280 +85%
Wichita Falls $47,000 900 +146%

Utah

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Logan $50,000 420 +37%
Ogden $49,000 440 -69%
Provo $52,000 1,040 -15%
Salt Lake City $43,000 3,630 -20%

Vermont

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Burlington $56,000 740 -5%

Virginia

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Blacksburg $50,000 330 -18%
Charlottesville $58,000 800 +35%
Danville $53,000 450 +108%
Lynchburg $45,000 870 +27%
Richmond $54,000 3,910 -15%
Roanoke $52,000 1,050 -6%
Virginia Beach $58,000 5,450 -4%

Washington

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Bellingham $56,000 450 -10%
Bremerton $58,000 510 -10%
Kennewick $62,000 590 -15%
Longview $60,000 200 -3%
Mount Vernon $58,000 290 +2%
Olympia $60,000 570 -17%
Seattle $61,000 5,210 -50%
Spokane $58,000 950 -36%
Tacoma $59,000 1,560 -19%
Wenatchee $60,000 280 +14%
Yakima $56,000 560 -2%

West Virginia

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Charleston $43,000 1,000 -3%
Huntington $48,000 830 +4%
Parkersburg $46,000 440 -4%
Wheeling $47,000 730 +68%

Wisconsin

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Appleton $53,000 1,710 +113%
Eau Claire $49,000 600 +20%
Janesville $50,000 430 +2%
La Crosse $52,000 810 +67%
Madison $49,000 1,870 -25%
Milwaukee $55,000 3,760 -39%
Oshkosh $53,000 370 -39%
Racine $50,000 1,180 +134%
Sheboygan $54,000 380 +3%
Wausau $46,000 420 -6%
*FOOTNOTES: Job Facts salary and numbers data is based on US Department of Labor Statistics data for 2011. Other data on page may be from earlier years. Typical salary is given as median salary, where 50% in the job make more and 50% less. Salary range is Job Hunt's estimates of typical starting salary as being at the 10th percentile of reported pay and typical top end salary, for the most senior workers, as being at the 90th. Job openings is an estimate of new jobs every year due to growth plus those leaving the field. Where NA is given data is not available. Suggested studies is based on Job Hunt research, suggesting a minimum degree level that is judged to offer the best opportunities for entry-level employment. This Secondary School Teachers schools and career page was originally researched by CityTownInfo.com.