Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education

Education and TrainingO*NET 25-2031.00United States

Teach one or more subjects to students at the secondary school level.

COMING SOON See related ASU learning

Median annual earnings: $71,893
Projected change: +2.1%
Typical education: Bachelor's degree
Employment: 1.07M jobs

Explore this career by location

Compare nationwide estimates with state or county job-market data.

Showing United States

State

County

Loading available locations…

Build the skills

ASU learning related to this career

These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.

The work

What secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education do

Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.

Prepare students for later grades by encouraging them to explore learning opportunities and to persevere with challenging tasks.
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.
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.
Establish clear objectives for all lessons, units, and projects, and communicate those objectives to students.
Prepare objectives and outlines for courses of study, following curriculum guidelines or requirements of states and schools.
Observe and evaluate students' performance, behavior, social development, and physical health.
Plan and conduct activities for a balanced program of instruction, demonstration, and work time that provides students with opportunities to observe, question, and investigate.
Guide and counsel students with adjustments, academic problems, or special academic interests.
Use computers, audio-visual aids, and other equipment and materials to supplement presentations.
Assign and grade class work and homework.
Maintain accurate and complete student records as required by laws, district policies, and administrative regulations.
Enforce all administration policies and rules governing students.
Confer with parents or guardians, other teachers, counselors, and administrators to resolve students' behavioral and academic problems.
Confer with other staff members to plan and schedule lessons promoting learning, following approved curricula.
Prepare and implement remedial programs for students requiring extra help.
Provide students with disabilities with assistive devices, supportive technology, and assistance accessing facilities such as restrooms.
Meet with other professionals to discuss individual students' needs and progress.
Meet with parents and guardians to discuss their children's progress and to determine priorities for their children and their resource needs.
Prepare reports on students and activities as required by administration.
Collaborate with other teachers and administrators in the development, evaluation, and revision of secondary school programs.
Instruct and monitor students in the use of equipment and materials to prevent injuries and damage.
Prepare for assigned classes, and show written evidence of preparation upon request of immediate supervisors.
Attend professional meetings, educational conferences, and teacher training workshops to maintain and improve professional competence.
Plan and supervise class projects, field trips, visits by guest speakers, or other experiential activities, and guide students in learning from those activities.
Attend staff meetings and serve on committees, as required.
Sponsor extracurricular activities, such as clubs, student organizations, and academic contests.
Administer standardized ability and achievement tests, and interpret results to determine students' strengths and needs.

Pay and outlook

What the job pays and where it is heading

Annual earnings range

Reported earnings by percentile, United States

10th percentile: $48,500
25th percentile: $59,743
50th percentile: $71,893
75th percentile: $92,582
90th percentile: $108,375

The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $71,893 and half earn less.

Employment outlook

2025 to 2035 projection

+2.1%average or slower

20251,069,538 jobs

2035 projected1,092,255 jobs

22,717 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.

Preparation

Education levels

What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.

Bachelor's degree: 84.7%
Master's or Professional degree: 11.3%
Associate degree: 4%

Skills

Skills employers ask for

Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.

Lesson Planning
Classroom Management
Curriculum Development
Mathematics Education
Learning Styles
Differentiated Instruction
Instructional Strategies
Educational Assessment
Special Education
Individualized Education Programs (IEP)
Student Engagement
Social Studies
Science Education
Physical Education
Parent Communication
Behavior Management
Pedagogy
Effective Communication
Data Analysis
Formative And Summative Assessments

How the work gets done

Core competencies

Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.

Instructing: Teaching others how to do something.
Learning Strategies: Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Active Learning: Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Complex Problem Solving: Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Time Management: Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.
Persuasion: Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Systems Evaluation: Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
Systems Analysis: Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
Negotiation: Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
Mathematics: Using mathematics to solve problems.

In the market

Job titles and employers

Recent job postings in United States

Common job titles

01Mathematics Teachers6,821 postings
02Science Teachers5,039 postings
03Social Studies Teachers4,065 postings
04High School Mathematics Teachers3,943 postings
05English Teachers3,898 postings
06Physical Education Teachers3,745 postings
07Spanish Teachers3,356 postings
08High School Teachers3,092 postings
09High School Science Teachers2,789 postings
10High School English Teachers2,136 postings
11ESL Teachers2,008 postings
12Teachers1,903 postings
13High School Social Studies Teachers1,471 postings
14English Language Arts Teachers1,450 postings
15After School Instructors1,429 postings
16After School Teachers1,428 postings
17Secondary Teachers1,409 postings
18High School Spanish Teachers1,129 postings
19Ela Teachers1,111 postings
20Middle School Teachers1,109 postings

Top employers

01Edjoin.Org4,171 postings
02EMIT Learning1,257 postings
03Success Academy Charter Schools989 postings
04Concorde Education897 postings
05Alabama Department Of Education828 postings
06Soliant Health804 postings
07Chicago Public Schools739 postings
08Amergis624 postings
09Wayne-Finger Lakes Boces570 postings
10YMCA564 postings
11Charter Schools USA557 postings
12Montgomery County Public Schools504 postings
13Accel Schools475 postings
14Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools468 postings
15Hawaii State Department Of Education456 postings
16Uncommon Schools441 postings
17Fusion Academy430 postings
18Fusion423 postings
19State Of West Virginia415 postings
20Tennessee Board of Regents414 postings

Keep looking

Adapted Physical Education Specialists

Median pay: $76,231
Employment outlook: +4.6%

Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors

Median pay: $61,283
Employment outlook: −9.8%

Agricultural Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary

Median pay: $84,440
Employment outlook: +9.1%

Anthropology and Archeology Teachers, Postsecondary

Median pay: $84,440
Employment outlook: +9.1%