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Public School Districts
New York City Public Schools, Los Angeles Unified School District, Chicago Public Schools
Home / All Jobs / Education / Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education
Secondary school teachers spend their days teaching a subject, but the job is really a mix of lesson planning, grading, behavior management, and regular contact with families and school staff. The work is distinct because every class can include students with very different reading levels, motivations, and behavior needs, so the teacher has to adjust constantly. The tradeoff is clear: the role offers steady hiring and a predictable school schedule, but pay is only moderate and the long-term job count is projected to slip slightly.
Also known as High School TeacherSecondary TeacherHigh School EducatorClassroom TeacherSubject Teacher
Median Salary
$64,580
Mean $73,700
U.S. Workforce
~1.1M
66.2K openings per year
10-Year Growth
+-1.6%
1094.5K to 1076.7K
Entry Education
Bachelor's degree
+ None experience
What This Role Looks Like in Practice
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education sits in the Education category. In practical terms, this role combines day-to-day execution, cross-team coordination, and consistent decision-making under real business constraints.
U.S. employment is currently about ~1.1M workers, with a median annual pay of $64,580 and roughly 66.2K openings each year. Based on BLS projections, total employment is expected to decline from 1094.5 K in 2024 to 1076.7K in 2034.
Most hiring paths start with Bachelor's degree, and employers typically expect none of related experience. Many careers in this track begin around Teacher Resident / Student Teacher and can progress toward Instructional Coach / Assistant Principal. High-value skills usually include Instructing, Active Listening, and Learning Strategies, paired with soft skills such as Patience, Clear communication, and Organization.
Core Responsibilities
- Plan lessons and units with other teachers so class time follows the school curriculum.
- Teach classes, explain new material, answer questions, and keep students on task.
- Change assignments, examples, and support materials so students with different needs can keep up.
- Grade homework, quizzes, and tests, then update records and required reports.
Keep exploring: more Education careers or browse all job titles.
A Day in the Life
01 Plan lessons and units with other teachers so class time follows the school curriculum.
02 Teach classes, explain new material, answer questions, and keep students on task.
03 Change assignments, examples, and support materials so students with different needs can keep up.
04 Grade homework, quizzes, and tests, then update records and required reports.
05 Meet with parents, counselors, and administrators to talk through academic or behavior problems.
06 Attend training, staff meetings, and workshops, and supervise the safe use of classroom or lab equipment.
Industries That Hire
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Charter School Networks
KIPP, Success Academy Charter Schools, IDEA Public Schools
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Private Schools
Phillips Academy, Sidwell Friends School, Deerfield Academy
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Online Schools & Virtual Academies
K12, Connections Academy, Stride
Pros and Cons
Advantages
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A bachelor's degree is the standard entry point, and no prior work experience is required, which makes the path fairly direct.
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Schools need a lot of teachers: the role has about 66.2K annual openings, even with only modest overall growth.
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Median pay is $64,580, with a mean of $73,700, so compensation is predictable and usually tied to a salary schedule.
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The work is varied day to day, mixing teaching, coaching, grading, and problem-solving instead of repetitive desk work.
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The school calendar often brings summers, holidays, and breaks that make time off easier to plan than in many year-round jobs.
Challenges
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The pay is only moderate for a degree-required job, and a lot of the work happens outside class time in grading and planning.
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Employment is projected to fall by 1.6% from 1,094.5K to 1,076.7K by 2034, so long-term expansion is limited.
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Classroom behavior can be hard to manage, especially when students have very different skill levels and attention spans.
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Paperwork, reports, meetings, and parent conferences can take up a large share of the week and cut into teaching time.
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Career growth can flatten out unless you move into coaching or administration, which usually means more responsibility for only a modest pay jump.
Career Progression
Teacher Resident / Student Teacher
0-2 years
$0K-$38K
Learns classroom routines, co-teaches lessons, and handles smaller pieces of instruction under close supervision.
Secondary School Teacher
2-6 years
$58K-$74K
Runs a full class load, grades work, meets families, and manages a roster of students independently.
Lead Teacher / Mentor Teacher THIS ROLE
6-10 years
$75K-$91K
Helps newer teachers, shapes curriculum, and takes on more complex classes or schoolwide projects.
Department Chair
10-15 years
$92K-$110K
Coordinates teachers in one subject area, reviews curriculum, and helps handle scheduling or performance issues.
Instructional Coach / Assistant Principal
12+ years
$111K-$140K
Supports teaching quality across classrooms or moves into broader school leadership, discipline, and program oversight.
Education Paths
Bachelor's degree
The standard entry point, held by 76.97% of workers in this role, usually in education or in the subject area being taught.
Post-baccalaureate certificate or teacher preparation program
A post-baccalaureate certificate is a common alternative route for licensed candidates, and 7.76% of workers report this level.
Master's degree
A master's degree is less common, at 3.53%, but it can help teachers qualify for higher pay steps or specialized assignments.
Alternative certification and state teaching license
Some districts also hire career changers who complete an alternative certification program and earn a state teaching license after a bachelor's degree.
Key Skills
Technical
Instructing 82%
Active Listening 80%
Learning Strategies 80%
Reading Comprehension 80%
Speaking 80%
Critical Thinking 78%
Monitoring 78%
Social Perceptiveness 78%
Google Classroom, Canvas & Schoology 76%
PowerSchool, Infinite Campus & Student Information Systems 76%
Lesson Planning, Curriculum Mapping & Rubrics 74%
Classroom Management & Behavior Tracking Tools 74%
Soft Skills
PatienceClear communicationOrganizationEmpathyConflict resolutionAdaptability Job Outlook and Trends
+-1.6%
Projected growth (2024-2034)
66.2K
Annual job openings
Employment is projected to rise from 1094.5K to 1076.7 K over the next decade, representing -1.6% growth. Around 66.2 K openings per year include both newly created roles and replacement hiring from turnover.
Remote availability is currently Rare. Demand remains strongest where employers need practical domain knowledge plus modern workflow and data skills.