Career
Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education
Teach teenagers a subject in depth, and help them grow into capable adults.
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- Prepare students for later grades by encouraging them to explore learning opportunities and to persevere with challenging tasks.
- Instruct through lectures, discussions, and demonstrations in one or more subjects, such as English, mathematics, or social studies.
- Establish and enforce rules for behavior and procedures for maintaining order among students.
- Prepare materials and classrooms for class activities.
- Adapt teaching methods and instructional materials to meet students' varying needs and interests.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on people & care, then creation & expression?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“Prepare students for later grades by encouraging them to explore learning opportunities and to persevere with challenging tasks.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Instructing, Active Listening, Reading Comprehension, Learning Strategies.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
4 years of education after high school (bachelor's degree), for a median of $72,040 a year and 63,500 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- BiologySee the degree →
- Teaching (by Grade Level)See the degree →
- Political ScienceSee the degree →
- EconomicsSee the degree →
- EnglishSee the degree →
- HistorySee the degree →
- Fine and Studio ArtsSee the degree →
- MathematicsSee the degree →
- Teaching (by Subject)See the degree →
- MusicSee the degree →
- ChemistrySee the degree →
- Romance LanguagesSee the degree →
- PhysicsSee the degree →
- Social SciencesSee the degree →
- LinguisticsSee the degree →
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$64,370 · -0.4%
- Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education$63,970 · -0.4%
- Tutors$43,350 · -0.2%
- Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors$61,540 · -13.9%
- Special Education Teachers, Secondary School$74,260 · -0.2%
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
Not sure this fits who you are? Start with Vocational Finder →
Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.