Career-PathGPS
← All education and training
Career

Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education

Typical education: Bachelor's degreeModerate pressure

What they do

Teach one or more subjects to students at the middle, intermediate, or junior high school level.

Kinds of work

  • Social: Helping, teaching, caring for and supporting other people.
  • Artistic: Creating, designing and expressing ideas through art, writing, music or performance.
  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.

Moderate pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $64,370 Median per year Most earn $48,080–$102,540

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Supervise, evaluate, and plan assignments for teacher assistants and volunteers.
  • Attend professional meetings, educational conferences, and teacher training workshops to maintain and improve professional competence.
  • Prepare, administer, and grade tests and assignments to evaluate students' progress.
  • Meet or correspond with parents or guardians to discuss children's progress and to determine priorities and resource needs.
  • Attend staff meetings and serve on staff committees, as required.
  • Observe and evaluate students' performance, behavior, social development, and physical health.

Job outlook

United States
About the same number of jobs by 2035, little or no change · about 38,800 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Elementary and secondary schools98.9%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 6 months to 1 year

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: Bachelor's degreeExperience before this job: 6 months to 1 year

Middle school teaching usually isn't a job you start straight out of school. Most people finish a bachelor's degree and a teaching license, often spend some time in a classroom support role first, and reach this job in about 5 to 6 years after high school.

  1. Bachelor's degree in education (or in a subject you want to teach, plus teacher preparation)

    4 years

    You study teaching methods, child development, and your subject area, and you complete student teaching in a real classroom, which is required to earn a state teaching license.

  2. Substitute Teacher or Teaching Assistant

    6 months to 1 year

    You gain hands-on experience managing a class, planning lessons, and building relationships with students, which employers look for when hiring.

  3. Middle School Teacher

    Ongoing

    You teach one or more subjects to students in grades about 6 to 8 after earning your state license and passing any required certification exams.

Where it can lead

  1. Lead Teacher or Department Chair

    3-5 years of experience first

    You take on extra responsibility, such as mentoring newer teachers and leading a subject team's planning, while still teaching most of your day.

  2. Instructional Coordinator

    5+ years of experience first

    You shift from teaching students to helping teachers improve curriculum and instruction across a school or district, which usually calls for a track record of strong teaching and often further education.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take strong classes in the subjects you'd like to teachSolid grades in math, English, science, or social studies build the foundation you'll need for a teaching degree.
  • Get involved in tutoring or peer mentoringHelping classmates or younger students practice explaining ideas and keeping them engaged, which is the core skill of teaching.
  • Volunteer with kidsWorking with a youth group, after-school program, or library reading program shows you how you respond to middle schoolers' energy and questions.
  • Join a club that speaks to your teaching interestsDebate, drama, or a student government role helps you practice public speaking and leading a group.
  • Look for a summer or part-time job with childrenCamp counselor or babysitting jobs build patience and classroom-style management experience.

In college

  • Major in education or your subject area with a teacher prep trackA degree that includes education courses and student teaching is the usual route to a middle school teaching license.
  • Get classroom experience earlyObserving or volunteering in a middle school during your first or second year lets you test your interest before you commit to student teaching.
  • Work as a tutor or teaching assistantPaid or volunteer tutoring builds the planning and explaining skills that employers look for and counts toward the experience this career often expects.
  • Join an education student organizationGroups for future teachers offer networking, guest speakers, and leadership roles that look good on applications.
  • Learn about your state's licensing examsKnowing which tests you'll need to pass and when helps you plan your coursework and avoid delays after graduation.

Tips for getting started

  • Spend time around kids now. Tutoring, camp counseling, or coaching gives you real experience and shows you whether you enjoy working with middle schoolers, who can be a very different age group from younger or older students.
  • Ask a teacher you respect if you can shadow them for a day or talk with you about the job. Hearing the real daily routine helps you decide if this career fits you.
  • Check your state's teaching license requirements early, since they vary by state and can shape which classes and student teaching placements you need.

Related jobs that often lead here

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

Related careers