How to become a High School Teacher
Almost everyone who teaches high school got there through a teacher prep program or an alternative route that puts you in front of students on a provisional license. Both end at a state teaching license, and the rules for getting it differ by state. Here's how each route works in practice, and what a principal actually looks for when your application lands.
Four ways into a high school classroom
A teacher prep program with student teaching
You earn a bachelor's in your subject or in secondary education, finish a state-approved prep program, and spend a full term student teaching under a mentor teacher. It's slower, but you walk into your first job having already run a classroom, written unit plans and sat through parent conferences. Principals trust this route because they can call your cooperating teacher.
Alternative certification
If you already have a degree in math, chemistry, English or another teachable subject, many states let you teach on an intern or provisional license while you take pedagogy courses at night. You get paid from the start. The catch is that you learn classroom management live, with real students, and the first semester is rough for almost everyone who takes this road.
Career and technical education
Welders, nurses, chefs, electricians and IT people can often teach their trade in a high school CTE program. Some states license CTE teachers on the strength of industry experience and credentials, sometimes without a bachelor's degree. Check your state board, because this route varies more than any other.
Substitute teaching as the way in
A sub permit won't make you a licensed teacher, but it gets you into buildings where hiring happens. Principals remember the sub who kept a sophomore study hall calm on a Friday. Long-term sub jobs covering a parental leave are the best version, since you plan and grade like a full teacher.
The license, without the jargon
Your license has two parts that matter: the license itself and the subject endorsement on it. A biology endorsement lets you teach biology, not physics, so pick carefully. Many states use Praxis subject tests to prove content knowledge, and some add a performance assessment like edTPA during student teaching. You'll also go through a background check and fingerprinting before you're allowed near students.
Moving states is where people get caught. Reciprocity agreements help, but they rarely mean you just swap paperwork, and you may owe another test or a course. Before you commit to a program or a move, read your state department of education's licensing page yourself. Don't rely on what a recruiter or a program's admissions office tells you.
Words principals search postings and résumés for
Districts often run applications through screening software like Frontline or AppliTrack before a principal sees them, so use the same wording the posting uses, especially for your endorsement area.
Turning a duty into a result on your résumé
Taught English to high school students and managed classroom behavior.
Taught 5 sections of 10th-grade English (138 students); raised on-time essay submission from 61% to 87% in one semester by moving drafts into Google Classroom and holding 5-minute writing conferences each Friday.
What the application process really looks like
Hiring runs on the school calendar. Principals post the bulk of openings in spring after teachers announce they're leaving, and they scramble again in late summer when someone backs out. If you're applying, be ready early and keep checking into August.
Expect a screening call, a panel with the principal and a department chair, and very often a demo lesson. That demo matters more than anything on paper. Bring a short lesson with a clear objective, a quick check for understanding and a plan for the kid who won't participate. Leave a copy for each person on the panel.
The part of the job nobody puts in the posting
Teaching teenagers is a lot of fun on a good day. They argue back, they get your jokes, and some of them will remember your class for the rest of their lives. You also get summers that don't look like anyone else's schedule.
The grind is real, though. Grading essays happens at your kitchen table on Sunday night. Parent emails arrive at all hours, and you'll supervise lunch, cover hallways and sit through IEP meetings on your planning period. Pay moves on a fixed salary schedule set by the district, so a great year and an average year pay the same. Your first year is the hardest one, and plenty of good teachers nearly quit during it. It does get better once you have units you've already built and a reputation students hear about before they walk in.
What High School Teacher postings ask for
Hiring the most
- KIPP52
- Uncommon Schools31
- "Stride, Inc"24
- Dev29
- ACCEL Schools8
Remote
8% of openings are fully remote.
Posted pay
$65,000 – $103,000
Typical range in the 7 of the newest 60 postings that list pay.
Questions people ask
Can I teach high school without an education degree?
Often, yes. Many states accept a bachelor's in your subject plus an approved alternative certification program, and you teach on a provisional license while you finish it. You'll still need to pass the state's required tests and background check. Rules vary by state, so start with your state department of education's licensing page.
Do high school teachers need a master's degree?
Most states don't require one to start. Some require it later to move to a higher-level or professional license, and nearly every district pays more for it on the salary schedule. If your district pays for the lane change, a master's usually earns back its cost. If you're paying on your own for a degree you don't need, think twice.
Which subjects are easiest to get hired in?
Math, physics, chemistry, special education and CTE areas are hard for schools to fill in most places, so you'll hear back faster. Social studies and English attract a lot of applicants, which means you'll compete harder for the same job. Adding a second endorsement, like special education or English as a second language, makes you easier to schedule and easier to hire.
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