1Pay
$72,040
Above the middle on pay
2025 national median. Above the middle of ChooseField careers for pay.
Education · Career brief
High School Teacher
Is it a good career to pursue?
The 30-second read
High School Teacher at a glance
Six signals to look at before you spend time on the full guide.
2Demand
-0.2%
Projected employment decline
Projected employment growth for 2025–2035. Below the middle of ChooseField careers for growth.
3Openings
63,500
Exceptional hiring volume
Average openings per year in 2025–2035, including replacement hiring. Top 10% for openings among careers on ChooseField.
4Route in
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is typically expected
Bachelor's degree. Prior related work is not typically required.
5The work
People-centered
Helping, teaching, or working directly with people matters
Prepare students for later grades by encouraging them to explore learning opportunities and to persevere with challenging tasks.
6The catch
Know this first
What could make this a poor fit
BLS projects employment to shrink 0.2% from 2025 to 2035. Openings can still occur when existing workers leave.
ChooseField take
The standout national signal is opening volume; it ranks in the top quarter of ChooseField careers. It makes the most sense if people-centered work appeals to you and you are comfortable with a bachelor's-degree path. Main tradeoff: BLS projects employment to shrink 0.2% from 2025 to 2035. Openings can still occur when existing workers leave.
National labor-market measures: BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. Work-profile signals: O*NET. See sources and caveats.
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Market and path
Pay, outlook, and the route in
National median pay (2025)
$72,040
A midpoint for workers nationwide, not a starting salary.
2025–2035 outlook
-0.2%employment growth63,500openings per year
Openings include replacement hiring, not only newly created jobs.
Typical entry route
Bachelor's degree
BLS reports the usual education, related experience, and on-the-job training, not a guaranteed minimum for every employer.
2025 employment
1,087,500
Estimated workers in this occupation across the United States.
Source: BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 occupational projections ↗ · Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education (25-2031).
Actual responsibilities
What you would be trusted to own
Selected O*NET task statements, not a list of traits that applies to almost every career.
- 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.
- Adapt teaching methods and instructional materials to meet students' varying needs and interests.
- Prepare, administer, and grade tests and assignments to evaluate students' progress.
Decision-changing realities
What could make this a poor fit
- BLS projects employment to shrink 0.2% from 2025 to 2035. Openings can still occur when existing workers leave.
- The work routinely happens in close physical proximity to other people; personal space is limited.
Work profile
What the work emphasizes
O*NET importance scores. Bars are relative to the highest score shown within this chart.
- Training and Teaching Others4.7
- Coaching and Developing Others4.5
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems4.4
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships4.4
- Developing Objectives and Strategies4.2
Interest profile
Career interests
O*NET interest scores describe work someone may enjoy, not personality requirements. Bars are relative to the highest score shown within this chart.
Relative mix of the interest scores below, not percentages of your workday.
- Social7.0
- Artistic3.8
- Conventional3.6
- Investigative3.2
- Enterprising2.9
- Realistic2.7
Preparation
What the training must make you competent at
Subject matter
Computers and Electronics
Psychology
Sociology and Anthropology
History and Archeology
Before choosing the major or training
Run a cheaper test first
- Tutor the same learner more than once, check what they actually understood, and change the explanation when the first approach fails.
- Ask an early-career worker which beginner task consumes the most time, what makes new hires quit, and what school or training failed to simulate.
Field-specific evidence
What changes the picture
Turnover is central to the market
15.1%
Teacher movers plus leavers in Learning Policy Institute's national turnover analysis.
Learning Policy Institute · Latest national analysis ↗The fuller career guide
How the evidence fits together
The tradeoff that matters most
Teaching shows why growth and openings are not the same thing. Replacement demand remains substantial, and turnover is a major part of the market. Working conditions and retention belong in the decision, not just the employment-growth percentage.
Common questions
Questions people ask about this career
Is teaching still a good career?
Consider this field if its core work interests you: teach one or more subjects to students at the secondary school level. Try an introductory project, class, or permitted observation before committing to training. Compare the actual cost and required experience with entry-level work available where you plan to live.
Why is there a teacher shortage?
There is no single cause across districts and subjects. Retirement, turnover, certification, budgets, and location can leave positions hard to fill. Ask which jobs stay vacant and why teachers leave; a national growth rate does not explain local conditions.
Teacher salary
The national median annual wage in May 2025 was $72,040. This is a benchmark rather than an expected starting salary; actual compensation varies by experience, location, employer, specialty, credentials, and hours.
Is teaching worth it?
Compare your district's actual starting salary, benefits, preparation cost, certification route, and workload. Ask teachers how much planning, grading, and communication happens outside scheduled class hours. Decide using the job and school you could enter, not a national average or an idealized picture of teaching.
Adjacent options
Compare before committing
The useful question is not whether one field wins overall, but what changes when you choose a nearby path. Explore the full career guides for Elementary School Teacher, Preschool Teacher, Mental Health Counselor, Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education.
Elementary School Teacher
- Median pay
- $63,970
- Growth
- -0.4%
Bachelor's degree
Compare side by side →Preschool Teacher
- Median pay
- $38,140
- Growth
- 4.5%
Associate's degree
Compare side by side →Mental Health Counselor
- Median pay
- $59,350
- Growth
- 18.4%
Specialty requirements need verification
Compare side by side →Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education
- Median pay
- $62,680
- Growth
- -0.3%
Bachelor's degree
Compare side by side →Sources
- BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 occupational projections and worker characteristics: pay, employment, openings, education, experience, and training for occupation 25-2031.
- O*NET 25-2031.00 occupation summary: tasks, knowledge, work context, and technologies.
- Learning Policy Institute: Latest national analysis.