Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education
Also called: Language Arts Teacher (LA Teacher), Math Teacher (Mathematics Teacher), Science Teacher, TeacherTeach one or more subjects to students at the middle, intermediate, or junior high school level.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 17 of its 35 tasks, and jobs are projected to shrink 0.4% by 2035. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 1.7% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Elementary and middle school teachers”
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 7.8 hires for every 10 job openings in private educational services, which employs about 100% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.7.8 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $61,770 | $49,240 to $63,760 | 10,000 |
| Alaska | $78,940 | $76,170 to $96,300 | 1,150 |
| Arizona | $59,710 | $49,940 to $65,990 | 9,020 |
| Arkansas | $59,570 | $51,680 to $61,830 | 6,140 |
| California | $98,950 | $76,270 to $111,610 | 37,300 |
| Colorado | $63,760 | $59,760 to $79,560 | 13,280 |
| Connecticut | $93,610 | $65,240 to $102,380 | 7,920 |
| Delaware | $67,780 | $60,510 to $81,900 | 2,350 |
| District of Columbia | $79,900 | $78,130 to $96,830 | 1,540 |
| Florida | $58,940 | $51,750 to $63,220 | 31,370 |
| Georgia | $64,780 | $58,830 to $78,680 | 23,610 |
| Guam | $62,020 | $46,250 to $76,050 | 510 |
| Hawaii | $69,230 | $59,150 to $79,220 | 2,480 |
| Idaho | $60,930 | $50,570 to $74,510 | 2,360 |
| Illinois | $76,110 | $59,440 to $94,520 | 24,770 |
| Indiana | $60,700 | $50,170 to $74,450 | 11,700 |
| Iowa | $60,450 | $47,780 to $73,900 | 6,270 |
| Kansas | $60,580 | $50,300 to $64,320 | 6,230 |
| Kentucky | $61,120 | $48,870 to $65,150 | 8,040 |
| Louisiana | $58,760 | $48,790 to $62,310 | 5,560 |
| Maine | $63,590 | $58,820 to $75,820 | 2,780 |
| Maryland | $78,510 | $62,660 to $101,450 | 14,530 |
| Massachusetts | $89,450 | $76,190 to $100,980 | 16,570 |
| Michigan | $63,790 | $50,630 to $79,150 | 15,420 |
| Minnesota | $62,640 | $50,480 to $81,390 | 8,890 |
| Mississippi | $50,790 | $47,260 to $59,340 | 6,260 |
| Missouri | $59,310 | $47,670 to $73,640 | 11,330 |
| Montana | $61,550 | $47,730 to $75,900 | 1,980 |
| Nebraska | $62,510 | $51,310 to $76,530 | 4,150 |
| Nevada | $66,300 | $61,050 to $79,630 | 3,910 |
| New Hampshire | $71,140 | $58,840 to $80,570 | 3,120 |
| New Jersey | $78,770 | $64,310 to $98,180 | 23,650 |
| New Mexico | $75,240 | $64,080 to $77,640 | 4,260 |
| New York | $94,840 | $75,990 to $124,280 | 38,670 |
| North Carolina | $52,010 | $47,050 to $59,110 | 20,650 |
| North Dakota | $60,100 | $50,420 to $62,750 | 1,400 |
| Ohio | $77,090 | $55,620 to $93,520 | 30,450 |
| Oklahoma | $48,440 | $46,490 to $59,440 | 7,620 |
| Oregon | $78,350 | $60,870 to $94,160 | 6,940 |
| Pennsylvania | $77,930 | $61,250 to $96,600 | 22,720 |
| Puerto Rico | $52,530 | $50,930 to $60,960 | 3,490 |
| Rhode Island | $92,760 | $63,160 to $95,610 | 2,370 |
| South Carolina | $60,810 | $50,860 to $74,510 | 9,750 |
| South Dakota | $50,980 | $48,030 to $58,320 | 2,130 |
| Tennessee | $60,690 | $50,780 to $64,650 | 13,060 |
| Texas | $63,390 | $61,140 to $69,340 | 80,160 |
| Utah | $79,180 | $62,880 to $97,910 | 5,960 |
| Vermont | $73,940 | $60,830 to $81,630 | 1,620 |
| Virginia | $63,520 | $59,850 to $78,440 | 18,290 |
| Washington | $102,140 | $81,010 to $118,740 | 10,510 |
| West Virginia | $57,210 | $54,620 to $59,850 | 4,090 |
| Wisconsin | $61,960 | $51,770 to $76,510 | 14,460 |
| Wyoming | $62,480 | $60,550 to $74,060 | 1,290 |
Nationally: $64,370. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 17 of its 35 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| AI + software | Observe and evaluate students' performance, behavior, social development, and physical health. | Not published |
| Not much | Prepare materials and classrooms for class activities. | Not published |
| Not much | Establish and enforce rules for behavior and procedures for maintaining order among students. | Not published |
| AI + software | Establish clear objectives for all lessons, units, and projects, and communicate these objectives to students. | Not published |
| AI alone | Instruct through lectures, discussions, and demonstrations in one or more subjects, such as English, mathematics, or social studies. | Not published |
| Not much | Assign lessons and correct homework. | under 0.01% |
See all 35 tasks
| AI + software | Prepare, administer, and grade tests and assignments to evaluate students' progress. | Not published |
| Not much | Enforce all administration policies and rules governing students. | Not published |
| Not much | Confer with parents or guardians, other teachers, counselors, and administrators to resolve students' behavioral and academic problems. | Not published |
| AI + software | Maintain accurate, complete, and correct student records as required by laws, district policies, and administrative regulations. | Not published |
| AI + software | Plan and conduct activities for a balanced program of instruction, demonstration, and work time that provides students with opportunities to observe, question, and investigate. | Not published |
| Not much | Adapt teaching methods and instructional materials to meet students' varying needs and interests. | Not published |
| Not much | Prepare students for later grades by encouraging them to explore learning opportunities and to persevere with challenging tasks. | Not published |
| AI + software | Use computers, audio-visual aids, and other equipment and materials to supplement presentations. | Not published |
| Not much | Assist students who need extra help, such as by tutoring and preparing and implementing remedial programs. | 0.01% |
| AI alone | Meet or correspond with parents or guardians to discuss children's progress and to determine priorities and resource needs. | Not published |
| AI alone | Collaborate with other teachers and administrators in the development, evaluation, and revision of middle school programs. | Not published |
| Not much | Meet with other professionals to discuss individual students' needs and progress. | Not published |
| Not much | Instruct and monitor students in the use and care of equipment and materials to prevent injury and damage. | Not published |
| Not much | Attend staff meetings and serve on staff committees, as required. | Not published |
| AI alone | Prepare reports on students and activities as required by administration. | Not published |
| AI alone | Guide and counsel students with adjustment or academic problems, or special academic interests. | 0.01% |
| AI alone | Prepare for assigned classes and show written evidence of preparation upon request of immediate supervisors. | Not published |
| Not much | Plan and supervise class projects, field trips, visits by guest speakers, or other experiential activities, and guide students in learning from such activities. | Not published |
| Not much | Attend professional meetings, educational conferences, and teacher training workshops to maintain and improve professional competence. | Not published |
| AI + software | Prepare objectives and outlines for courses of study, following curriculum guidelines or requirements of states and schools. | Not published |
| AI alone | Confer with other staff members to plan and schedule lessons promoting learning, following approved curricula. | Not published |
| Not much | Organize and label materials and display students' work. | Not published |
| Not much | Select, store, order, issue, and inventory classroom equipment, materials, and supplies. | Not published |
| Not much | Perform administrative duties, such as school library assistance, hall and cafeteria monitoring, and bus loading and unloading. | Not published |
| Not much | Coordinate and supervise extracurricular activities, such as clubs, student organizations, and academic contests. | Not published |
| AI + software | Organize and supervise games and other recreational activities to promote physical, mental, and social development. | Not published |
| AI + software | Administer standardized ability and achievement tests, and interpret results to determine student strengths and needs. | Not published |
| Not much | Provide students with disabilities with assistive devices, supportive technology, and assistance accessing facilities, such as restrooms. | Not published |
| AI + software | Supervise, evaluate, and plan assignments for teacher assistants and volunteers. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 3 of the 35 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 35 tasks fall under 24 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #4 Maintain current knowledge in area of expertise
- #23 Prepare informational or instructional materials
- #36 Purchase goods or services
- and 1 more, in the table below
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Develop educational programs, plans, or procedures | |||
| Monitor individual behavior or performance | |||
| Assess student capabilities, needs, or performance | |||
| Prepare informational or instructional materials | |||
| Advise others on educational or vocational matters | |||
| Teach academic or vocational subjects | |||
| Communicate with others about operational plans or activities | |||
| Collaborate in the development of educational programs |
Show all 24 activities
| Set up classrooms, facilities, educational materials, or equipment | |||
| Maintain current knowledge in area of expertise | |||
| Purchase goods or services | |||
| Provide support or encouragement to others | |||
| Prepare reports of operational or procedural activities | |||
| Coordinate group, community, or public activities | |||
| Maintain operational records | |||
| Evaluate personnel capabilities or performance | |||
| Assign work to others | |||
| Assist individuals with special needs | |||
| Train others to use equipment or products | |||
| Distribute materials, supplies, or resources | |||
| Develop safety standards, policies, or procedures | |||
| Supervise personnel activities | |||
| Replenish inventories of materials, equipment, or products | |||
| Serve on organizational committees |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- Teaching material40%
- A document or report11%
- A plan or strategy9%
- An explanation or answer9%
- A presentation or slides4%
How they worked with Claude
27% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 404,197 moves out
- 1 Teachers and Instructors, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 7%
- 2 Postsecondary Teachers, All Other Very high +2.0% 6%
- 3 Coaches and Scouts Moderate +6.1% 4%
- 4 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 4%
- 5 Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary High -0.3% 3%
Where people moved in from
of 448,143 moves in
- 1 Teachers and Instructors, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 7%
- 2 Coaches and Scouts Moderate +6.1% 4%
- 3 Teacher Assistants (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 4%
- 4 Postsecondary Teachers, All Other Very high +2.0% 3%
- 5 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 3%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 10% less than high school
- 67% bachelor's
- 21% post-bachelor's certificate
- 2% master's
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 24 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 4% some college
- 2% associate's
- 44% bachelor's
- 45% master's
- 3% professional degree
- 2% doctorate
Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Elementary and middle school teachers” · 33,916 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Elementary and middle school teachers”
40 programs, such as Bilingual and Multilingual Education, Junior High/Intermediate/Middle School Education and Teaching and Teacher Education, Multiple Levels.
See all
- Bilingual and Multilingual Education
- Junior High/Intermediate/Middle School Education and Teaching
- Teacher Education, Multiple Levels
- Montessori Teacher Education
- Waldorf/Steiner Teacher Education
- Online Educator/Online Teaching
- International Teaching and Learning
- Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Educational Methods
- Art Teacher Education
- English/Language Arts Teacher Education
- Foreign Language Teacher Education
- Health Teacher Education
- Family and Consumer Sciences/Home Economics Teacher Education
- Technology Teacher Education/Industrial Arts Teacher Education
- Mathematics Teacher Education
- Music Teacher Education
- Physical Education Teaching and Coaching
- Reading Teacher Education
- Science Teacher Education/General Science Teacher Education
- Social Science Teacher Education
- Social Studies Teacher Education
- Computer Teacher Education
- Biology Teacher Education
- Chemistry Teacher Education
- Drama and Dance Teacher Education
- French Language Teacher Education
- German Language Teacher Education
- Health Occupations Teacher Education
- History Teacher Education
- Spanish Language Teacher Education
- Speech Teacher Education
- Geography Teacher Education
- Latin Teacher Education
- Earth Science Teacher Education
- Environmental Education
- Communication Arts and Literature Teacher Education
- Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language/ESL Language Instructor
- Teaching French as a Second or Foreign Language
- Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language, Other
- Social Sciences, Other
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
96.6% this occupation
45.3% all occupations
| By kind | This occupation | All occupations |
|---|---|---|
| a license | not published | |
| a certification | not published | |
| an educational certificate | not published |
Share of jobs whose employer requires it. BLS doesn't say which credential. How to read this
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeships: DOL's list of apprenticeable occupations doesn't include this one.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS
See it online, and explore any career: https://www.pathmosaic.com/card/25-2022.00