PathMosaic
Career card

Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education

Also called: English Teacher, Math Teacher (Mathematics Teacher), Social Studies Teacher, Teacher

Teach one or more subjects to students at the secondary school level.

Share on LinkedIn Download images

LinkedIn posts a link with a summary picture. Images: two pictures to save or post. PDF: the whole card. More

Median pay BLS, 2025$72,040
Openings a year BLS, 2025–3563,500
Typical education to start BLSBachelor's degree
AI exposure BLS, Aug 2026 High
Projected job growth BLS, 2025–35 -0.2%

What the data says: AI could halve the time on 17 of its 32 tasks, and jobs are projected to shrink 0.2% 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, 1.0% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Secondary 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.

How to read these

Pay compared with all occupations BLS median wages Pays more than 63% of 825 occupations
lowest-paidhighest-paid

Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates

$49k$103knot published

Median pay in every state
StateMedianMiddle half earnJobs
Alabama$61,990$51,240 to $72,47015,880
Alaska$79,650$78,250 to $97,8802,790
Arizona$58,360$49,670 to $64,89021,190
Arkansas$59,660$51,410 to $62,27012,890
California$101,370$79,710 to $125,92099,230
Colorado$72,900$60,860 to $83,79018,310
Connecticut$80,970$62,800 to $101,26014,800
Delaware$77,960$61,690 to $82,4605,360
District of Columbia$82,750$66,480 to $102,3202,800
Florida$60,410$52,340 to $64,77049,810
Georgia$75,480$60,950 to $79,24025,730
Guam$62,860$45,700 to $76,940680
Hawaii$74,310$59,270 to $81,2205,590
Idaho$61,690$50,070 to $78,2806,570
Illinois$79,990$62,330 to $104,67044,670
Indiana$61,880$51,580 to $77,43020,430
Iowa$61,200$49,390 to $73,97012,310
Kansas$59,920$49,440 to $64,16010,860
Kentucky$61,560$49,990 to $75,29012,780
Louisiana$59,850$49,390 to $62,58015,210
Maine$64,880$50,870 to $79,9205,540
Maryland$78,670$62,300 to $98,69016,640
Massachusetts$95,260$77,890 to $102,53028,460
Michigan$66,030$57,670 to $81,23025,540
Minnesota$76,460$60,620 to $97,40016,020
Mississippi$50,980$47,750 to $60,36010,400
Missouri$59,240$47,680 to $71,00024,380
Montana$60,990$47,420 to $74,4703,670
Nebraska$63,450$60,740 to $76,0707,170
Nevada$65,520$54,850 to $83,1908,920
New Hampshire$77,060$60,860 to $81,9805,860
New Jersey$82,200$75,790 to $102,41038,140
New Mexico$75,900$63,190 to $79,5508,120
New York$97,070$76,050 to $131,98070,660
North Carolina$57,650$47,760 to $60,74028,620
North Dakota$61,210$50,260 to $74,4003,070
Ohio$78,800$61,170 to $97,52049,540
Oklahoma$48,710$46,860 to $59,72015,480
Oregon$79,570$61,990 to $96,14011,730
Pennsylvania$78,800$61,750 to $92,98052,240
Puerto Rico$59,100$50,880 to $60,7305,640
Rhode Island$92,610$66,470 to $97,2304,910
South Carolina$62,580$55,790 to $76,60016,080
South Dakota$51,050$48,180 to $59,5003,360
Tennessee$61,860$52,870 to $73,74021,230
Texas$63,590$61,390 to $73,720111,660
Utah$76,330$61,660 to $83,41011,030
Vermont$76,220$60,660 to $80,5102,450
Virgin Islands$59,520$51,170 to $59,920380
Virginia$72,170$60,250 to $83,82031,100
Washington$102,670$81,360 to $121,10014,880
West Virginia$56,610$52,200 to $60,8703,590
Wisconsin$62,870$58,910 to $77,42015,910
Wyoming$62,690$60,490 to $74,9501,600

Nationally: $72,040. 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 32 tasks

5 · AI alone could halve the time 12 · AI + software built on it could 15 · Not much
AI ratingIts main tasks Share of Claude conversations
May 2026
Not much Prepare students for later grades by encouraging them to explore learning opportunities and to persevere with challenging tasks. Not published
Not much Establish and enforce rules for behavior and procedures for maintaining order among students. Not published
Not much Prepare materials and classrooms for class activities. Not published
AI + software Adapt teaching methods and instructional materials to meet students' varying needs and interests. Not published
AI alone Instruct through lectures, discussions, and demonstrations in one or more subjects, such as English, mathematics, or social studies. Not published
AI + software Prepare, administer, and grade tests and assignments to evaluate students' progress. Not published
See all 32 tasks
AI alone Establish clear objectives for all lessons, units, and projects, and communicate those objectives to students. 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
AI + software Use computers, audio-visual aids, and other equipment and materials to supplement presentations. Not published
AI + software Prepare objectives and outlines for courses of study, following curriculum guidelines or requirements of states and schools. Not published
AI + software Observe and evaluate students' performance, behavior, social development, and physical health. Not published
Not much Guide and counsel students with adjustments, academic problems, or special academic interests. Not published
AI + software Assign and grade class work and homework. 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 alone Confer with other staff members to plan and schedule lessons promoting learning, following approved curricula. Not published
AI + software Maintain accurate and complete student records as required by laws, district policies, and administrative regulations. Not published
Not much Meet with other professionals to discuss individual students' needs and progress. Not published
AI + software Meet with parents and guardians to discuss their children's progress and to determine priorities for their children and their resource needs. Not published
AI alone Prepare reports on students and activities as required by administration. Not published
Not much Attend professional meetings, educational conferences, and teacher training workshops to maintain and improve professional competence. 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 those activities. Not published
AI alone Prepare for assigned classes, and show written evidence of preparation upon request of immediate supervisors. under 0.01%
Not much Attend staff meetings and serve on committees, as required. Not published
Not much Prepare and implement remedial programs for students requiring extra help. Not published
AI + software Collaborate with other teachers and administrators in the development, evaluation, and revision of secondary school programs. Not published
Not much Select, store, order, issue, and inventory classroom equipment, materials, and supplies. Not published
Not much Sponsor extracurricular activities, such as clubs, student organizations, and academic contests. Not published
Not much Instruct and monitor students in the use of equipment and materials to prevent injuries and damage. Not published
AI + software Provide students with disabilities with assistive devices, supportive technology, and assistance accessing facilities such as restrooms. Not published
AI + software Administer standardized ability and achievement tests, and interpret results to determine students' strengths and needs. Not published
Not much Perform administrative duties, such as school library assistance, hall and cafeteria monitoring, and bus loading and unloading. 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. 1 of the 32 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 32 tasks fall under 22 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.

Tasks AI could speed up17 of 32 tasksEloundou et al. ratings (2023)
Its activities among the 50 people ask AI for help with most4 of 22 activities
  • #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
Microsoft Copilot (2024), ranked among all 332 activities. The cut-off of 50 is ours.
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 2.52#181 2.47#121
Monitor individual behavior or performance 5.87#114 1.22#153
Assess student capabilities, needs, or performance 2.31#189 0.62#188
Prepare informational or instructional materials 73#23 195#11
Advise others on educational or vocational matters 14#74 34#36
Communicate with others about operational plans or activities 9.39#92 28#39
Collaborate in the development of educational programs 0.83#248 0.53#198
Maintain current knowledge in area of expertise 408#4 247#8
Show all 22 activities
Purchase goods or services 47#36 0.39#220
Provide support or encouragement to others 34#46 162#12
Teach academic or vocational subjects 22#54 143#14
Prepare reports of operational or procedural activities 4.23#140 2.99#113
Coordinate group, community, or public activities 3.24#162 1.26#151
Maintain operational records 2.92#170 0.49#209
Assign work to others 1.46#215 0.18#247
Assist individuals with special needs 1.29#223 1.56#139
Train others to use equipment or products 1.26#225 20#47
Distribute materials, supplies, or resources 1.10#229 12#62
Develop safety standards, policies, or procedures 0.94#238 0.93#169
Set up classrooms, facilities, educational materials, or equipment 0.80#250 0.24#237
Replenish inventories of materials, equipment, or products 0.43#276 0.10#268
Serve on organizational committees 0.21#294 0.04#288
Task: AI alone Task: AI + software Task: not much #: rank among all 332 activities Microsoft measured (#1 = most common; activities that never came up share last place, shown as “tied”)
Where the two sources differ: “Assess student capabilities, needs, or performance” holds 4 tasks rated AI + software, yet people asked AI for help with it in 2.31 of every 10,000 conversations, #189 of 332.

How people in this work use Claude

What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations

  • Teaching material48%
  • A document or report11%
  • A plan or strategy9%
  • A presentation or slides4%
  • A game or something interactive4%

How they worked with Claude

42% handed the task off58% worked on it together

38% 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 secondary 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.

AI exposure and projected job growth, 831 occupationsLow exposure: 134 of 213 occupations projected to grow. Moderate exposure: 151 of 206 occupations projected to grow. High exposure: 165 of 206 occupations projected to grow. Very high exposure: 141 of 206 occupations projected to grow.-20%-15%-10%-5%0%+5%+10%+15%+20%+25%Low134 of 213 growingModerate151 of 206 growingHigh165 of 206 growingVery high141 of 206 growing11 occupations outside −20% to +25% are drawn at the edge. Click a dot to see that occupation.Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education: -0.2%Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical EducationAI exposure and projected job growth, 831 occupationsLow exposure: 134 of 213 occupations projected to grow. Moderate exposure: 151 of 206 occupations projected to grow. High exposure: 165 of 206 occupations projected to grow. Very high exposure: 141 of 206 occupations projected to grow.-20%-15%-10%-5%0%+5%+10%+15%+20%+25%Low134 of 213Moderate151 of 206High165 of 206Very high141 of 20611 occupations outside −20% to +25% are drawn at the edge. Tap a dot.Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education: -0.2%Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education

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 48,193 moves out

  1. 1 Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education High -0.4% 11%
  2. 2 Teachers and Instructors, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 10%
  3. 3 Postsecondary Teachers, All Other Very high +2.0% 6%
  4. 4 Coaches and Scouts Moderate +6.1% 4%
  5. 5 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 3%

Where people moved in from

of 53,236 moves in

  1. 1 Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education High -0.4% 11%
  2. 2 Teachers and Instructors, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 10%
  3. 3 Coaches and Scouts Moderate +6.1% 4%
  4. 4 Postsecondary Teachers, All Other Very high +2.0% 3%
  5. 5 Retail Salespersons Very high -0.3% 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

Education people in it hold

O*NET survey of workers in this occupation

  • 4% associate's
  • 77% bachelor's
  • 8% post-bachelor's certificate
  • 4% master's
  • 8% post-master's certificate

O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 31 people answered.

Census survey (American Community Survey)

  • 3% some college
  • 2% associate's
  • 41% bachelor's
  • 49% master's
  • 3% professional degree
  • 3% doctorate

Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Secondary school teachers” · 14,046 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 “Secondary school teachers”

Programs that prepare people for it (NCES)
92 programs, such as Bilingual and Multilingual Education, Junior High/Intermediate/Middle School Education and Teaching and Secondary Education and Teaching.
See all
  • Bilingual and Multilingual Education
  • Junior High/Intermediate/Middle School Education and Teaching
  • Secondary 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
  • Driver and Safety 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
  • History Teacher Education
  • Physics Teacher Education
  • Spanish Language Teacher Education
  • Speech Teacher Education
  • Geography Teacher Education
  • Latin Teacher Education
  • Psychology 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
  • Foreign Languages and Literatures, General
  • East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General
  • Chinese Language and Literature
  • Japanese Language and Literature
  • Korean Language and Literature
  • East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other
  • Russian Language and Literature
  • Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General
  • German Language and Literature
  • Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other
  • Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General
  • French Language and Literature
  • Italian Language and Literature
  • Spanish Language and Literature
  • Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other
  • American Indian/Native American Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
  • Arabic Language and Literature
  • Hebrew Language and Literature
  • Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General
  • Ancient/Classical Greek Language and Literature
  • Latin Language and Literature
  • Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other
  • Hawaiian Language and Literature
  • Southeast Asian and Australasian/Pacific Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other
  • American Sign Language (ASL)
  • Linguistics of ASL and Other Sign Languages
  • Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other
  • Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences, General
  • English Language and Literature, General
  • Biology/Biological Sciences, General
  • Mathematics, General
  • Biological and Physical Sciences
  • Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature
  • Earth Systems Science
  • Environmental Geosciences
  • History and Language/Literature
  • Physical Sciences, General
  • Chemistry, General
  • Physics, General
  • Social Sciences, General
  • Social Sciences, Other
  • Economics, General
  • Political Science and Government, General
  • American Government and Politics (United States)
  • Canadian Government and Politics
  • Political Science and Government, Other
  • Art/Art Studies, General
  • Music, General
  • History, General
  • American History (United States)

Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023

98.9% this occupation

45.3% all occupations

By kindThis occupationAll occupations
a license98.6%19.1%
a certification0.6%5.8%
an educational certificate0.5%2.8%

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

These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide

See where your own career could go Start by uploading your resume Browse careers

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/25-2031.00

How useful is this page?

1 Not useful5 Very useful

Anonymous. Please don't include your name or contact details.