Middle School Teachers
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Speciality
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Overview
Teach one or more subjects to students at the middle, intermediate, or junior high school level.
Highlights
Undergraduate program resulting in the highest median salary ($53K): Liberal Arts
Largest undergraduate program (20.7% of workers): Elementary Education
Explore Pathways
Titles for this career often contain these words
TeacherSchoolInstructorMiddleLanguagePhysicalEnglishEducationMusicHistoryArtEducatorGradesSeventhEighthScienceBilingualArtsESLasSecondSixthHealthMathematicsMathPEGradeSocialStudiesAlgebraAmericanBandClassroomComputerFamilyConsumerSciencesFACSHomeThroughGymGymnasiumHumanitiesInstrumentalIntermediateJuniorHighLifeMontessoriOrchestraFitnessPublicReadingSpanishSubstituteVocalWorld
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Responsibilities and activities

Middle school teachers typically do the following:

  • Create lesson plans to teach students a subject
  • Assess students to evaluate their abilities, strengths, and weaknesses
  • Teach lessons they have planned to an entire class or to smaller groups
  • Grade students’ assignments and exams
  • Communicate with parents or guardians about their child’s progress
  • Work with students individually to help them overcome specific learning challenges
  • Prepare students for standardized tests required by the state
  • Develop and enforce classroom rules
  • Supervise students outside of the classroom—for example, during lunchtime or detention

Middle school typically goes from sixth to eighth grades. However, in some school districts, middle school may begin in fourth grade or extend through ninth grade.

In many schools, middle school teachers are responsible for certain subjects. For example, one teacher may teach math to several different classes of students throughout the day. However, other middle school teachers instruct on every subject to a single class.

Teachers use time during the day when they do not have classes to plan lessons, grade assignments, or meet with other teachers and staff.

Some middle schools have English as a second language (ESL) or English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) teachers who work with students learning the English language. ESL and ESOL teachers work with students individually or in groups to help them improve their English language skills and to help the students with assignments for their classes.

Middle school teachers may also work with special education teachers to adapt lessons. In some cases, middle school teachers may co-teach lessons with special education teachers.

Teachers must be comfortable using and learning new technology. With parents, teachers may use text-messaging applications to communicate about students’ assignments and upcoming events. With their students, teachers may create websites or discussion boards to present information or to expand on a lesson taught in class.

Some middle school teachers coach sports teams and advise student clubs and groups, whose practices and meetings frequently take place before or after school.

Salary
Median salary: $60,810 annually
Half of those employed in this career earn between $48,870 and $77,880.
$61K$0$20K$40K$60K$80K$100K
Context: Median Salary
How do salaries for this career compare to other jobs' salaries?
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Salary growth for elementary and middle school school teachers
Is this job likely to reward you for sticking with it through pay raises and promotions? The higher a job’s “experience quotient,” the more you are likely to get as you stay there.
Experience quotient percentile
Take a minute to look at how much you might expect your salary to increase with each five years' experience, as well as how the numbers working at each age change. Does this seem to be a job for the young or the old, or could it be a career offering steady salary growth for many years?
Salary distribution
$57K$58K$47K$54K$52K$60K$42K$60K$32K$0$20K$40K$60K$80K$100K20-2425-2930-3435-3940-4445-4950-5455-5960-64
Number employed
0100K200K300K400K500K20-2425-2930-3435-3940-4445-4950-5455-5960-64
About Middle School Teachers
How do benefits for this career compare to other jobs? The availability of health care, especially employer provided health care, and pension plans can add significantly to the value of compensation you receive in a career. These charts compare how this career compares to other careers with regard to health care and pension plans.
Employee has health insurance
Employer is providing health insurance
Employer-provided pension plan is available
Worker concerns
Some jobs are more stressful than others, and some are just plain dangerous. The following list gives the percentages of middle school teachers who report hazardous or difficult situations typically occurring at least once a week.
  • High Conflict Frequency (75%)
  • Time Pressure (64%)
  • Unpleasant or Angry People (54%)
  • Responsible for Others' Health (50%)
  • Exposed to Disease or Infections (48%)
SOURCES:
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Personality and skills
Can you see yourself in the ranks of Middle School Teachers? Here are the skills and traits that could lead to success.
Communication skills
Teachers must share ideas with their students, other teachers, and school administrators and staff. In addition, they need to discuss student progress with parents.
Patience
Middle school teachers must stay calm in challenging situations, such as when students struggle with material or create disturbances in class.
Physical stamina
Working with middle school students can be tiring. Teachers need to keep up with the students physically, mentally, and emotionally.
Resourcefulness
Middle school teachers need to get students engaged in learning and adapt lessons to each student’s needs.
Injury and Illness
About 9 middle school teachers become injured or ill for every 10,000 workers, which reflects fewer events than in 54% of other careers. The most common specific illnesses or injuries are detailed following.
Fractures
Soreness and pain
Education pathways to this career
Education attained by middle school teachers
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), middle school teachers typically hold a bachelor's degree.
Sometimes the typical education identified by the BLS differs a bit from the reality of the how much education current workers actually have. The donut shows the education level held by people currently working as elementary and middle school school teachers as reported in responses to the American Community Survey.
Details: Education and training recommended for middle school teachers

All states require public middle school teachers to have at least a bachelor’s degree. Many states require middle school teachers to major in a content area, such as math or science. Other states require middle school teachers to major in elementary education.

Middle school teachers typically enroll in their college’s teacher education program, which instructs them on presenting information to students of different abilities and backgrounds. Programs typically include a student-teaching program, in which they work with a mentor teacher and get experience teaching students in a classroom setting. For information about teacher preparation programs in your state, visit Teach.org.

Some states require middle school teachers to earn a master’s degree after receiving their teaching certification and obtaining a job.

Teachers in private schools do not need to meet state requirements. However, private schools typically seek middle school teachers who have a bachelor’s degree and a major in elementary education or a content area.

Details: Licensing and certification recommended for middle school teachers

All states require teachers in public schools to be licensed or certified in the specific grade level that they will teach. Those who teach in private schools typically do not need a license. Requirements for certification or licensure vary by state but generally involve the following:

  • A bachelor’s degree with a minimum grade point average
  • Completion of a student-teaching program
  • Passing a background check
  • Passing a general teaching certification test, as well as a test that demonstrates their knowledge of the subject they will teach.

For information about certification requirements in your state, visit Teach.org. Teachers are often required to complete professional development classes to keep their license or certification. Some states require teachers to complete a master’s degree after receiving their certification and obtaining a job.

All states offer an alternative route to certification or licensure for people who already have a bachelor’s degree but lack the education courses required for certification. Some alternative certification programs allow candidates to begin teaching immediately under the supervision of an experienced teacher. These programs cover teaching methods and child development. After they complete the program, candidates are awarded full certification. Other programs require students to take classes in education before they can teach.

Education level of Elementary and Middle School School Teachers
About 51% of elementary and middle school school teachers have a graduate-level education, and 96% have at least a bachelor's degree.
Education attained by elementary and middle school school teachers
None
High School
Some College
Associate's Degree
Bachelor's Degree
Master's Degree
Professional Degree
Doctorate
Top college degrees
Here are the top college degrees held by the 93% of people in this job who have at least a bachelor's degree. Some of degrees may link to multiple programs due to the way Census classifies college majors. Click on a program to learn more about career opportunities for people who major in that field.
  1. Elementary Education
  2. Education
  3. English Language and Literature
  4. Psychology
  5. Special Needs Education
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College majors held by elementary and middle school school teachers
This table shows the college majors held by people working as elementary and middle school school teachers. If you see "**" before the name of a degree/program, that means this field is one that the Department of Education believes is preparatory for this career. However, you can see from this list that those recommendations are far from your only path to this job!
Salary comparison for bachelor's only
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Career salary (tail) versus Career/Major salary (dot)
Does the bachelor's-only salary rise or fall with this major?
$37K$55K
Salary for bachelor's-only
For people with this career and major
Median
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Salary for all workers
For people with this career and major
Median
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Middle 80%
Education for Career and Major
Bachelor's
Master's
Professional
Doctorate
Workers with this career/major
Percentage in this career with this major
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The link between degrees and this career
With the following sankey diagram, you can follow the top ten bachelor's degrees held by people working as elementary and middle school school teachers, and then, in turn, you can see the 10 occupations that hire the most of each degree's graduates. We hope this provides ideas for similar jobs and similar fields of study.
Expand degrees
Elementary EducationGeneral EducationEnglish Language and...PsychologySpecial Needs Educat...Early Childhood Educ...Art and Music Educat...HistoryLanguage and Drama E...Liberal ArtsAll other degreesThis jobTop 10 majors
Where are the jobs
State-by-state employment numbers
Some careers tend to be centered in specific parts of the country. For example, most jobs in fashion are in New York or California. Let's see if your dream job is easy to find in your dream location! We have a few choices for viewing the data that can help you get a full employment picture.
Select a state to see local area details
Number of Elementary and Middle School School Teachers per 1,000 workers (ACS)
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORUTWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICANVCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFLPR
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Job density versus job count
Which states hire the most middle school teachers? We wonder if that's a fair question since states come in all sizes, so instead let's start with the question of which states have the highest density of people working as middle school teachers. You can choose to view the number of jobs per state if you prefer.
Salaries by state
Let's get a feel for where middle school teachers earn the highest salaries. There are several choices for which data we consider and how we view that data, and each can lead to different conclusions, so please read on...
Median salary versus state ratio
We use two methods to compare salaries across states:
  • In-state comparisons: the ratio of median (middle) salaries for elementary and middle school school teachers compared to the median salary for all people working in each state, or
  • Median salary: the unaltered median salaries for elementary and middle school school teachers.
We hope the ratio allows perspective about how salaries may compare to the regional cost-of-living.
The darkest shading corresponds to states in which elementary and middle school school teachers earn the highest salary when compared to other jobs in the state. We think this figure might be a better indicator than the actual salary for your buying power as a state resident.
Select a state to see local area details
Location-adjusted median salary for Elementary and Middle School School Teachers (ACS for all specialties)
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORUTWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICANVCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFLPR
Employment
12% of Elementary and middle school school teachers are working part time.
We’ve found that some jobs have a huge number of part-time workers, and typically that is because they are unable to find full-time work or the job itself can’t provide full-time hours. With 12% part-time workers, this occupation has a lower percentage of part-time workers than 49% of careers.
12%0%20%40%60%80%100%
Employer types
This donut shares the break-down of workers by employer type, giving us a picture of what employers most typically hire for this career.
Employers of undefined (ACS)
Private for-profit
Private not-for-profit
Local government
State government
Federal government
Self-employed incorporated
Self-employed not incorporated
Working without pay
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Distribution: Salaries of elementary and middle school school teachers by type of employer
Here are the salary distributions based on employer type.
$52K$44K$54K$52K$47K$51K$44K$32K$0$20,000$40,000$60,000$80,000$100,000$120,000Self-employed not incorporatedSelf-employed incorporatedFederal governmentState governmentLocal governmentPrivate not-for-profitPrivate for-profitAll
Gender
Elementary and middle school school teachers and gender
With 78% women, this occupation has a higher percentage of women than 88% of careers.
Gender of Elementary and middle school school teachers
Men (22%)
Women (78%)
Distribution: salaries by gender
Does gender greatly influence your salary in this career? The closer the bars are, the less discrepancy there is.
$51K$55K$0$100K$200K$300KWomenMen
We only include salary data when the survey error is less than 20%, so you may see only partial information for some categories.
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Context: Women in the workforce
How does this career compare to other careers with regard to the percentage of women in the career.
78%0%20%40%60%80%100%
Context: Salary inequity
The median salary for all full-time male workers in the US exceeds the full-time median salary for women by 19%. The situation is a little better for elementary and middle school school teachers, with the median salary for men 9% higher than the median salary for women.
9%0%20%40%60%80%100%
Race/Origin
Race and origin of Elementary and middle school school teachers
This donut shows the distribution of race and origin among those employed as Elementary and middle school school teachers.
Race/origin of elementary and middle school school teachers
White (84% )
Black (9% )
Asian (2% )
Multiracial (2% )
Other (2% )
Hispanic (1% )
American Indian (0% )
Pacific Islander (0% )
Distribution: salaries by race/origin
Some careers might have a pay disparity based on race or origin, the closer the below bars are the less of a discrepancy is present.
$46K$48K$49K$50K$51K$51K$52K$53K$0$20K$40K$60K$80K$100KAmerican IndianPacific IslanderBlackMultiracialOtherHispanicWhiteAsian
We only include salary data when the survey error is less than 20%, so you may see only partial information for some categories.