USA Career Guide-Kindergarten and Elementary School Teachers
Education needed to be Kindergarten and Elementary School Teachers
To become Kindergarten and elementary school teachers you must have a bachelor’s degree. In addition, public school teachers must have a state-issued certification or license.
Some states also require kindergarten and elementary school teachers to major in a content area, such as math or science. Teachers in private schools do not need to meet state requirements. However, private schools typically seek kindergarten and elementary school teachers who have a bachelor’s degree in elementary education.
Licenses and certification
All states require teachers in public schools to be licensed. A license is frequently referred to as a certification. Those who teach in private schools are generally not required to be licensed.
Kindergarten and elementary school teachers are typically certified to teach early childhood grades, which are usually preschool through third grade, or elementary school grades, which are usually first through sixth grades or first through eighth grades.
Requirements for certification vary by state.
Pay of Kindergarten and Elementary School Teachers
As reported by BLS the median annual wage of kindergarten teachers was $48,800 in May 2010. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. T
The median annual wage of elementary school teachers was $51,660. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $34,390, and the top 10 percent earned more than $80,140.
Job Prospects of Kindergarten and Elementary School Teachers
Employment of kindergarten and elementary school teachers is expected to grow by 17 percent from 2010 to 2020, about as fast as the average for all occupations. Growth is expected because of both declines in student–teacher ratios and increases in enrollment. However, employment growth will vary by region.
A significant number of older teachers is expected to reach retirement age from 2010 to 2020. Their retirement will create job openings for new teachers. Teachers of English as a second language (ESL) and special education teachers are in short supply. Kindergarten and elementary school teachers with education or certifications to teach these specialties should have better job opportunities.
Industrial Overview of Kindergarten and Elementary School Teachers
Kindergarten and elementary school teachers held about 1.7 million jobs in 2010.
Kindergarten and elementary school teachers work in public and private schools. Some private early childhood education programs have preschool classes in addition to kindergarten.
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