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How to Become a Teacher: Degree, Steps & Salary (2026)
Key takeaway: Teaching in a U.S. public school requires a state license, and every state's route includes a bachelor's degree, a state-approved educator preparation program, supervised student teaching, one or more licensure exams, and a fingerprint-based background check -- with the specific exams, hours, and reciprocity rules differing from state to state. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a national median annual wage of $63,970 for elementary school teachers, except special education (SOC 25-2021), in its May 2025 OEWS national median.
Teaching is a licensed profession, and that single fact shapes everything about how you enter it. You cannot teach in a public school on the strength of a degree alone, and you cannot rely on national guidance, because licensure is issued by each state’s department of education or professional standards board under its own rules.
What is consistent is the shape of the path: a degree, an approved preparation program, a period of supervised classroom teaching, exams, and a background check. What varies is which exams, how many student teaching hours, whether a performance assessment is required, and how readily your license transfers if you move. This guide covers both layers. For the broader field view, start with the Online Education Degree Programs guide.
Step-by-step: how to become a teacher
Step 1: Earn a bachelor’s degree
Every state requires at least a bachelor’s degree for initial teacher licensure. A bachelor’s in education is the most direct route and typically embeds the preparation program described in step 2, so you graduate license-eligible.
Your degree also shapes what you can teach. Elementary candidates usually major in elementary education or a related program covering multiple subjects; secondary candidates commonly major in the subject they intend to teach – mathematics, biology, English – and complete education coursework alongside it. See education concentrations for the common tracks, including elementary education, secondary education, and special education.
Step 2: Complete a state-approved educator preparation program
This is the requirement people most often miss. A degree in education is not the same thing as a state-approved educator preparation program, and it is the approved program that makes you eligible for a license. Approval is granted by the state, so a program approved in one state may not automatically satisfy another state’s requirements.
Preparation programs cover pedagogy, classroom management, child and adolescent development, assessment, and instruction for students with disabilities and multilingual learners. They come in three forms: embedded in a bachelor’s degree, added as a post-baccalaureate certification program for people who already hold a degree, or built into a master’s in education for career changers. Confirm approval status with the state where you intend to teach before you enroll.
Step 3: Complete supervised student teaching
Every state requires a period of supervised classroom teaching, generally called student teaching or a clinical internship, completed in a real classroom under a mentor teacher and a university supervisor. One full semester is typical, though some states and programs require two, and required contact hours vary.
This is a genuine requirement, not a formality, and it must be completed through your approved preparation program. Fully online education degrees still require in-person student teaching, arranged in a school near you – verify how a program handles placement before enrolling.
Step 4: Pass your state’s licensure exams
States require exams, but not the same ones. Most use the Praxis series – typically a basic skills test plus a subject-area content test and sometimes a principles-of-learning test – while several large states run their own: Texas uses the TExES exams, California the CBEST and CSET, New York the NYSTCE, Florida the FTCE.
Some states additionally require a performance assessment such as edTPA, in which you submit video and written analysis of your own teaching. Passing scores differ by state even for identical exams. Check your state’s current requirements directly rather than relying on a national summary, including this one.
Step 5: Pass a background check and apply for licensure
All states require a fingerprint-based criminal background check, usually through both state and FBI databases. Once your degree, approved program, student teaching, exams, and background check are complete, you apply to the state for an initial teaching license – named variously an initial, provisional, preliminary, or standard certificate depending on the state.
Initial licenses are time-limited. States require ongoing professional development, and often a master’s degree or a set number of graduate credits, to convert an initial license into a professional or permanent one. Renewal cycles typically run three to five years.
Step 6: Know the alternative certification route
Every state offers at least one alternative certification pathway for people who already hold a bachelor’s degree in another field. These routes let you begin teaching under a provisional or emergency credential while completing preparation coursework, often with mentoring, and they are widely used in shortage subjects such as mathematics, science, and special education. The requirements are real – you still complete an approved program and pass the exams – but the sequence is rearranged so you earn a salary while you finish.
Step 7: Understand license reciprocity before you move
Teaching licenses are state credentials, and reciprocity is partial rather than automatic. Most states participate in interstate agreements that recognize out-of-state preparation, but they routinely impose additional requirements: state-specific exams, coursework in state history or constitution, or a probationary license while you fill gaps. If you expect to move, check the destination state’s rules before you assume your license travels.
What degree do you need to be a teacher?
A bachelor’s degree is the minimum in every state, and a bachelor’s in education that embeds a state-approved preparation program is the most efficient route because it delivers the degree and licensure eligibility together.
A master’s in education is not required to start teaching in most states, but it matters in three ways: several states require a master’s or additional graduate credits to advance from an initial to a professional license, most districts pay more on the salary schedule for it, and it is the standard route for career changers who already hold a non-education bachelor’s. If you are weighing the investment, see is an education degree worth it.
What teachers earn
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a national median annual wage of $63,970 for elementary school teachers, except special education (SOC 25-2021), in its May 2025 OEWS national median. From the same source, middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education (SOC 25-2022) show a national median of $64,370, and secondary school teachers (SOC 25-2031) show $72,040.
Teacher pay is set by district salary schedules based on years of experience and degree level, so within any state the range around these medians is wide. Public school pay also reflects a school-year contract rather than a twelve-month one.
How long does it take to become a teacher?
Roughly four to five years from a standing start, and one to two years for a career changer who already holds a degree.
- Bachelor’s degree with an embedded approved preparation program: about four years full-time.
- Student teaching: one to two semesters, included in that four years.
- Licensure exams: several weeks to a few months of preparation and testing, depending on how many your state requires.
- Background check and license application processing: several weeks to a few months.
- Alternative certification for degree holders: one to two years, typically while teaching under a provisional credential.
- Post-baccalaureate certification or a master’s with licensure: one to two years.
View the data behind this chart
| Percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $48,780 |
| 25th percentile | $59,980 |
| Median | $72,040 |
| 75th percentile | $92,570 |
| 90th percentile | $107,600 |
View the data behind this chart
| State | Median annual wage |
|---|---|
| Washington | $102,670 |
| California | $101,370 |
| New York | $97,070 |
| Massachusetts | $95,260 |
| Rhode Island | $92,610 |
| District of Columbia | $82,750 |
| New Jersey | $82,200 |
| Connecticut | $80,970 |
Frequently asked questions
What degree do you need to be a teacher?
At minimum a bachelor’s degree, in every state. It must be paired with a state-approved educator preparation program, which a bachelor’s in education usually includes. Secondary teachers often major in the subject they will teach.
How long does it take to become a teacher?
About four to five years from a standing start, counting a bachelor’s degree with embedded preparation and student teaching plus exams and license processing. Career changers who already hold a degree typically need one to two years through an alternative or post-baccalaureate route.
How much do teachers make?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a national median annual wage of $63,970 for elementary school teachers, except special education (SOC 25-2021), $64,370 for middle school teachers (SOC 25-2022), and $72,040 for secondary school teachers (SOC 25-2031), in its May 2025 OEWS national medians.
Do you need a degree to be a teacher?
Yes, for public school teaching. Every state requires at least a bachelor’s degree plus a state-approved preparation program and licensure. Private schools set their own hiring standards and are not bound by state licensure rules, so requirements there vary by school.
Do you need a master’s degree to teach?
Not to begin teaching in most states. Some states require a master’s or additional graduate credits to move from an initial license to a professional one, and most districts pay more for it.
Does a teaching license transfer between states?
Only partially. Most states recognize out-of-state preparation through interstate agreements, but commonly add their own exams or coursework requirements and may issue a probationary license until they are met. Check the destination state before relocating.
Next steps
- Start with the Online Education Degree Programs guide for the full field overview.
- Compare programs on the bachelor’s in education and master’s in education pages.
- Pick a focus on the education concentrations hub.
- See the role map in what you can do with an education degree.
- Looking further ahead? Read how to become a school principal.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 national medians. Licensure requirements are set by each state and change; confirm current rules with the state department of education or professional standards board where you intend to teach.
Data verified: August 12, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.