SOC 25-2022.00

    Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education

    Teach one or more subjects to students at the middle, intermediate, or junior high school level.

    Median pay
    $64,370
    Growth
    -0.4%
    Little or no change
    Openings a year
    38,800
    Typical education
    Bachelor's degree

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition

    Source: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

    See the pathway

    Annual pay range

    Lowest 10% earn less than
    $48,080
    Median
    $64,370
    Highest 10% earn more than
    $102,540
    National wages for all workers in this occupation. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

    620,090 people work in this occupation.

    In short

    Middle school teachers instruct students in junior high and intermediate grades in one or more subjects. The career offers a median annual pay of $64,370, with opportunities across various public and private school settings.

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education do

    Job Zone 4: Considerable preparation

    Teach one or more subjects to students at the middle, intermediate, or junior high school level.

    Most need a bachelor's degree and several years of related experience.

    What the work is like

    Middle school teachers spend their days instructing and training young students, helping them transition through crucial developmental years. These educators focus on establishing and maintaining strong interpersonal relationships, coaching and developing others, and assisting and caring for students. To keep students engaged, teachers must think creatively, develop clear learning objectives, and organize and prioritize their daily work.

    Success in this role requires strong skills in instructing, speaking, active listening, and social perceptiveness. Teachers must also be skilled in reading comprehension, writing, and adapting their learning strategies to meet diverse classroom needs. They rely on a broad foundation of knowledge, including education and training, the English language, psychology, mathematics, and sociology. Because this is a highly social career, it suits individuals who enjoy helping others and possess work styles like dependability, empathy, cooperation, and high stress tolerance.

    How to get there

    To enter this career, candidates typically need a bachelor's degree. Because this occupation requires considerable preparation, most teachers also need several years of related work experience. Students preparing for this field often major in teacher education and professional development for specific levels, methods, or subject areas. Other relevant majors include general social sciences, bilingual education, or teaching English or French as a second language.

    Licensing requirements vary, as some states list a license for this work. Additionally, educators can pursue professional credentials to enhance their careers. Available certifications include the DoDEA Certification from the Department of Defense Education Activity, the National Board Certification - Middle Childhood - Generalist, and the National Career Readiness Certificate.

    Pay and outlook explained

    In 2025, the median annual pay for these teachers was $64,370. The lowest 10 percent of earners made less than $48,080, while the highest 10 percent earned more than $102,540. There are 620,090 people employed in this field. Between 2025 and 2035, employment is projected to experience little or no change, with a growth rate of -0.4 percent. Despite this flat growth, the field expects 38,800 job openings each year.

    Interest profile

    Realistic (R)
    26 / 100
    Investigative (I)
    39 / 100
    Artistic (A)
    52 / 100
    Social (S) · strongest
    100 / 100
    Enterprising (E)
    28 / 100
    Conventional (C)
    43 / 100
    How strongly each interest area describes the work, from O*NET (scores rescaled to 0–100). The interest code lists the strongest areas in order.

    Interest code SAC. Compare it with yours

    What you'd do

    Training and Teaching Others
    91
    Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
    88
    Thinking Creatively
    85
    Developing Objectives and Strategies
    85
    Coaching and Developing Others
    84
    Assisting and Caring for Others
    83
    Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
    83
    Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others
    83
    Making Decisions and Solving Problems
    83
    Getting Information
    81
    Work activities rated by importance for this occupation, O*NET (0–100).

    Skills and strengths

    Skills

    • Instructing
    • Learning Strategies
    • Speaking
    • Active Listening
    • Active Learning
    • Monitoring
    • Reading Comprehension
    • Social Perceptiveness
    • Writing
    • Coordination

    Knowledge

    • Education and Training
    • English Language
    • Philosophy and Theology
    • Mathematics
    • Psychology
    • Computers and Electronics
    • History and Archeology
    • Public Safety and Security
    • Customer and Personal Service
    • Sociology and Anthropology

    Abilities

    • Oral Expression
    • Information Ordering
    • Oral Comprehension
    • Problem Sensitivity
    • Speech Clarity
    • Written Comprehension
    • Written Expression
    • Deductive Reasoning
    • Near Vision
    • Speech Recognition

    Work styles

    • Dependability
    • Integrity
    • Social Orientation
    • Cooperation
    • Empathy
    • Optimism
    • Perseverance
    • Self-Control
    • Stress Tolerance
    • Adaptability

    Also called

    Algebra Teacher · American History Teacher · Art Educator · Art Instructor · Art Teacher · Band Director · Band Teacher · Bilingual Instructor · Bilingual Teacher · Classroom Teacher

    Career pathway

    From your interests to middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education

    Interests that fit the work, the career, majors that lead there and colleges whose graduates in those majors earn the most. Hover or focus a step to follow one path.

    1. Interests

    2. This career

      • Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$64,370 median pay

    3. Majors

    4. Colleges

    College Scorecard program outcomes

    Colleges with strong outcomes

    Programs that lead to this career, ranked by what their graduates earn four years after finishing. Earnings are for graduates who received federal aid.

    1. 1Vanderbilt University logo
      Vanderbilt University

      Nashville, TN · Social Sciences, General · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $74,534
      4 yrs after
      $103,229
      Median debt
      $15,000
    2. 2
      New York University NYU

      New York, NY · Social Sciences, General · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $51,431
      4 yrs after
      $91,917
      Median debt
      $21,125
    3. 3California State University-Sacramento logo
      California State University-Sacramento

      Sacramento, CA · Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $69,280
      4 yrs after
      $82,062
      Median debt
      $23,000
    4. 4
      CUNY Brooklyn College

      Brooklyn, NY · Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $54,793
      4 yrs after
      $80,207
      Median debt
      $12,875
    5. 5Harvard University logo
      Harvard University

      Cambridge, MA · Social Sciences, General · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $55,717
      4 yrs after
      $78,996
      Median debt
      $25,000
    6. 6St. John's University-New York logo
      St. John's University-New York

      Queens, NY · Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      Not reported
      4 yrs after
      $78,215
      Median debt
      $25,500
    7. 7CUNY Queens College logo
      CUNY Queens College

      Queens, NY · Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $58,736
      4 yrs after
      $76,925
      Median debt
      $12,500
    8. 8
      College of Staten Island CUNY

      Staten Island, NY · Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $46,195
      4 yrs after
      $75,637
      Median debt
      Not reported

    Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard field-of-study data, 2025. Programs with few graduates are not listed.

    NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk

    Majors that lead here

    Related programs by four-digit CIP code. They are common routes in, not the only ones.

    CareerOneStop

    Certifications, licenses and pay by state

    What middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education may need beyond a degree, where a license is required, and what the work pays in each state.

    Certifications

    Core certifications employers recognise for this work.

    Search all certifications on CareerOneStop

    Training

    Programs of study that prepare people for this work. Showing 12 of 40.

    • Art Teacher Education
    • Bilingual and Multilingual Education
    • Biology Teacher Education
    • Chemistry Teacher Education
    • Communication Arts and Literature Teacher Education
    • Computer Teacher Education
    • Drama and Dance Teacher Education
    • Earth Science Teacher Education
    • English/Language Arts Teacher Education
    • Environmental Education
    • Family and Consumer Sciences/Home Economics Teacher Education
    • Foreign Language Teacher Education

    Find training near you on CareerOneStop

    Licenses by state

    52 states list a license for this work. Open your state for the license and the agency that issues it.

    Check license requirements on CareerOneStop

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 9, 2026.

    Your plan

    Build my pathway plan

    Courses, majors, colleges, scholarships and a timeline for this career, built from your profile.

    Related careers

    Careers with similar work, interests or skills.

    All careers

    Questions about middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What college majors are recommended for this career?

    Students can major in teacher education and professional development, focusing either on specific grade levels or specific subject areas. Other helpful majors include general social sciences, bilingual and multicultural education, and teaching English or French as a second language.

    What are the typical credentials and licenses needed?

    A bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level requirement, and some states list a license for this profession. Teachers can also earn certifications such as the National Board Certification for Middle Childhood or the DoDEA Certification.

    What is the job outlook for middle school teachers?

    Employment is projected to show little or no change from 2025 to 2035, with a slight decline of -0.4 percent. However, the profession still expects 38,800 openings each year to replace workers who leave the field.

    Sources and attribution

    Every figure on this page comes from these public datasets. Missing values are shown as not reported, never estimated.

    O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 9, 2026.

    Page data updated November 5, 2026.