Also called: Grade-school teacher, 1st-5th grade teacher
Teaches one class of kids all core subjects (reading, writing, math, science, and social studies).
Elementary teachers greet 20-30 kids at the door, teach reading in small groups, run a science experiment, handle a playground conflict, and email parents, often all before lunch. Evenings mean grading and planning. Summers are usually off.
BLS elementary school teachers, May 2025 (~$64k median).
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Bachelor's degree, a teacher-prep program, student teaching, and a state teaching license; alternative certification routes let career-changers teach while finishing licensure.
Ways in: 4-year college, Certification. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Elementary Education, Child Development.
Growing slowly (about 0% over 10 years). BLS projects little or no change, 2025-35, with many openings from retirements.
Low risk for 10 years. AI drafts lesson ideas, grades quizzes and translates parent emails; teaching 25 kids to read and handling the playground stay human.
Classes: Child development CTE class, AP Psychology, Spanish.
Official data: O*NET occupation 25-2021.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.