Also called: 6th-8th grade teacher
Teaches one or two subjects to students aged 11-14, a time of big changes.
Middle school teachers teach five or six class periods of the same subject, manage the energy of early teens, coach a club, and work with a team of teachers who share the same students.
BLS middle school teachers, May 2024 estimate.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
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: Middle Grades Education, Subject major (Math, Science, English, History).
Growing slowly (about 0% over 10 years). BLS projects little or no change.
Low risk for 10 years. AI helps generate practice problems and grade work; managing 150 early teens and building relationships stays human.
Classes: AP courses in your target subject, AP Psychology, Speech or debate.
Official data: O*NET occupation 25-2022.
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.