How to hire a 2nd grade teacher

How to hire a 2nd grade teacher, step by step

Here's a step-by-step 2nd grade teacher hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a 2nd grade teacher job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new 2nd grade teacher
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a 2nd grade teacher do?

Post a 2nd grade teacher job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   The 2nd grade teacher hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a 2nd grade teacher to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a 2nd grade teacher that fits the bill.

   This list presents 2nd grade teacher salaries for various positions.

   Type of 2nd Grade Teacher	Description	Hourly rate
   2nd Grade Teacher	Kindergarten and elementary school teachers prepare younger students for future schooling by teaching them basic subjects such as math and reading.	$15-32
   Teacher-In-Training	A teacher-in-training is a teaching professional who offers technical teaching assistance to teachers in developing effective behavior management and instructional strategies to support student learning. The teacher must collaborate with principals while employing diverse techniques to increase the effectiveness of student learning... Show more	$11-26
   History Teacher	A history teacher analyzes all resources and prescribed texts to create quality curricula and lesson plans, collaborate with other teachers, and learn from the classroom management techniques, teaching strategies, and methods. These professionals deliver engaging history-related lessons on various movements, periods, and other history-related figures and events... Show more	$18-36

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Classroom Management
   • Math
   • Professional Development
   • Student Learning
   • Language Arts
   • Social Studies
   • Learning Styles
   • Student Performance
   • Public Schools
   • Instructional Materials
   • Student Achievement
   • Parent-Teacher Conferences
   • Learning Process
   • State Standards

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage a classroom of students with special needs, including students diagnose with LD, ADHD as well as ESL students.
   • Provide RTI in math and reading in addition to after school extra help sessions to students in need.
   • Partner with school literacy and math coaches in ongoing professional development opportunities.
   • Work closely with the other 2nd grade teacher to develop lesson plans, activities, and RTI methods and practices.
   • Design and present PowerPoint presentations for staff development/
   • Create developmentally appropriate instruction for each learner within reading groups and math partnerships.

   More 2nd grade teacher duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the 2nd grade teacher job description is a good way to get more applicants. A 2nd grade teacher salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a 2nd grade teacher in Idaho may be lower than in Maryland, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level 2nd grade teacher. Additionally, a 2nd grade teacher with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average 2nd grade teacher salary

   $46,850yearly

   $22.52 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level 2nd grade teacher salary

   $32,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 23, 2026

   Average 2nd grade teacher salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$63,587	$31
   2	New York	$58,981	$28
   3	Virginia	$48,348	$23
   4	Michigan	$46,708	$22
   5	Illinois	$46,671	$22
   6	Texas	$45,093	$22
   7	Minnesota	$44,580	$21
   8	New Mexico	$44,107	$21
   9	Florida	$43,819	$21
   10	New Hampshire	$41,745	$20
   11	Iowa	$41,538	$20
   12	North Carolina	$41,054	$20
   13	Utah	$40,479	$19
   14	Indiana	$39,282	$19
   15	Arizona	$38,591	$19
   16	Nevada	$38,309	$18
   17	Louisiana	$37,255	$18
   18	Colorado	$37,148	$18
   19	Missouri	$31,944	$15
   20	Maine	$31,837	$15

   Average 2nd grade teacher salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Irving Isd	$62,069	$29.84	17
   2	Jefferson County Public School	$56,731	$27.27	39
   3	St. HOPE	$56,397	$27.11	4
   4	Madera High School	$54,904	$26.40	9
   5	KCC Manufacturing	$54,182	$26.05
   6	Canyon Independent School District	$53,697	$25.82
   7	Houston ISD Foundation	$52,863	$25.41	8
   8	Union County Public Schools	$52,420	$25.20	95
   9	Camino Nuevo Charter Academy	$52,383	$25.18	4
   10	Montgomery County Public Schools	$52,345	$25.17	21
   11	Chicago Public Schools	$52,156	$25.07	26
   12	Distinctive Schools	$51,702	$24.86	3
   13	Oxnard Union High School District	$51,662	$24.84	7
   14	Greenwich Country Day School	$51,531	$24.77	3
   15	Children’s School	$50,753	$24.40	4
   16	Apache Junction Unified School District	$50,712	$24.38	7
   17	Durham Public Schools	$49,850	$23.97	296
   18	Clovis Unified School District	$49,120	$23.62	8
   19	Tyler Isd	$48,512	$23.32
   20	Tomball ISD	$47,966	$23.06	6

4. Writing a 2nd grade teacher job description

   A 2nd grade teacher job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a 2nd grade teacher job description:

   2nd grade teacher job description example

   Summary of Position:
   
   The Normandy Classroom Teacher must support the cognitive ability for the student to improve developing knowledge as they grow. The Classroom Teacher is the one who plans for and guides the learning process to help students achieve objectives required within the yearly studies. The Classroom Teacher must maintain a classroom atmosphere that is conducive to learning giving the students every opportunity to improve their cognitive capabilities.
   
   Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
   
   * Meet regular and predictable attendance requirements in accordance with district policy.
   * Plan a program of study that, as much as possible, meets the individual needs, interests, and abilities of the students.
   * Implement useful diagnostic and progress assessment measures that can help determine how each student is improving
   * Create a classroom environment that is conducive to learning and appropriate to the maturity and interests of the students.
   * Prepare lessons that reflect accommodations for individual differences.
   * Prepare for classes assigned and show written evidence of preparation upon request of immediate supervisor.
   * Encourage students to set and maintain standards of classroom behavior.
   * Guide the learning process toward the achievement of curriculum goals and, in harmony with the goals, establish clear objectives for all lessons, units, projects, and the like to communicate these objectives to the students.
   * Employ a variety of instructional techniques and instructional media consistent with the physical limitations of the location provided, and the needs and capabilities of the individuals or student groups involved.
   * Strive to implement, by instruction and action, the district's philosophy of education and instructional goals and objectives.
   * Assess the accomplishments of the students on a regular basis and provide progress reports as required.
   * Diagnose the learning disabilities of students on a regular basis and seek the assistance of district specialists as required.
   * Maintain accurate, complete, and correct records as required by law, district policy, and administrative regulations.
   * Assist the administration in implementing all policies and rules governing student life and conduct. Develop reasonable rules of classroom behavior. Maintain order in the classroom in a fair and just manner.
   * Make provisions for being available to the students and to the parents for education-related purposes outside of the instructional day when required or requested to do so under reasonable terms.
   * Plan and supervise purposeful assignments for teacher aide(s) and, cooperatively with department heads, evaluate their job performance.
   * Maintain and improve professional competence.
   * Participate in district staff development.
   * Attend staff meetings and serve on staff committees as required.
   * Maintain a professional relationship with colleagues.
   * Establish and maintain open lines of communication with students, parents, and community members.
   * Perform other job-related duties as assigned.
   
   Position Requirements:
   
   * Minimum of a Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university.
   * Missouri Teacher Certification appropriate for level and/or subject area of assignment.
   * Experience teaching in urban school environment is a plus.
   
   Physical Demands:
   
   The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
   
   While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit and talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to walk and use fingers, tools, or controls. The employee is occasionally required to stand and reach with hands and arms. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, and depth perception. Occasionally the employee will lift up to 50 lbs. such as to lift files and paper.
   
   Work Environment:
   
   The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet. The employee continuously is interacting with the public and staff.
   
   Disclaimer: The information contained in this job description is for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and is not an exhaustive list of the duties performed for this position. Additional duties are performed by the individuals currently holding this position and additional duties may be assigned.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find 2nd grade teachers for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your 2nd grade teacher job on Zippia to find and recruit 2nd grade teacher candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as k12jobspot, learn4good, serious teachers, teachingjobs.com.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit 2nd grade teachers, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new 2nd grade teacher

   Once you've found the 2nd grade teacher candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire a 2nd grade teacher?