The average 8th grade teacher salary is $51,263. The most common degree is a bachelor's degree degree with an elementary education major. It usually takes zero years of experience to become a 8th grade teacher. 8th grade teachers with a Educational Certificate: K-12 (Ed:) certification earn more money. Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 3% and produce 53,100 job opportunities across the U.S.

What Does a 8th Grade Teacher Do

When it comes to the most important skills required to be a 8th grade teacher, we found that a lot of resumes listed 16.8% of 8th grade teachers included classroom management, while 12.9% of resumes included math, and 5.0% of resumes included language arts. Hard skills like these are helpful to have when it comes to performing essential job responsibilities.

Learn more about what a 8th Grade Teacher does

How To Become a 8th Grade Teacher

If you're interested in becoming a 8th grade teacher, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 70.0% of 8th grade teachers have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 23.2% of 8th grade teachers have master's degrees. Even though most 8th grade teachers have a college degree, it's impossible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.

8th Grade Teacher Career Paths

Average Salary for a 8th Grade Teacher

8th Grade Teachers in America make an average salary of $51,263 per year or $25 per hour. The top 10 percent makes over $64,000 per year, while the bottom 10 percent under $40,000 per year.
Average 8th Grade Teacher Salary
$51,263 Yearly
$24.65 hourly

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Roles and Types of 8th Grade Teacher

There are several types of 8th grade teacher, including:

Student Teacher

Role:

Any teacher that has a student teacher is relieved they have them. As a student teacher, you get to go through school again, but this time you get to help others with the assignment rather than actually complete the assignment yourself.

Most student teachers are learning to become teachers themselves and generally shadow a classroom in an elementary or secondary school. But don't limit yourself. While much more rare, there are student teachers that work at universities or colleges. So it comes down to whether you'd rather assist dependent or independent students.

Generally, your student teaching experience will only last a semester or two. So make sure you're writing down good notes! At the end of being a student teacher, you'll have the opportunity to take over the class on your own. From preparing the lesson to correcting homework, you'll be doing it all by yourself in no time.
  • Average Salary: $59,035
  • Degree: Bachelor's Degree

Math Teacher

Role:

Lots of people know that 1+1=2. You know why they know that? Because of math teachers. From kindergarten to senior year of high school, math teachers prepare important lessons for students to get them ready for the next phase in their life. Whether their dream career takes them to college or straight to work after receiving that diploma.

Math teachers work in schools with their students and generally work during school hours. But sometimes grading assignments and tests can make them work in the evenings and weekends. They also devote certain times to prepare lessons for each day. The best thing about being a math teacher is that there is no school during the summer, which means math teachers get a summer break as well.

  • Average Salary: $51,088
  • Degree: Bachelor's Degree

Science Teacher

Role:

Do you want to dedicate your life to science education by becoming a science teacher? If you love science and want to transfer your knowledge to a new generation, then becoming a science teacher could be your dream job. A science teacher is one of the most exciting, rewarding, and valuable professions. Teaching is a job that comes with inspiration, competitive salaries, flexible hours, diversified days, job security, fun, and much more! Becoming a teacher, you'll get an ideal opportunity to help children become self-aware individuals and instill them with a lifelong love of science. Using your knowledge and skills, you'll inspire, motivate, and prepare children to embrace science and potentially pursue it as a career choice. As a science teacher, you'll have an opportunity to encourage students to explore the natural world around them and help them demonstrate how science works in reality. In short, you'll play a crucial role in shaping the lives of young people and encouraging the new generation of learners to make a positive impact on the world around them. As a science teacher, your prime objective is to pass on your love of science to your students by creating an inquiry-based classroom and developing scientific reasoning in them. Teaching science, you may need to explain technical and complex scientific terms and concepts to your students and help them build a practical connection between abstract concepts and real-world applications.

If you're thinking of becoming a science teacher, then it's good to know that there are many options available to you that can put you on the road to becoming a science teacher. If you want to teach science at the elementary or middle school level, you may need to get a bachelor's degree, focused on general science education. However, if you wish to teach at the secondary level, then getting a bachelor's degree in a specific field of science such as biology, physics, or chemistry may help you become a potential candidate for this position. Alternatively, if you already have a science degree, you may decide to take a year of educational courses to earn your teaching certificate. Earning a master's degree in science, Ph.D., or alternative certification programs, teaching courses, and internships may pump your resume for teaching science. Whatever the degree option, before working as a science teacher, you'll need to get a state-issued teaching certificate or license to teach. Mostly, employers prefer a dedicated professional, an analytical thinker, who has a passion and enthusiasm for teaching, and a solid background in science education for the role of science teacher. He/she must be hands-on with experiments and science projects.

Working as a science teacher, you won't necessarily have a base classroom. You may spend most of your time in a science laboratory, handling apparatus, demonstrating experiments, or carrying equipment and books from room to room between your lessons. Usually, you'll work for 39 weeks of the year. Your day will start before the school day starts and end when school is finished. Sure, you'll have some long days, parent-teacher conferences, grading homework, and attending after-school activities but, mostly, your duties sync with the school calendar. One of the most exciting parts of teaching is that you'll get designated school holidays, such as spring break, summer holidays, and winter vacations. Teaching science, your salary may vary depending on what level you're teaching, your education, years of experience, state, and school district. Generally, as a high school teacher, you can expect to earn $53,116, along with additional benefits of health insurance, sick days, tuition reimbursement, generous vacation allowance, and a pension. On top of all that, teaching science offers opportunities for advancement and increased pay over time. By acquiring increased subject knowledge, learning innovative teaching techniques, and honing your leadership skills, you can genuinely make a difference in the lives of the next generation.
  • Average Salary: $59,788
  • Degree: Bachelor's Degree

States With The Most 8th Grade Teacher Jobs

Mouse over a state to see the number of active 8th grade teacher jobs in each state. The darker areas on the map show where 8th grade teachers earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.

Average Salary: Job Openings:

Number Of 8th Grade Teacher Jobs By State

RankStateNumber of JobsAverage Salary
1California1,783$49,716
2Texas1,713$48,324
3Illinois1,446$51,804
4Florida1,332$46,516
5New Jersey1,105$67,181
6New York1,042$71,424
7Pennsylvania908$61,009
8North Carolina788$43,859
9Maryland783$67,898
10Michigan751$58,610
11Georgia728$41,763
12Massachusetts689$62,586
13Virginia679$57,072
14Ohio664$52,059
15Colorado657$41,722
16Arizona640$34,873
17Minnesota625$53,796
18Nevada559$37,317
19Indiana555$42,371
20Washington430$51,756
21Missouri419$32,040
22Tennessee393$40,915
23South Carolina368$42,055
24Wisconsin332$44,000
25Connecticut322$66,830
26Oklahoma297$34,114
27Kansas250$39,120
28Iowa249$44,849
29New Mexico237$46,205
30Oregon236$52,609
31New Hampshire218$49,505
32Louisiana188$44,438
33Nebraska182$51,389
34Alabama162$45,861
35Arkansas140$35,540
36Utah139$43,192
37Kentucky137$46,665
38Montana128$46,603
39Mississippi108$38,561
40Idaho106$37,337
41Delaware99$49,639
42Rhode Island59$56,379
43Maine52$40,195
44Vermont47$49,134
45Wyoming41$45,402
46West Virginia27$43,718
47North Dakota24$45,686
48Alaska23$55,608
49South Dakota22$40,939
50Hawaii15$45,791

8th Grade Teacher Education

8th Grade Teacher Majors

15.4 %
11.0 %

8th Grade Teacher Degrees

Bachelors

70.0 %

Masters

23.2 %

Associate

3.8 %

Top Colleges for 8th Grade Teachers

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-State Tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Education
Business
Educational Leadership
History
English

2. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-State Tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Education
Business
History
Political Science
Interdisciplinary Studies

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-State Tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Business
Liberal Arts
Psychology
Education
Political Science

4. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-State Tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Business
Psychology
Political Science
Education
Mathematics

5. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Business
History
English
Mathematics
Education

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Business
Education
Psychology
Mathematics
History

7. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-State Tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Business
Education
General Education, Specific Areas
Psychology
Mathematics

8. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-State Tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Education
Business
Mathematics
Elementary Education
English

9. Brown University

Providence, RI • Private

In-State Tuition

$55,466

Enrollment

6,752

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Mathematics
History
Education
Political Science
English

10. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-State Tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Education
Business
Liberal Arts
Educational Leadership
Mathematics

Top Skills For a 8th Grade Teacher

The skills section on your resume can be almost as important as the experience section, so you want it to be an accurate portrayal of what you can do. Luckily, we've found all of the skills you'll need so even if you don't have these skills yet, you know what you need to work on. Out of all the resumes we looked through, 16.8% of 8th grade teachers listed classroom management on their resume, but soft skills such as communication skills and physical stamina are important as well.

Choose From 10+ Customizable 8th Grade Teacher Resume templates

Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use 8th Grade Teacher templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your 8th Grade Teacher resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.

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8th Grade Teacher Demographics

8th Grade Teacher Gender Distribution

Female
Female
68%
Male
Male
32%

After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:

  • Among 8th grade teachers, 67.8% of them are women, while 32.2% are men.

  • The most common race/ethnicity among 8th grade teachers is White, which makes up 69.5% of all 8th grade teachers.

  • The most common foreign language among 8th grade teachers is Spanish at 62.2%.

Online Courses For 8th Grade Teacher That You May Like

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1. Music Education for Teachers

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In the Music Education for Teachers specialization, you will explore ways of integrating popular music into your teaching. You'll begin by learning from two highly experienced teachers, Krystal Banfield, the Vice President of Educational Outreach for Berklee College of Music, and David Alexis a Berklee Professor and long-time instructor for the Berklee City Music Program. They will take you through their process of incorporating popular music, improvisation, arranging, and music technology into...

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2. The Teacher's Social and Emotional Learning

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Social and emotional learning, or SEL, programs have flourished in schools during the last decade. While this growth has been impressive, inadequate attention has been paid to teachers’ social and emotional learning. In this course Dan Liston and Randy Testa introduce you to various rationales for why teacher SEL is needed as well as examine and reflect on various emotions in teaching and learning. This course is a part of the 5-course Specialization “The Teacher and Social Emotional Learning...

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3. Assessment in Higher Education: Professional Development for Teachers

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Are you a teacher in higher education wanting to get the best out of your students and assessments? Then on behalf of Risbo, Erasmus University Rotterdam, we would like to welcome you to this MOOC on Assessment in Higher Education. In this MOOC we will guide you through the different phases of preparing, creating and evaluating the assessments in your course. After participating in this MOOC, you will be able to: 1. Design an assessment that is constructively aligned (content, level, methods)...

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Best States For a 8th Grade Teacher

Some places are better than others when it comes to starting a career as a 8th grade teacher. The best states for people in this position are New York, Maryland, New Jersey, and Connecticut. 8th grade teachers make the most in New York with an average salary of $71,424. Whereas in Maryland and New Jersey, they would average $67,898 and $67,181, respectively. While 8th grade teachers would only make an average of $66,830 in Connecticut, you would still make more there than in the rest of the country. We determined these as the best states based on job availability and pay. By finding the median salary, cost of living, and using the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Location Quotient, we narrowed down our list of states to these four.

1. New Jersey

Total 8th Grade Teacher Jobs: 1,105
Highest 10% Earn:
$89,000
Location Quotient:
1.72

2. Maryland

Total 8th Grade Teacher Jobs: 783
Highest 10% Earn:
$90,000
Location Quotient:
1.53

3. Connecticut

Total 8th Grade Teacher Jobs: 322
Highest 10% Earn:
$87,000
Location Quotient:
1.2
Full List Of Best States For 8th Grade Teachers

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Top 8th Grade Teacher Employers

Most Common Employers For 8th Grade Teacher

RankCompanyAverage SalaryHourly RateJob Openings
1Baltimore City Public Schools$66,530$31.994
2Clark County School District$57,619$27.705
3Chicago Public Schools$57,441$27.624
4Houston ISD Foundation$56,152$27.0013
5YES Prep Public Schools$54,250$26.086
6Nyc Parks$52,629$25.304
7Kokomo Schools$52,473$25.234
8Distinctive Schools$52,238$25.1112
9KIPP Charlotte$51,657$24.844
10White Mountains Regional School District$51,577$24.805

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