How to hire a certified teacher

How to hire a certified teacher, step by step

Here's a step-by-step certified 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 certified teacher job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new certified teacher
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a certified teacher do?

Post a certified teacher job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a certified teacher, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect certified teacher also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   This list presents certified teacher salaries for various positions.

   Type of Certified Teacher	Description	Hourly rate
   Certified Teacher	Kindergarten and elementary school teachers prepare younger students for future schooling by teaching them basic subjects such as math and reading.	$17-32
   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
   Teacher/Tutor	A teacher/tutor is primarily in charge of facilitating discussions and other learning activities for students. Their duties typically revolve around developing lesson plans and teaching materials, assessing the progress of students through quizzes and examinations, assisting students in areas they find difficult, and helping them develop their interpersonal and intrapersonal skills... Show more	$12-33

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Math
   • Mathematics
   • Kids
   • Classroom Management
   • CPR
   • Professional Development
   • Instructional Materials
   • Childhood
   • Language Arts
   • K-12
   • Chemistry
   • Curriculum Development
   • Social Studies
   • Classroom Environment

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead debates with advance students on topics including globalization, economics, and political history.
   • Prepare and implement daily lessons for reading, math, writing, science, social studies, and global events/locations.
   • Used PBIS behavior and academic model.
   • Serve on PBIS committee to drive school-wide behavior system.
   • Attend IEP meetings, apply accommodations to classroom instruction and assessment, work with co-teacher in inclusion classes.
   • Plan, prepare and demonstrate math instruction materials base on specific learning objectives for 6th , 7th and 8th grades.

   More certified teacher duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your certified teacher job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A certified teacher salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a certified teacher in Mississippi may be lower than in Connecticut, and an entry-level certified teacher usually earns less than a senior-level certified teacher. Additionally, a certified teacher with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average certified teacher salary

   $50,708yearly

   $24.38 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level certified teacher salary

   $37,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

   Average certified teacher salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Connecticut	$72,004	$35
   2	New York	$70,340	$34
   3	New Jersey	$66,440	$32
   4	Pennsylvania	$60,624	$29
   5	Michigan	$57,727	$28
   6	Massachusetts	$56,968	$27
   7	Florida	$52,193	$25
   8	Colorado	$51,950	$25
   9	Ohio	$51,724	$25
   10	Georgia	$48,500	$23
   11	Texas	$45,149	$22
   12	North Carolina	$44,228	$21
   13	Indiana	$43,199	$21
   14	Tennessee	$42,480	$20
   15	South Carolina	$42,280	$20
   16	Arkansas	$37,341	$18
   17	Oklahoma	$36,164	$17
   18	Missouri	$33,391	$16

   Average certified teacher salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Universal Health Services	$56,463	$27.15	53
   2	Scholar Academies	$55,533	$26.70	8
   3	Paulding County High School	$54,405	$26.16	6
   4	Southwest Key Programs	$54,403	$26.16
   5	BronxWorks	$54,010	$25.97	6
   6	Huntington Learning Center	$52,848	$25.41	31
   7	White County	$52,807	$25.39
   8	Adams 12 Five Star Schools	$52,431	$25.21	11
   9	Crescent City Schools	$52,389	$25.19	10
   10	Harbor Child Care	$52,271	$25.13
   11	Catapult Learning	$52,262	$25.13
   12	Albany Community Action Partnership	$51,530	$24.77	1
   13	Bedford Public Schools	$51,276	$24.65
   14	Erie 2-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES	$50,140	$24.11	5
   15	YMCA of Metro Knoxville	$49,537	$23.82	5
   16	Guthrie North America Inc	$49,424	$23.76	11
   17	Rhodes Bake-N-Serv	$49,424	$23.76	3
   18	Ymca Of Metropolitan Atlanta	$49,065	$23.59	12
   19	Boys & Girls Clubs of North Central Georgia	$48,933	$23.53
   20	Laurel	$48,340	$23.24

4. Writing a certified teacher job description

   A certified 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. Below, you can find an example of a certified teacher job description:

   Certified teacher job description example

   Are you a socially conscious, dedicated individual who is committed to building a better future for children, families, and their communities? If so, join us as we support early childhood education programs across the country to create positive outcomes for the children and families served.
   
   Working as a P-3 Certified Teacher at Acelero Learning will give you the opportunity to gain valuable experience and professional growth as an Early Childhood Educator. You will work collaboratively with an assistant teacher, family members and other staff to achieve positive outcomes for children of all abilities. Are you ready to ignite your student's imagination and instill a love of learning?
   
   To be successful and to thrive in this role, you should have great communication and written skills that encompass effective practices in the following areas:
   • CLASS teacher-child interactions
   • Learning environment
   • Curriculum
   • Child assessment
   • Meeting all children's needs
   • Working with families
   • Professional growth and collaboration
   
   All you need now is the commitment and passion to work with children; A P-3 Teacher certification (CEAS or Standard), a BA/BS in Early Childhood Education preferred OR a BA/BS in related field with at least six (6) courses in ECE: and an eagerness to adopt our values: Embracing Diversity, Teamwork & Community, Data-Informed Learning, Open Communication, and Follow-Through. This position is required to work onsite to meet the needs of our organization and the community we serve. Compensation: -Salary starts at $57,603 and increases based on education and experience up to $64,000/year. -Full medical, dental and vision benefits -10 month district schedule with an additional 4-5 weeks time off/year comprised of 8 days PTO for year 1, 2 week-long breaks, and federal holidays. -$500 education reimbursement and assistance with CEAS training. -401k with company match up to 5% -Ability to work in the summer as a Preschool Teacher with same age group. Salary for that role comes out to roughly $18.50/hour. This position earns up to 57,603.00 Annually Why Acelero Learning or Shine Early Learning?
   - Ability to make an impact in the lives of the children, families, and partners we serve
   - Career growth and professional development opportunities
   - Supportive working environment
   - Average of 5 weeks of paid time off during 1st year of employment
   - Comprehensive benefits, including 401K matching and 100% vesting program
   
   We are an equal opportunity employer, committed to creating a diverse and healthy work place. Still have questions about this role or our company? Submit an anonymous question by copying and pasting this link, , into your browser. Or feel free to contact . Thank you for considering employment with us!

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find certified teachers for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any certified teachers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level certified teachers with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your certified teacher job on Zippia to find and recruit certified teacher candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with certified teacher candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete 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 certified teacher

   Once you've found the certified 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.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   To prepare for the new certified teacher first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

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 certified teacher?