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How to hire an elementary education teacher

Elementary education teacher hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring elementary education teachers in the United States:

  • The median cost to hire an elementary education teacher is $1,633.
  • It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
  • HR departments typically allocate 15% of their budget towards recruitment efforts.
  • Small businesses spend $1,105 per elementary education teacher on training each year, while large companies spend $658.
  • It takes approximately 12 weeks for a new employee to reach full productivity levels.
  • There are a total of 1,206,139 elementary education teachers in the US, and there are currently 72,024 job openings in this field.
  • San Jose, CA, has the highest demand for elementary education teachers, with 2 job openings.

How to hire an elementary education teacher, step by step

To hire an elementary education teacher, you should clearly understand the skills and experience you are looking for in a candidate, and allocate a budget for the position. You will also need to post and promote the job opening to reach potential candidates. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to hire an elementary education teacher:

Here's a step-by-step elementary education teacher hiring guide:

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

    Before you post your elementary education teacher job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find an elementary education teacher for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

    Determine employee vs contractor status
    Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

    Hiring the perfect elementary education 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.

    The following list breaks down different types of elementary education teachers and their corresponding salaries.

    Type of Elementary Education TeacherDescriptionHourly rate
    Elementary Education TeacherSpecial education teachers work with students who have a wide range of learning, mental, emotional, and physical disabilities. They adapt general education lessons and teach various subjects, such as reading, writing, and math, to students with mild and moderate disabilities... Show more$19-27
    Teacher/TutorA 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
    TeacherBeing a teacher is one of the most passionate professions, among others. Teachers educate, motivate, and guide every generation of learners to prepare them for the real world... Show more$15-33
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • Elementary Education
    • Classroom Management
    • Professional Development
    • Math
    • Core Curriculum
    • Student Performance
    • Public Schools
    • Social Studies
    • Learning Styles
    • Student Learning
    • Assessment Tools
    • General Education
    • Language Arts
    • Instructional Materials
    Check all skills
    Responsibilities:
    • Lead debates with advance students on topics including globalization, economics, and political history.
    • Plan and implement lessons in reading, math, arts and humanities, social studies, science, and health.
    • Certify ESL teacher as well.
    • Collaborate with preschool autism classroom staff and lead teacher to enhance and encourage social skills with peers.
    • Addressed the needs of the student with autism by providing multi-sensory lessons and a variety of manipulatives.
    • Assign to various non-public schools to provide remediation (reading, writing, and math basic skills) for special-needs students.
    More elementary education teacher duties
  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in your elementary education teacher job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. An elementary education teacher can vary based on:

    • Location. For example, elementary education teachers' average salary in montana is 49% less than in massachusetts.
    • Seniority. Entry-level elementary education teachers 28% less than senior-level elementary education teachers.
    • Certifications. An elementary education teacher with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
    • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in an elementary education teacher's salary.

    Average elementary education teacher salary

    $48,987yearly

    $23.55 hourly rate

    Entry-level elementary education teacher salary
    $41,000 yearly salary
    Updated February 1, 2026

    Average elementary education teacher salary by state

    RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
    1New York$68,525$33
    2Maryland$68,524$33
    3New Jersey$65,637$32
    4California$59,854$29
    5Florida$56,420$27
    6District of Columbia$54,915$26
    7Illinois$54,647$26
    8Texas$50,819$24
    9Minnesota$49,986$24
    10Colorado$49,014$24
    11Louisiana$46,780$22
    12Michigan$46,221$22
    13Kansas$45,567$22
    14New Mexico$44,801$22
    15Arizona$43,576$21
    16Utah$42,916$21
    17Oklahoma$40,431$19
    18Indiana$39,653$19

    Average elementary education teacher salary by company

  4. Writing an elementary education teacher job description

    An elementary education 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 an elementary education teacher job description:

    Elementary education teacher job description example

    Hyde Park Day School is the premier school for bright students with learning disabilities in the Chicago metropolitan area. Hyde Park Day School is seeking to hire full-time Elementary Education Teachers at our Chicago, Lemont and Northfield campuses to play a vital role in our students' academic success. Our teachers work Monday-Friday, 8:00am-3:30pm. Are you passionate, patient, and committed to providing a meaningful and engaging classroom? Have you been searching for a teaching position where you can make a difference and finally focus on classroom instruction? If so, you may be perfect for this position.

    Minimum Qualifications:

    • Bachelor's degree
    • Experience in elementary education and/or a core content area in secondary education
    • Experience with Orton Gillingham instruction (preferred)

    ABOUT HYDE PARK DAY SCHOOL

    Hyde Park Day School is a full-day school program that offers specialized, educational curriculum for students, ages 6 to 15, with moderate to severe learning disabilities and who have average to above average intelligence. We admit only bright students with learning disabilities and screen for behavioral and emotional concerns.

    Adherence to CDC and IDPH COVID protocols have allowed us to provide in-person instruction for the past two academic years

    Hyde Park Day School has campuses throughout the Chicago area including Hyde Park/Woodlawn, Northfield, and Lemont. Are you passionate, patient, and committed to providing a meaningful and engaging classroom? We believe that the complex nature of significant learning disabilities requires a program that focuses on the remediation of fundamental skills, the development of strategies to compensate for learning challenges and the use of appropriate accommodations.

    • Teachers engage students in 5:1 student-to-teacher groupings.
    • We provide a state-of-the-art instructional and assistive technology program
    • We employ a team of Speech Pathologist, Occupational Therapist and Social Worker to work with instructional staff in the provision of a comprehensive learning environment
    • Hyde Park Day School is a Wilson Language Training partner school
    • We have a highly talented staff supported by a comprehensive professional development program. We utilize Instructional Coaches to train and certify our staff.
    • We provide a safe, nurturing environment designed to build self-esteem, self-confidence, and a genuine interest in learning

    We offer comprehensive benefits including individual and family medical, dental, vision, paid vacation, paid sick leave, paid holidays, company-paid short-term and long-term disability insurance, company-paid basic life and AD&D insurance, a 403(b) retirement plan with Roth option, FSA, HSA, an employee assistance program, 529 college savings program, and tuition reimbursement program for continuing studies.

    We are confident that you will find our school to be a child-centered and extensively rewarding place to work. We highly value our talented staff of educators and clinicians who work together to achieve a singular academic experience for the students in our care. This is why we offer top pay, generous benefits, and a supportive work environment.

    ARE YOU READY TO JOIN OUR TEAM?

    If you feel that you would be right for this position, please complete an application so that we can review your information. We look forward to meeting you!


    The Leslie Shankman School Corporation is an equal opportunity employer



    Job Posted by ApplicantPro
  5. Post your job

    There are various strategies that you can use to find the right elementary education teacher for your business:

    • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
    • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
    • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
    • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.
    To find elementary education teacher candidates, you can consider the following options:
    • Post your job opening on Zippia or other job search websites.
    • Use niche websites that focus on engineering and technology jobs, such as k12jobspot, learn4good, serious teachers, teachingjobs.com.
    • Post your job on free job posting websites.
  6. Interview candidates

    Your first interview with elementary education 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.

    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 elementary education teacher

    Once you've decided on a perfect elementary education teacher candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

    It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is 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.)
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How much does it cost to hire an elementary education teacher?

Recruiting elementary education teachers involves both the one-time costs of hiring and the ongoing costs of adding a new employee to your team. Your spending during the hiring process will mostly be on things like promoting the job on job boards, reviewing and interviewing candidates, and onboarding the new hire. Ongoing costs will obviously involve the employee's salary, but also may include things like benefits.

You can expect to pay around $48,987 per year for an elementary education teacher, as this is the median yearly salary nationally. This can vary depending on what state or city you're hiring in. If you're hiring for contract work or on a per-project basis, hourly rates for elementary education teachers in the US typically range between $19 and $27 an hour.

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