How to hire an english as a second language teacher

How to hire an english as a second language teacher, step by step

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

What does an english as a second language teacher do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring an english as a second language 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

   An english as a second language teacher's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, english as a second language teachers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list presents english as a second language teacher salaries for various positions.

   Type of English As A Second Language Teacher	Description	Hourly rate
   English As A Second Language Teacher	Postsecondary teachers instruct students in a wide variety of academic and career and technical subjects beyond the high school level. They also conduct research and publish scholarly papers and books.	$20-34
   ESL Instructor	An ESL instructor is responsible for teaching the English language, usually to non-native speakers, discussing all the disciplines of the English language, both written and verbal, and in some cases, even its nature and history. ESL instructors create a comprehensive lesson plan for the English language learners, prepare learning materials, and conduct individual and group activities to test the learners' knowledge and progress... Show more	$17-37
   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

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • English Language
   • Classroom Management
   • Student Learning
   • Professional Development
   • Language Proficiency
   • Public Schools
   • Curriculum Development
   • ELL
   • Grammar
   • Creole
   • K-12
   • Language
   • Language Arts
   • Classroom Environment

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage all lesson planning, and develop school's curriculum on U.S. cultural, literature and government.
   • Highly-Qualify and experience English as a second language specialist that is capable of teaching and managing international adult students.
   • Test all non-naturalize students for the ESOL program.
   • Align curriculum with school wide goals and WIDA standards.
   • Boost cultural awareness by incorporating children's literature from cultures around the world.
   • Conduct conversation classes for ESOL beginners, all of whom are from low-income families.

   More english as a second language teacher duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your english as a second language teacher job description helps attract top candidates to the position. An english as a second language 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 an english as a second language teacher in Arizona may be lower than in Connecticut, and an entry-level english as a second language teacher usually earns less than a senior-level english as a second language teacher. Additionally, an english as a second language 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 english as a second language teacher salary

   $55,428yearly

   $26.65 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level english as a second language teacher salary

   $42,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

   Average english as a second language teacher salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$73,662	$35
   2	New York	$69,033	$33
   3	Michigan	$62,018	$30
   4	Wisconsin	$58,027	$28
   5	New Jersey	$57,488	$28
   6	Massachusetts	$56,976	$27
   7	Colorado	$49,126	$24
   8	Virginia	$49,079	$24
   9	North Carolina	$48,328	$23
   10	Iowa	$47,562	$23
   11	Minnesota	$46,886	$23
   12	Arizona	$46,325	$22
   13	Texas	$46,299	$22
   14	Ohio	$44,871	$22
   15	Idaho	$34,799	$17

   Average english as a second language teacher salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Boston Public Schools	$72,456	$34.83	14
   2	West Contra Costa Unified School District	$61,384	$29.51	13
   3	Pasadena Unified School District	$59,493	$28.60	1
   4	Prince George's County Memorial Library System	$59,363	$28.54
   5	North Arlington School District Nj	$58,689	$28.22	5
   6	James Madison University	$58,451	$28.10
   7	Houston ISD Foundation	$58,298	$28.03	5
   8	Nyc Parks	$57,435	$27.61
   9	Denver Public Schools	$57,136	$27.47	10
   10	St. Timothy School	$56,592	$27.21
   11	Magnolia Educational and Research Foundation	$56,575	$27.20	2
   12	South Washington County Schools	$56,492	$27.16	3
   13	Petal School District	$56,321	$27.08
   14	Union County Public Schools	$56,120	$26.98	18
   15	Arroyo Seco Junior High	$56,043	$26.94	2
   16	Berkshire School	$56,011	$26.93
   17	Central Park School for Children	$55,819	$26.84
   18	Great River School	$55,615	$26.74
   19	FRANKLIN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DISTRICT CA	$55,597	$26.73
   20	Proviso Township Schools	$55,369	$26.62

4. Writing an english as a second language teacher job description

   An english as a second language 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 english as a second language teacher job description:

   English as a second language teacher job description example

   About Mastery:
   
   We believe educational inequity is the most pressing social problem facing our country and the civil rights issue of our day. Mastery exists to help solve this problem. Our ultimate goal is to create a model urban school district that serves all students with excellence. We are organized around one driving mission: All students learn the academic and personal skills they need to be truly prepared for postsecondary success and able to pursue their dreams. To fulfill this mission, we attend to the whole child - academically and emotionally - matching high expectations for students with high levels of support.
   
   Mastery Charter Schools is a nonprofit network of more than 24 schools serving over 14,000 students in Philadelphia and Camden. We are the largest turnaround school operator in the nation and have been lauded by President Obama and the US Department of Education for our ability to dramatically boost academic achievement in historically low-performing schools.
   
   We know neighborhood schools matter, all students deserve access to a great education, and the people in our buildings can grow and develop sustainably to make the biggest impact possible in this work.
   
   Mastery's Equity Vision:
   
   We believe that diversity, equity, and inclusion are essential to achieving our mission.
   
   We strive to be an anti-racist school district that eliminates the inequities in academic achievement that limit our students' choices; that cultivates classrooms where every student is affirmed, supported, and held to high expectations; and that nurtures a diverse organization where students, staff, and families are valued, respected, and included.
   
   This role is eligible for up to $5,000 in bonuses as well as up to $5,000 for relocation expenses!
   
   The Opportunity:
   
   The English as a Second Language (ESL) program at Mastery Schools is built on the belief that native language skills transfer to secondary language learning. Based on this, students are taught social & instructional language in tandem with academic language of Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies throughout each stage of English proficiency. As ESL teachers work with our English Language Learners (ELLs), to build language capacity, students gain greater and greater levels of access into the curriculum and bridge their prior learning and experiences into the English-instructed classroom and school environment.
   
   Mastery values the language and cultural diversity that English Language Learners bring into our schools and strives to incorporate the literature and historical perspective of our multilingual students into the curriculum, school, and classroom culture.
   
   Whether you are starting your teaching career or are looking to launch a new chapter, your passion and experience will be deeply valued and your opportunities for growth and impact will be limitless. Your natural talents will be fostered and we will provide the training and support to help you be an incredibly effective teacher. As a Mastery team member, you will be trusted to make decisions and held accountable for critical results. You will engage in a positive and professional workplace embedded in a warm, joyful, student-centered, and welcoming school culture.
   Duties and Responsibilities:Commit to ongoing professional development in the spirit of continuous improvement Develop and implement rigorous and appropriate lesson plans, assignments, and assessments in cooperation with Mastery school-based leadership and curricular resources developed by Mastery's Central Office Academic TeamWork closely with school leaders to analyze student assessment data to measure progress and use data to inform instruction Collaborate in grade level teams to discuss student work, share best practices, plan events for joy and humor, and ensure student mastery of standards Engage families in their children's education by building relationships and maintaining regular communication Demonstrate genuine interest, belief, and care for students' personal and academic success Commit to professional growth, self-reflection, a receptiveness to feedback, and a desire to continuously improve
   Education, Experience, and Skills:Bachelor's degree required with a record of personal, professional, and/or academic achievement Teacher certification - completed or in process Demonstrated expertise in subject area Commitment to and experience working with underserved communities Determination to drive student achievement and set high expectations for all students The ability to motivate, support, and challenge students in a student-centered, standards-driven classroom communityA positive mindset and a drive for personal excellence Solutions-oriented resiliency to respond positively and effectively to challenges Outstanding instructional skills driven by data and delivered through rigorous and engaging strategies
   #zr
   
   Mastery Charter Schools is an equal opportunity employer and actively encourages applications from people of all backgrounds. Compensation is competitive and commensurate with experience. We offer a full benefits program and opportunities for professional growth.
   
   UPDATE AS OF MAY 2022 - Please review Mastery's Health and Safety Plans here to learn about our approach to vaccination and testing as well as our response to COVID-19 for the 2021-22 school year. For ongoing positions, Mastery roles are designated as in-person, with regular on-site responsibilities, unless otherwise noted. As such, Employees must be able to support Mastery Schools' academic plan and business strategies on-site - at a Mastery campus - as required.
   
   Exceptions to this requirement will be considered on an individualized basis.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right english as a second language teacher for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with english as a second language teachers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit english as a second language teachers who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   To find english as a second language 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

   Recruiting english as a second language teachers requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   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 english as a second language teacher

   Once you've found the english as a second language 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 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 english as a second language 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.)

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