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What is a grade school teacher and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
2 min read
Quoted experts
Dr. Diana Jones,
Tara Kirton
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a grade school teacher. For example, did you know that they make an average of $24.18 an hour? That's $50,289 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 4% and produce 60,200 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to a grade school teacher?

Dr. Diana JonesDr. Diana Jones LinkedIn profile

Chair, Department of Kinesiology, Anderson University

General advice: I would encourage graduates to find a mentor who can guide them in their careers, stay on top of the latest technology, not be too hard on themselves, be flexible, be team players, be present, and care about their students.
ScoreGrade School TeacherUS Average
Salary
3.9

Avg. Salary $50,289

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
7.6

Growth rate 4%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
5.7
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.52%

Asian 3.68%

Black or African American 9.91%

Hispanic or Latino 12.73%

Unknown 3.92%

White 69.25%

Gender

female 71.94%

male 28.06%

Age - 42
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 42
Stress level
7.6

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
8.5

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance
4.3

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Grade school teacher career paths

Key steps to become a grade school teacher

  1. Explore grade school teacher education requirements

    Most common grade school teacher degrees

    Bachelor's

    70.0 %

    Master's

    17.1 %

    Associate

    6.1 %
  2. Start to develop specific grade school teacher skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Classroom Management13.70%
    Classroom Environment10.08%
    Learning Environment7.81%
    Mathematics6.85%
    Student Performance6.63%
  3. Research grade school teacher duties and responsibilities

    • Attend IEP meetings when schedule.
    • Develop, implement fun, hands-on math lessons that successfully increase math understanding at its core level.
    • Collect academic and social-emotional data relate to IEP goals.
    • Enrich mathematics curriculum by creating authentic assessments and projects as well as using the curriculum assessment.
  4. Prepare your grade school teacher resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your grade school teacher resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a grade school teacher resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable grade school teacher resume templates

    Build a professional grade school teacher resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your grade school teacher resume.
    Grade School Teacher Resume
    Grade School Teacher Resume
    Grade School Teacher Resume
    Grade School Teacher Resume
    Grade School Teacher Resume
    Grade School Teacher Resume
    Grade School Teacher Resume
    Grade School Teacher Resume
    Grade School Teacher Resume
  5. Apply for grade school teacher jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a grade school teacher job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first grade school teacher job

Zippi

Are you a grade school teacher?

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Average grade school teacher salary

The average grade school teacher salary in the United States is $50,289 per year or $24 per hour. Grade school teacher salaries range between $37,000 and $67,000 per year.

Average grade school teacher salary
$50,289 Yearly
$24.18 hourly

What am I worth?

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How do grade school teachers rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

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1 star

Grade school teacher reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2023
Pros

I like sharing my mother tongue, help others to learn and use the language to communicate their ideas and thoughts. to know we contribute in people learning is rewarding


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2023
Pros

The kids light up my days.

Cons

The demand and low pay. Teachers have families, too.


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2022
Pros

You got to work with learners who will love you unconditionally. It gives a great satisfaction to be able to help them. I love learners with Special Needs and I am a Mom of one.

Cons

I can't say, maybe because there is none.


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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