Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
What is a high school english teacher and how to become one
A high school English teacher teaches teenagers about literature, writing, and the English language. Like any other teacher, a high school English teacher needs to prepare lesson plans, grade assignments, and design a curriculum that follows state and school guidelines. They lecture on relevant topics and assign essays and tests. A good high school English teacher goes the extra mile to make literature come alive for their students by leading discussion sections, choosing works of literature that are engaging, and designing fun activities to engage students. Some high school English teachers specialize in helping students that need a little extra help, such as English language learners.
High school English teachers usually need a master's degree in their subject, although some make do with only a bachelor's. They need to have a teaching license from their state, especially if they are working in a public school. It usually helps if they have some experience working with teenagers, for example as a student teacher.
High school English teachers earn an average annual salary of $49,550. This varies depending on their school or district.
What general advice would you give to a high school english teacher?
Dr. Diana Jones
Chair, Department of Kinesiology, Anderson University
Avg. Salary $50,369
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth rate 5%
Growth rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.46%
Asian 3.60%
Black or African American 8.14%
Hispanic or Latino 11.83%
Unknown 3.97%
White 72.00%
Genderfemale 68.34%
male 31.66%
Age - 43American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 43Stress level is high
7.1 - high
Complexity level is challenging
7 - challenging
Work life balance is fair
6.4 - fair
High school english teacher career paths
Key steps to become a high school english teacher
Explore high school english teacher education requirements
Start to develop specific high school english teacher skills
Skills Percentages Classroom Management 13.24% Professional Development 7.90% Curriculum Development 7.09% Language 5.28% Student Learning 5.25% Complete relevant high school english teacher training and internships
Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New high school english teachers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a high school english teacher based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real high school english teacher resumes.Research high school english teacher duties and responsibilities
- Manage FBLA, assist with meeting notes, financial records, and agendas for meetings, events, and fundraisers.
- Share ideas with non-ESL certify teachers on strategies to teach ESL students successfully.
- Perform all clerical duties as required for reports, forms, IEP s and state reports.
- Participate in IEP (individualize education plan) planning sessions with parents, teachers, and administrators.
Prepare your high school english teacher resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your high school english 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 high school english 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 high school english teacher resume templates
Build a professional high school english 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 high school english teacher resume.
Apply for high school english teacher jobs
Now it's time to start searching for a high school english teacher job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
- Browse job boards for relevant postings
- Consult your professional network
- Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
- Watch out for job scams
How did you land your first high school english teacher job
Are you a high school english teacher?
Share your story for a free salary report.
Average high school english teacher salary
The average high school english teacher salary in the United States is $50,369 per year or $24 per hour. High school english teacher salaries range between $37,000 and $67,000 per year.
What am I worth?
How do high school english teachers rate their job?
High school english teacher reviews
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
Kids, teaching lessons, co-teachers, hours, weekends off, salary, holidays off, summers off, paid sick and personal days
Administration, observations, being told what to teach and HOW to teach it, expecting us to participate in things we might not want to or have the time for, staff meetings with no substance
I would like to work. I do not like not working. I love being around people and still have a lot to offer.
Updated January 8, 2025
