How long does it take to become a Lead Teacher?

It takes 4 years of professional experience to become a lead teacher. That is the time it takes to learn specific lead teacher skills, but does not account for time spent in formal education. If you include the normal education requirements to complete a college degree, then it takes 7 to 9 years years to become a lead teacher.

What is a lead teacher and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Dr. Diana Jones

A lead teacher is a highly experienced educator who assumes the responsibility of coordinating and supervising other teachers. They create and implement effective teaching strategies, develop curriculum, mentor teachers, and assess student performance. A lead teacher also serves as a liaison between parents, administration, and other teachers. They possess excellent communication and leadership skills, as well as a deep understanding of educational theory. A lead teacher contributes to the success of students and educators.

What general advice would you give to a lead teacher?

Dr. Diana Jones

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.

ScoreLead TeacherUS Average

Salary

2.6

Avg. Salary $33,652

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

8.4

Growth rate 5%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

4.7

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.45%

Asian 3.55%

Black or African American 7.79%

Hispanic or Latino 11.39%

Unknown 3.96%

White 72.86%

Gender

female 89.78%

male 10.22%

Age - 43

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 - 43

Stress level

8.4

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.3

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

5.9

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a lead teacher?

Pros

Opportunity for professional growth and development
Competitive salary and benefits package
Possibility for job security and stability
Variety of tasks and responsibilities, making the job interesting and challenging
Potential for leadership opportunities within the school or district

Cons

Limited autonomy due to curriculum requirements and standardized testing
Challenging behavior from students, which can be emotionally draining
Limited resources for classroom supplies and technology
Pressure to meet deadlines, benchmarks, and expectations from parents, students, and administrators
Limited opportunities for career advancement without additional degrees or certifications

Key steps to become a lead teacher

Explore lead teacher education requirements

Most common lead teacher degrees

Bachelor's

50.8 %

Associate

21.7 %

High School Diploma

11.9 %

Start to develop specific lead teacher skills

Skills	Percentages
CPR	19.20%
Customer Service	18.00%
Child Care	17.48%
Child Development	15.22%
Classroom Management	11.15%

Complete relevant lead teacher training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New lead 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 lead teacher based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real lead teacher resumes.

Research lead teacher duties and responsibilities

Plan and implement theme and project-base lessons that incorporate math, literacy, science, physical development, and social/emotional skills.
Cultivate and foster safe and effective learning environment conducive for Pre-K students.
Model positive behavior management techniques through daily contact with children and early childhood staff in the classroom.
Develop lesson plans on a bi-weekly basis that comply with early childhood standards and relate to the weekly theme.

Get lead teacher experience

Generally, it takes 1-2 years to become a lead teacher. The most common roles before becoming a lead teacher include teacher, cashier team lead and toddler assistant teacher.

Prepare your lead teacher resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your lead 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 lead 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 lead teacher resume templates

Build a professional lead 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 lead teacher resume.

Apply for lead teacher jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a lead 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 do lead teachers rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Lead teacher reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Nov 2022

Pros

Seeing the kids learn, grow, over come challenges.

Cons

It can be emotionally and physically draining, especially if not appreciated.

A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2022

Pros

Gaining the childs trust and watching them geow and learn.

Cons

That in a year the children you fall in love with move on to the next grade.

A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2022

Pros

Kids, teaching lessons, co-teachers, hours, weekends off, salary, holidays off, summers off, paid sick and personal days

Cons

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

What is a lead teacher and how to become one

What general advice would you give to a lead teacher?

What are the pros and cons of being a lead teacher?

Lead teacher career paths

Key steps to become a lead teacher

Explore lead teacher education requirements

Most common lead teacher degrees

Start to develop specific lead teacher skills

Complete relevant lead teacher training and internships

Research lead teacher duties and responsibilities

Get lead teacher experience

Prepare your lead teacher resume

Choose from 10+ customizable lead teacher resume templates

Apply for lead teacher jobs

How did you land your first lead teacher job

Average lead teacher salary

How do lead teachers rate their job?

Lead teacher reviews

Lead teacher FAQs

How long does it take to become a Lead Teacher?

Search for lead teacher jobs

Lead teacher jobs by state