How to hire a literacy teacher

How to hire a literacy teacher, step by step

Here's a step-by-step literacy teacher hiring guide:

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your literacy 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 a literacy 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?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a literacy teacher to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a literacy teacher that fits the bill.

   Here's a comparison of literacy teacher salaries for various roles:

   Type of Literacy Teacher	Description	Hourly rate
   Literacy Teacher	Kindergarten and elementary school teachers prepare younger students for future schooling by teaching them basic subjects such as math and reading.	$20-32
   English Language Arts Teacher	English language teachers are in charge of establishing a classroom setting that advance in each student the skills of reading, writing, listening, and speaking. They assist in the development and recognition of fine literature of all types, inspire students to read extensively for information and recreation, and develop guidelines for analytical judgment of written and oral communication... Show more	$17-29
   Elementary School Teacher	Elementary school teachers are trained to provide education to children from kindergarten through fifth grade. The teachers are responsible for children's emotional and educational growth in the classroom... Show more	$17-34

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Assessment Data
   • Classroom Management
   • Language
   • Language Arts
   • RTI
   • Student Learning
   • Literacy Program
   • Computer Literacy
   • Mathematics
   • ESL
   • Student Achievement
   • Learning Environment
   • Instructional Strategies
   • Academic Support

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead debates with advance students on topics including globalization, economics, and political history.
   • Scaffold learning for ESL populace.
   • Train education aides for ESL guide reading lessons.
   • Collaborate with colleagues to design a mathematics curriculum map.
   • Develop original literature-base study guides, evaluations, and enrichment activities as well a grammar lessons and poetry units.
   • Strengthen student's cumulative learning and preparedness with FCAT reinforcement lessons.

   More literacy teacher duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, literacy teachers' average salary in arizona is 44% less than in maryland.
   • Seniority. Entry-level literacy teachers 36% less than senior-level literacy teachers.
   • Certifications. A literacy 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 a literacy teacher's salary.

   Average literacy teacher salary

   $54,453yearly

   $26.18 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level literacy teacher salary

   $43,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 18, 2025

   Average literacy teacher salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$69,780	$34
   2	New York	$64,491	$31
   3	Virginia	$59,370	$29
   4	Michigan	$55,657	$27
   5	Illinois	$54,274	$26
   6	Montana	$52,861	$25
   7	Colorado	$50,391	$24
   8	North Carolina	$48,197	$23
   9	Louisiana	$47,924	$23
   10	Idaho	$46,620	$22
   11	Maine	$45,679	$22
   12	Texas	$44,989	$22
   13	Nevada	$43,264	$21
   14	Oklahoma	$42,369	$20

   Average literacy teacher salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	City of Roanoke, Virginia - Government	$56,985	$27.40
   2	Guilford County Schools	$56,900	$27.36	19
   3	New York City School Construction Authority	$54,881	$26.39
   4	Yu Ming Charter School	$54,860	$26.38	6
   5	Panay Power Corporation	$54,479	$26.19	6
   6	Colorado State Express	$54,447	$26.18
   7	Americorps	$54,329	$26.12	23
   8	Nyc Parks	$54,104	$26.01
   9	Presidio Knolls School	$53,369	$25.66	2
   10	Union County Public Schools	$52,062	$25.03	56
   11	Addison Trail High School	$50,770	$24.41	11
   12	Erie 2-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES	$50,200	$24.13	10
   13	Aspen School District	$50,087	$24.08	6
   14	State of West Virginia	$50,025	$24.05	35
   15	COPE	$49,930	$24.00
   16	State of Colorado	$47,047	$22.62	16
   17	Edmond Public Schools	$46,638	$22.42	11
   18	Metropolitan State University of Denver	$46,366	$22.29	6
   19	Lewiston Public Schools	$43,207	$20.77	17
   20	Wayne RESA	$42,731	$20.54	182

4. Writing a literacy teacher job description

   A literacy 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 a literacy teacher job description:

   Literacy teacher job description example

   Reports to: Principal
   
   OVERVIEW
   
   Prodeo Academy is a network of public charter schools serving the Twin Cities. It is a meaningful education solution closing the opportunity gap through data-driven instruction in a culture based on a foundation of five core values: Perseverance, Respect, Integrity, Development, and Enthusiasm. Shared expectations around these values enhance the opportunity for our scholars to reach their full potential. We are looking for team members committed to helping our students access greater opportunities, achieve future success, and contribute to the vitality of our community.
   
   VISION FOR POSITION
   
   Interventionists are committed members of a school team closing the opportunity gap by providing remediation experiences and meaningful learning opportunities for our scholars. A Prodeo Academy Interventionist is intensely focused on each student's growth. This opportunity is ideal for someone energized by challenging work, hungry for feedback, and able to work collaboratively across lines of difference with an emphasis on cultural sensitivity and inclusiveness.
   
   CORE RESPONSIBILITIES
   
   + Track and monitor individual student growth or drops in performance
   
   + Administer student assessments and utilize data to identify areas for growth
   
   + Collaborate with grade-level teachers and administration to establish growth plans for students
   
   + Create lesson plans and activities to enhance student learning in areas of need
   
   + Provide individual and small group remediation to struggling students
   
   QUALIFICATIONS & COMPETENCIES
   
   + A bachelor's degree or higher
   
   + Prior K-8 teaching experience
   
   + Knowledge of reading intervention techniques and literacy development
   
   + Strong analytical abilities and a love for data-driven instruction
   
   + Dedication to going above & beyond for your students
   
   + Collaborative work style paired with the ability to take initiative
   
   + High standards for both yourself and your students
   
   COMPENSATION
   
   Salary for this position is very competitive and commensurate with experience.
   
   Prodeo Academy is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, handicap, age, religion, sexual orientation, or national or ethnic origin. We are committed to hiring a diverse and multicultural staff and encourage applications from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find literacy teachers for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any literacy teachers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level literacy teachers with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your literacy teacher job on Zippia to find and attract quality literacy teacher candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as k12jobspot, learn4good, serious teachers, teachingjobs.com.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit literacy teachers, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   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 literacy teacher

   Once you've selected the best literacy teacher candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the 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 literacy 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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