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What is a sixth grade teacher and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
Quoted Expert
Dr. Diana Jones
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a sixth grade teacher. For example, did you know that they make an average of $22.17 an hour? That's $46,118 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 Sixth Grade 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.
ScoreSixth Grade TeacherUS Average
Salary
3.6

Avg. Salary $46,118

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 3.65%

Black or African American 9.68%

Hispanic or Latino 12.49%

Unknown 3.91%

White 69.75%

Gender

female 74.47%

male 25.53%

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

Sixth Grade Teacher career paths

Key steps to become a sixth grade teacher

  1. Explore sixth grade teacher education requirements

    Most common sixth grade teacher degrees

    Bachelor's

    71.4 %

    Master's

    21.6 %

    Associate

    4.8 %
  2. Start to develop specific sixth grade teacher skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Classroom Management21.57%
    Math16.28%
    Science Curriculum13.91%
    Language Arts10.94%
    Social Studies Curriculum4.90%
  3. Research sixth grade teacher duties and responsibilities

    • Create budget, permission slips, bus lists, and PowerPoint presentation that lead to successful trip outings.
    • Participate in RTI and SST process for students to improve performance.
    • Identify signs of emotional or developmental difficulties in students, utilizing the RTI approach and support.
    • Fulfill professional responsibilities through working with various teacher specialists in speech, reading, ESL and special education.
  4. Prepare your sixth grade teacher resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your sixth grade 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 sixth grade teacher resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

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  5. Apply for sixth grade teacher jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a sixth grade 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 Sixth Grade Teacher Job

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Average sixth grade teacher salary

The average Sixth Grade Teacher salary in the United States is $46,118 per year or $22 per hour. Sixth grade teacher salaries range between $35,000 and $59,000 per year.

Average Sixth Grade Teacher Salary
$46,118 Yearly
$22.17 hourly

What Am I Worth?

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How do sixth grade teachers rate their job?

-/5

5 Stars

4 Stars

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Sixth Grade Teacher reviews

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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.


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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.


profile
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


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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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