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How to hire a social studies teacher

Social studies teacher hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring social studies teachers in the United States:

  • There are currently 1,483,252 social studies teachers in the US, as well as 94,087 job openings.
  • Social studies teachers are in the highest demand in Las Vegas, NV, with 18 current job openings.
  • The median cost to hire a social studies teacher is $1,633.
  • It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
  • Human Resources use 15% of their expenses on recruitment on average.
  • On average, it takes around 12 weeks for a new social studies teacher to become settled and show total productivity levels at work.

How to hire a social studies teacher, step by step

To hire a social studies teacher, you should create an ideal candidate profile, determine a budget, and post and promote your job. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to hire a social studies teacher:

Here's a step-by-step social studies 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 social studies teacher job description
  • Step 5: Post your job
  • Step 6: Interview candidates
  • Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new social studies teacher
  • Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a social studies teacher do?

Teachers that specialize in human society are called social studies teachers. Usually, they are found at a high school and secondary school level. They teach concepts of history, geography, government, economics, and civic ideals. Their duties include assigning and grading homework, writing, and grading tests and essays as well as engaging students with lectures and relevant activities. Skills needed for the job include an analytical mind, service-oriented, and organized. They must also be highly knowledgeable about social sciences and has a field related degree to social study.

Learn more about the specifics of what a social studies teacher does
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  1. Identify your hiring needs

    Before you post your social studies 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 social studies 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?

    A social studies teacher's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, social studies teachers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

    This list presents social studies teacher salaries for various positions.

    Type of Social Studies TeacherDescriptionHourly rate
    Social Studies TeacherHigh school teachers help prepare students for life after graduation. They teach academic lessons and various skills that students will need to attend college and to enter the job market.$17-32
    TeacherBeing a teacher is one of the most passionate professions, among others. Teachers educate, motivate, and guide every generation of learners to prepare them for the real world... Show more$15-33
    History TeacherA history teacher analyzes all resources and prescribed texts to create quality curricula and lesson plans, collaborate with other teachers, and learn from the classroom management techniques, teaching strategies, and methods. These professionals deliver engaging history-related lessons on various movements, periods, and other history-related figures and events... Show more$18-36
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • Classroom Management
    • World History
    • Curriculum Development
    • Professional Development
    • Student Learning
    • Classroom Environment
    • Social Studies Curriculum
    • Instructional Materials
    • Geography
    • Instructional Strategies
    • Student Achievement
    • Economics
    • Public Schools
    • Blended Learning
    Check all skills
    Responsibilities:
    • Lead co-taught classes with another teacher.
    • Develop and continue to manage a collaborative after-school tutoring program for middle school mathematics students.
    • Develop curricula for, and teach all , 7th & 8th grade language arts and social studies classes.
    • Prepare students for the AICE college level exam.
    • Teach theory and attitudes of leadership to the students.
    • Instruct students at various levels and abilities in civics and law.
    More social studies teacher duties
  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in the social studies teacher job description is a good way to get more applicants. A social studies teacher salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

    For example, the average salary for a social studies teacher in Louisiana may be lower than in Washington, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level social studies teacher. Additionally, a social studies teacher with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

    Average social studies teacher salary

    $49,725yearly

    $23.91 hourly rate

    Entry-level social studies teacher salary
    $36,000 yearly salary
    Updated January 23, 2026

    Average social studies teacher salary by state

    RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
    1New York$68,783$33
    2Massachusetts$65,593$32
    3Maryland$64,550$31
    4New Jersey$61,063$29
    5Connecticut$58,263$28
    6California$58,093$28
    7District of Columbia$57,909$28
    8Pennsylvania$54,327$26
    9Illinois$53,419$26
    10Oregon$51,718$25
    11Ohio$49,727$24
    12Michigan$48,368$23
    13Nevada$47,690$23
    14Minnesota$45,901$22
    15New Mexico$45,824$22
    16Texas$45,722$22
    17New Hampshire$45,511$22
    18Florida$44,551$21
    19Iowa$43,112$21
    20Indiana$41,700$20

    Average social studies teacher salary by company

  4. Writing a social studies teacher job description

    A job description for a social studies teacher role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a social studies teacher job description:

    Social studies teacher job description example

    Interim Dates will be October 10, 2022 to January 25, 2023


    This position was established for the purpose of providing support to the instructional process by serving as a Teacher (Regular Education) with specific responsibility for supervising students within the classroom and other assigned areas; developing lesson plans; delivering group and individual student instructions within established curriculum guidelines; collaborating with other teachers, professional staff, and administrators in addressing instructional and/or classroom issues; and responding to a wide range of inquiries from students' parents/guardians regarding the instructional program and individual progress.

    This position reports to the Principal.

    Essential Functions

    * Plans and administers instructional programs and conducts classroom operations in compliance with directives from School Administration, Board of Education policy, and state and federal laws and regulations.

    *Responsible for the overall instruction, operation, management, and supervision of the classroom.

    *Demonstrates a variety of methods required to perform classroom and/or subject specific assignments, providing an effective program that addresses individual student requirements.

    * Administers and develops subject specific assessments to evaluate student competency levels and/or develops individual learning plans to improve student's academic success in all courses of study.

    *Assesses student progress in relation to learning targets, objectives, and expectations; and monitors students in a variety of education environments to provide a safe and positive learning environment.

    *Instructs and counsels students to enhance and improve academic performance, appropriate behavior, problem solving skills and techniques, health, and a variety of personal issues.

    *Manages student behavior for the purpose of providing a safe and optimal learning environment.

    *Collaborates with instructional staff, other school personnel, parents, and consults a variety of community resources for the purpose of supporting the school improvement plan and improving the overall quality of student outcomes and achieving established classroom objectives.

    *Supports and assists other classroom teachers with the implementation of established curriculum and/or individual student plans.

    *Directs assistant teachers, student teachers, instructional assistants, volunteers and/or student workers for the purpose of administering an effective classroom program and addressing the needs of individual students.

    *Advises parents and/or legal guardians of student progress for the purpose of communicating expectations, student's achievements, developing methods for improvement, and/or reinforcing classroom goals in the home environment.

    *Responds to inquiries from a variety of sources (teachers, parents, students, administrators, central office staff, etc.) for the purpose of providing information and/or direction, communicating standards, and resolving issues.

    *Gathers information and prepares a variety of written materials (e.g. grades, lesson plans following scope and sequence, correspondence with parents and students, examinations and quizzes, attendance, anecdotal records, etc.) for the purpose of documenting student progress and maintaining mandated requirements.

    *Participates in a variety of meetings and professional development activities.

    *Addresses and reports incidents (e.g. fights, suspected child abuse, suspected substance abuse, etc.) for the purpose of maintaining personal safety of students, providing a positive learning environment, and adhering to state law and Board policies.

    *Responds to emergency situations for the purpose of resolving safety concerns immediately.

  5. Post your job

    There are various strategies that you can use to find the right social studies teacher for your business:

    • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
    • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
    • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
    • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.
    To find social studies teacher candidates, you can consider the following options:
    • Post your job opening on Zippia or other job search websites.
    • Use niche websites that focus on engineering and technology jobs, such as k12jobspot, learn4good, serious teachers, teachingjobs.com.
    • Post your job on free job posting websites.
  6. Interview candidates

    During your first interview to recruit social studies 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 social studies teacher

    Once you've decided on a perfect social studies teacher candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

    It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

    To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

  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.)
    Sign up to download full list

How much does it cost to hire a social studies teacher?

There are different types of costs for hiring social studies teachers. One-time cost per hire for the recruitment process. Ongoing costs include employee salary, training, onboarding, benefits, insurance, and equipment. It is essential to consider all of these costs when evaluating hiring a new social studies teacher employee.

You can expect to pay around $49,725 per year for a social studies teacher, as this is the median yearly salary nationally. This can vary depending on what state or city you're hiring in. If you're hiring for contract work or on a per-project basis, hourly rates for social studies teachers in the US typically range between $17 and $32 an hour.

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