
Find Your Teacher Career Path (Guide)
Learn how your decision to step into education sets you up to pursue varied and exciting career paths.
Becoming a teacher can be the first phase of a career with many options and opportunities. We break down some of the different jobs teachers can fill, with examples of each and what the position entails. Where will teaching take you?
5 Career Paths for Teachers
Become a Master Teacher

“I would get to dance in a flash mob, attend Malala Yousafzai’s speaking tour, soar across fields on a zipline, scale a high-ropes course, write scripts for and perform in awareness-raising cabaret shows...Who knew that this was a part of teaching?”
—Meghan Hatch-Geary, English teacher
Roles in the Classroom
Lead a School or District

“Because colleges value high school performance above all else in admissions criteria, I want to make sure minority and low-income students get the mathematics instruction that allows them to enter higher education, no matter their background.”
—Amanda Guy, math teacher
Roles in School Leadership
Develop Education Products and Services

“My teacher experience has helped me as an organizational leader, too. Teachers fundamentally care about developing their people—their students. I do that now, but it’s with my staff not students. You need to grow your people if you want to grow an organization.”
—Ellen Moir, founder and executive director of New Teacher Center
Roles in Education Services
Work in Policy or Advocacy

“I'm optimistic that, as a country, there is a realization that the success of our public education system is so central to our long-term future that we cannot afford to slide backwards.”
—Dr. John B. King Jr., former teacher, principal and U.S. Secretary of Education
Roles in Advocacy
Become an Education Leader

“I knew I wanted to dive into activism, but I didn't necessarily look at education and teaching as activism. Now, I know better. It is the best way to demonstrate activism in a sustained way in a pervasive way.”
—Sharif El-Mekki, founder and CEO, Center for Black Educator Development
Roles in Higher Education
Need help to map out your career?

Whether you dream of being a school principal, district leader, or the director of an education nonprofit, the career path begins as a classroom teacher. And teachers are always in high demand. In fact, employment is expected to increase by 5.5 percent from 2021–2031.
Need help understanding your next step? Get guidance from an expert in certification. Sign up fro a group session or a 1-on-1 chat.
References
- Occupational Projects and Worker Characteristics. Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables/occupational-projections-and-characteristics.htm
- Teacher Shortage Areas. U.S. Department of Education. https://tsa.ed.gov/#/home/