Employers

Art teachers work at public and private institutions, museums, day care centers, juvenile detention centers, community centers, and schools of the arts. Although rural areas maintain schools, more teaching positions are available in urban or suburban areas. Art teachers also find opportunities in charter schools, which are smaller, deregulated schools that receive public funding. The Department of Labor reports that there were more than 1.4 million elementary school teachers, including art teachers, working in the United States in May 2023. There were more than 1 million secondary school teachers and 272,110 self-enrichment teachers, including art teachers, employed in the U.S. in that same year.

Starting Out

After completing the teacher certification process, including the required months of student teaching, work with your colleges career services office to find a full-time position. The departments of education of some states maintain listings of job openings. Many schools advertise teaching positions on employment Web sites and in the classifieds of the states major newspapers. Another way to learn about job opportunities is to directly contact the principals and superintendents of the schools in which youd like to work. While waiting for full-time work, you can work as a substitute teacher to gain experience. In urban areas with many schools, you may be able to substitute full time.

As elementary and secondary art teachers acquire experience or additional education, they can expect higher wages and more responsibilities. Teachers with leadership skills and an interest in administrative work may advance to serve as principals or supervisors, though the number of these positions is limited and competition is fierce. Another move may be into higher education, teaching art classes at a college or university. For most of these positions, additional education is required. Other common career transitions are into the business world, such as moving to advertising, graphic design, or other related fields.

Read industry publications such as Art Education (https://www.arteducators.org/research/art-education-journal) and American Educator (https://www.aft.org/ae) to learn more about trends in the education field.

Visit https://www.teacher.org/jobs for job listings and resume advice, portfolio tips, and interview hints. Other employment sites include https://careers.arteducators.org/jobseekers and https://teachers.net/jobs.

Join the National Art Education Association to access training and networking resources, industry publications, and employment opportunities.

Be willing to relocate. It may open more job opportunities.

Participate in student-teaching opportunities.