Mathematics Teachers
Overview
Introduction
Mathematics teachers generally work with middle-, high-school, or postsecondary students. They lecture, direct discussions, and test students knowledge with exams, essays, and homework assignments. Teachers also develop teaching outlines and lesson plans, facilitate activities, keep class attendance records, and evaluate student progress. There are approximately 615,700 middle school teachers and nearly 1.1 million high school teachers employed in the United States, as well as 61,100 postsecondary mathematical science teachers.
Quick Facts
Median Salary
Employment Prospects
Minimum Education Level
Experience
Skills
Personality Traits
Earnings
Most teachers are contracted to work nine months out of the year, though some contracts are made for a full 12 months. When regular school is not in session, teachers are usually expected to conduct summer teaching, planning, or other school-related work.
The median annual salary for middle school teachers was $58,600 in May 2018, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. The lowest 10 ...
Work Environment
Although the job of the math teacher is not physically strenuous, it can be tiring and trying. Teachers must stand for many hours each day, do a lot of talking, show energy and enthusiasm, and handle discipline problems. Despite this often trying task, they also have the reward of guiding students in the making of decisions about their lives and futures.
Math teachers work under generall...
Outlook
Employment for middle school teachers is predicted to grow by 3 percent, slower than the average for all careers, through 2028, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Employment for high school teachers is expected to grow by 4 percent, about as fast as the the average, in that same time frame. Many schools are in short supply of math educators, partly due to the large number of teachers ex...