Career Outcomes: MA in Teaching

Graduates of our MA in Teaching program have a bevy of career options waiting for them in public, charter, and private/independent settings. Here are some of the career outcomes students can expect after attaining their MAT.

K-12 Teacher

A K-12 teacher is an educator who is responsible for teaching a grade between kindergarten and 12th grade. Depending on grade level, duties often include such as assigning homework and reading, grading student work, and tracking progress to ensure students are meeting grade-level standards.

English Teacher

An English teacher is responsible for ensuring that students, often middle school and high school students learn proper grammar, reading comprehension, and writing skills. Teaching at this level includes duties such as assigning homework and reading, grading student work, and tracking progress to ensure students are meeting grade-level standards.

Math Teacher

A math teacher is responsible for ensuring that students, often middle school and high school students learn proper mathematical skills, often including courses such as algebra and geometry in addition to many others. Teaching at this level includes duties such as assigning homework and reading, grading student work, and tracking progress to ensure students are meeting grade-level standards.

Elementary Teacher

Elementary school teachers educate younger students in grades kindergarten through 5th grade. These educators are responsible for laying the academic foundation for young students as they prepare for further education in high academic capacities. Duties within this role include lesson planning, grading, and implementing a variety of subjects at the accurate grade level.

Spanish Teacher

A Spanish teacher is responsible for ensuring that students of any grade level learn proper Spanish language skills, including written, verbal, and comprehension. Teaching in this realm includes duties such as assigning homework and reading, grading student work, and tracking progress to ensure students are meeting grade-level standards.

Substitute Teacher

Substitute teachers are responsible for overseeing classroom management and instruction during periods when the primary educator is absent for short or long periods of time. Duties that fall under this job description include taking attendance, assigning homework, ensuring the classroom stays on task and on schedule, maintaining classroom cleanliness, as well as other duties that may be assigned.

Physical Education

A physical education teacher is responsible for ensuring physical activity for the students. This includes organizing sports games, extracurricular teams, and more. The goal of this role is to promote physical fitness, health, and wellness for children, young and older.

Science Teacher

A science teacher is responsible for ensuring that students of any grade level learn proper understanding and comprehension of the scientific world appropriate for each grade level. Classes often include biology, sex ed, chemistry, environmental science, and more. Teaching in this realm includes duties such as assigning homework and reading, grading student work, and tracking progress to ensure students are meeting grade-level standards.

Kindergarten Teacher

Kindergarten school teachers educate some of the youngest students. These educators are responsible for laying the academic foundation for young students as they prepare for further education in high academic capacities. Duties within this role include lesson planning, grading, and implementing a variety of subjects at the accurate grade level.

Middle School Teacher

Middle school teachers educate students in grades 6-8. These educators are responsible for laying the academic foundation for young students as they prepare for further education in high academic capacities. Duties within this role include lesson planning, grading, and implementing a variety of subjects at the accurate grade level.

High School Teacher

High school teachers are responsible for teaching students in the ninth through twelfth grades in both public and private schools.

High school teachers typically specialize in one or two topics, such as math, English, science, art, history, Spanish, French, or music, and generally teach several classes in the course of a day. The primary goal of these teachers is to train and prepare students for college and/or the job market.

High school teachers must have the ability to express information effectively to teens. Calmness and patience are qualities that teachers need; their role can be seen as both an educator and mentor.

Employment Potential

• 1.9 MIL Job Openings: Nearly 1.9 million job openings for Preschool through Postsecondary School Teachers are projected between 2014 and 2024*
• 86K Average Annual Wage: The average annual wage for Elementary Teachers in California was over $86,000 in 2021*
• 94K Average Annual Wage: The average annual wage for Secondary School Teachers in California was over $94,000 in 2021*
• Employment Level: California had the highest employment level of Elementary School Teachers nationwide in 2017*

*U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2021