Which teachers are most in demand? A look at shortages, job openings, and pay by subject and state (April 2024)

To help decide whether teaching is the right career for you, this article looks at:

• Which subjects are most in demand
• Which states need teachers most
• How pay for teachers compares across America

In 2016, the UNESCO Institute for Statistics estimated that by 2030, the world would need 69 million new teachers to provide quality universal primary and secondary education. Since then, the COVID-19 pandemic has wiped out 20 years of educational gains. As of February 2022, the percentage of students at risk of not learning to read remains higher than in the 2019-2020 school year, with losses disproportionately concentrated in grades K-2.

An additional 100 million children have fallen below minimum reading proficiency levels as a direct result of the pandemic. In the U.S., demand for teachers exceeded supply for grades K-12 in the country’s public schools by more than 100,000 for the first time ever in 2019.

A 2022 American School District Panel survey found that 90% of school districts introduced operational changes at some point in the 2021-2022 school year in response to teacher shortages. Additionally, some 163,650 (about 5%) of educators nationally are currently teaching outside of their subject area or without adequate certification.

Teacher demand in 2024

There is demand for teachers at all levels of the education system. However, on average, most job openings are for kindergarten/elementary school teachers, followed by high school teachers and preschool teachers.

Below, we show the job outlook for teachers and the average annual number of job openings.

• Early childhood education – There are approximately 56,300 job openings per year for preschool teachers in America. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) predicts 3% (as fast as average) job growth by 2032.
• Elementary education – At present, there are about 109,000 job openings for kindergarten and elementary school teachers per year in the U.S., with the BLS predicting 1% job growth by 2032.
• Middle school education – Currently, there are 42,200 job openings per year for middle school teachers; the BLS predicts 1% job growth by 2032.
• High school education – Each year, about 67,100 job openings appear for high school teachers, with 1% annual job growth per year predicted by the BLS.
• Special education – As of 2024, there are about 33,500 job openings per year for special education teachers working in America. The BLS predicts 0% job growth in this sector by 2032.

The most in demand teaching subjects

Although individual states have different levels of demand in each subject, several high-need fields appear on the nationwide list. They include:

• Bilingual education and English language acquisition
• Foreign language
• Mathematics
• Reading
• Science
• Special education

Moreover, 2023 data from the Learning Policy Institute indicates that teacher vacancy rates are 2 times higher for math and biology, and 3 times higher for special education, compared to English or social studies.

Thus, while high school English teachers are in demand, there is more of a need for math and special education teachers.

Why are we currently experiencing a teacher shortage in these areas?

Although these are the most in-demand teaching subjects, the shortage of teachers affects every part of the profession, from prekindergarten to grade 12.

Although these are the most in-demand teaching subjects, the shortage of teachers affects every part of the profession, from prekindergarten to grade 12. This is partially due to population growth. Between 2014 and 2026, total public school enrollment in prekindergarten through grade 12 is projected to increase by 3%. Another factor is the reinstatement of classes and programs that were cut or reduced during the Great Recession of 2007 to 2009, when nearly 300,000 teachers and other school employees lost their jobs.

Additionally, a number of teachers are leaving the profession – either transferring to another sector or exiting the labor force entirely. Although many who have left teaching jobs in the past year cite the COVID-19 pandemic as a reason for this, studies show that stress and insufficient pay were also factors.

» Read: What is STEM?

States with teacher shortages

In 2016, the Learning Policy Institute warned of a “coming crisis in teaching” that would affect the entire country. However, the supply and demand within each state behaves differently due to local factors:

• Funding levels and allocations
• Salary levels
• Teaching conditions
• Demographics of the teaching force
• Concentration or sparsity of the population
• Concentration of academic institutions

Demand for teachers by state fluctuates, and even when the labor market is balanced overall, individual states may be prone to shortages. For example, while Oklahoma’s teacher demand projections were only slightly higher than their annual supply in 2016, California’s teacher shortages in the same period saw demand for new teachers outstrip supply by more than 25%.

Nationally, teacher shortages and many other metrics are tracked by the Learning Policy Institute, which released a State of the Teacher Workforce interactive map in 2023 that depicts the states with the greatest teacher shortages.

According to this resource, the 3 states with the biggest teacher shortages (by share of school vacancies unfilled or hard to fill) are Alaska, Michigan, and Illinois. The latest data is for 2020-2021.

• Alaska – 67.2%
• Michigan – 65.4%
• Illinois – 64.6%
• New Mexico – 61.9%
• North Dakota – 61.5%
• Rhode Island – 60.9%
• Kansas – 60%
• Nevada – 59.4
• Montana – 59.2%
• Oklahoma – 58.5%

[source: Learning Policy Institute]

Teacher pay by state

For 2022-2023, the average starting salary for an educator was $42,844, according to the National Education Association. Adjusted for inflation, this is $3,644 less per year than 10 years ago.

However, when looking at average salaries for teachers across all levels, we see a different picture. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median earnings for teachers in 2022 was as follows:

• Special education teachers – $62,950
• High school teachers – $62,360
• Middle school teachers – $61,810
• Kindergarten and elementary school teachers – $61,620
• Preschool teachers – $35,330

At the state level, there are large discrepancies in teacher pay. The top 5 states for average teacher salaries in 2022-2023, according to the NEA were:

1. New York – $91,097
2. Massachusetts – $89,538
3. California – $88,508
4. Washington D.C. – $82,523
5. Washington – $81,510

The 5 states with the lowest average teacher salaries were:

1. Mississippi – $47,902

1. West Virginia – $50,315

1. South Dakota – $50,592

1. Florida – $51,230 (48)

1. Missouri – $52,481

According to NEA research, in 4 states (Hawaii, South Dakota, Vermont, and West Virginia) the average teacher salary is below the minimum living wage as per the Economic Policy Institute.

Future-proofing your career – predicted teacher shortages by 2030

Looking to the future, the Biden-Harris administration has pledged $130 billion via the American Rescue Plan to address K-12 shortages and other pressing issues. The funds are intended to bolster teacher pipeline programs, increase salaries, and to hire more social workers, counselors, and school nurses across the country.

Additionally, 3 leading talent industry companies have recently introduced initiatives to strengthen the teaching profession:

• ZipRecruiter introduced a job portal exclusively for K-12 teachers, which will also offer hiring resources and will allow schools to post open roles free of charge.
• Indeed will begin facilitating virtual hiring fairs focused on education professionals, and will also provide free hiring tools to school administrators.
• Handshake will host a free nationwide event in October aimed at promoting pathways to teaching and other school roles. They will also publish a list of all schools offering jobs to students and college graduates to help aspiring teachers kickstart their careers.

Is teaching the right career for you?

If you’re a kind, caring, and empathetic person who is passionate about a subject or helping children, then a career in teaching may suit you.

The skills you require will depend on the role you take on. This is because the needs of a child in elementary education are not the same as those of seniors in high school. However, to excel as a teacher, you’ll generally need:

• A bachelor’s degree
• Great communication skills
• Excellent organizational skills
• A desire to bring out the best in people
• A willingness to take on responsibility
• Passion, resilience, and energy
• A willingness to adapt to new challenges and environments

If you’d like to pursue a career in teaching, a number of degrees and programs are available to help you get the qualifications you require. Let’s take a detailed look at what teaching jobs are most in demand and the state of the job market across America.

Final thoughts

Although these are the states with the highest demand for teachers, the problem is a national one. The Economic Policy Institute projects there will be demand for approximately 300,000 new teachers nationwide and a supply of just over 100,000 trained teachers by 2024.

The COVID19 pandemic has compounded teacher shortages, and studies show that the problem is set to worsen, with 2 in 5 teachers saying they plan to quit in the next 2 years according to a June 2022 survey. Teachers cite salaries not matching inflation rates and students’ behavioral issues worsening due to the pandemic as key reasons for leaving the profession.

That said, incentives such as free certification programs, higher salaries, and improved support systems make this a great time to get into teaching. As well as providing the children of America with a solid education, you can also secure a future-proof career that will genuinely make a difference.