Secondary teachers lead middle school and high school classrooms and usually have a specialty in one or two subjects. This system also means that secondary teachers have several different classes throughout the day and teach more students than elementary teachers. Classwork is usually more focused than the work in elementary-level introductory classes, and secondary teachers usually plan out more in-depth lessons that give students an advanced, detailed understanding of the subject matter. Middle school teachers and high school teachers work with adolescent and teenage students ranging in age from 11 to 18. This age group is generally more attentive than elementary aged students, but secondary teachers may find that their older students are struggling with more serious issues and making life choices which can affect their school performance.

Working conditions for secondary teachers can be very strenuous but also rewarding. Rough school districts may feature large class sizes of students that are skeptical of their teachers’ ability to relate to them. Even more traditional classrooms can be a lot of work for teachers who have to grade papers and work on lesson plans after hours or during the weekends. Teachers do have more vacation time than many other professionals, however.

Middle school and high school teachers have many of the same responsibilities as elementary school teachers, including designing appropriate, approachable lesson plans, meeting with parents, organizing field trips, introducing students to new educational technology platforms and systems, preparing students for standardized tests, grading and evaluating student performance, and managing the classroom in general. In addition to these duties, secondary teachers may also get to sponsor clubs and extracurricular activities, making them an even greater influence on their students. Depending on the school, middle school and high school teachers may also teach a variety of classes within their subject, like an honors or AP level class, in addition to general level classes.

Secondary teachers working in the U.S. may be subject to different educational requirements, depending on their state of employment. Generally, though, secondary teachers need to have completed a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university, either specializing in education or taking a specified number of education courses. After finishing this program, students will need to pursue their teaching license, which may require more school hours, a criminal background check, or student teaching. Even after a teacher gets hired by a school district, they may need to take a certain number of graduate level courses or in-service hours in order to renew their certification later.

There is no official national standard for teacher salaries, so salaries vary greatly by state and by school district. In some cases, teachers in private schools earn significantly more, while in other parts of the country, public school teachers earn more. Some of the top salaries for high school teachers are in New York, Los Angeles, Boston, Atlanta, Chicago, and Houston, ranging between $41,000 and $49,000 per year.