North Carolina’s littlest learners need teachers, too. You could work in a childcare center, a Pre-K program, or an elementary school. Some jobs don’t require you to have a bachelor’s degree right away, so it can be a good place to start if you need to earn a degree. 

Love lots of subjects? Enjoy working with young children? Elementary teachers get to make fun lesson plans and engaging activities for math, reading, science, history and more for grades K–6. 

Prefer to specialize in your subject area or work with older students? Teach in a middle or high school and go deep in your favorite topics, whether it’s biology, geometry, history, literature or math. (And lots of others!)

Some subjects—like P.E., music or world languages—allow you to work at any level, from elementary through high school. 

The same goes for many special education endorsements. These subjects allow flexibility to move between grade levels and find a wider range of job openings. 

If you have industry experience in agriculture, business, manufacturing and repair, skilled trades or technology, you may want to teach in a high school industry training program. 

Many of these subjects don't require a bachelor's degree, but you do need industry certifications and experience. 

Some subjects have a higher need for teachers than others. If you want to make the biggest impact and have guaranteed job openings, consider learning more about where you’re needed most, including science, bilingual education, early childhood, and special education.

Get the full list of North Carolina shortage areas in our Guide to NC Licensing Areas.

Most teaching licenses require you to have a bachelor’s degree. That said, many Career & Technical Education positions rely on your industry experience rather than a degree. Learn about options in our Guide to North Carolina Licensing Areas.

Nope! For almost all teaching positions, you want a degree or lots of coursework in your specific teaching subject. That means a degree in math to teach math, a degree in science to teach science, and so on.

If you’re an undergraduate, you may find it helpful to minor in education, if that’s an option. Talk to your college advisor about this.

If you already have a degree in a field like anthropology or marketing, and you want to teach science or English, you’ll usually need at least 24 course credits in your desired teaching subject.

Not sure if your degree counts? Talk to a TeachNC advisor for FREE. Let our experts walk you through your options.

Talk to a TeachNC advisor.

You don't always know what you want to teach when you first choose a major. Or you may be thinking about switching careers into a new area of interest!

Most teaching programs will require at least 24 credits (about 8–12 classes) in the subject you want to teach. Depending on your background, you may need to take some additional classes to finish the credits you need. Talk to the specific teaching program that interests you to find out their requirements! 

No matter what, you’ll want to make sure you enroll in a teaching program that offers licensing in the subject you want to teach. If your major and your subject are really different (you have a degree in math and want to teach art), talk to an advisor before diving in!

Talk to a TeachNC advisor.

A "traditional" bachelor’s degree program lets you weave a teaching license into your degree program. These programs offer the most intensive support, with full coursework, student teaching, and lots of feedback. 

If you don't have a bachelor's yet, then a bachelor's degree teaching program is the perfect way to combine your education with your teaching license. You may be able to save money on your degree if you start at a community college and then transfer to a four-year school. 

• Learn about starting at a community college in North Carolina.
• Visit the TeachNC Program Explorer to find teaching programs near you!

Already have a bachelor’s? Consider whether you want to add a master’s or whether you’d prefer a licensure-only teaching program. A master's degree program offers more support than a licensure-only program, but may take longer and cost more. 

• Our How to Choose a Teaching Program page has more info about your program options.
• Visit the TeachNC Program Explorer to find teaching programs near you!

Typically for working adults with a degree, a residency licensure (a.k.a. “alternative licensure”) program allows you to start teaching right away after a short training period, and with significant support during your first year on the job. You’ll earn a paycheck and take classes outside of school hours.

In some residency licensure programs, you’ll earn a master’s degree. In others, you’ll only earn a teaching license. Either way, you’ll dive right into the classroom! So if you feel confident jumping right in—with support from your school—this pathway might be right for you. 

You’ll need to enroll in a residency licensure teaching program, but you have three years to finish up the program and earn your license while you teach. 

Get the Residency Licensure Guide for more info. 

If you already work at a school—as a teacher's aide, substitute teacher, or other instructional support staff—you may qualify for tuition vouchers, scheduling support or other specialized programs that keep you working at your current school while you earn a teaching license.

It’s worth finding out if your school offers extra support for employees who are pursuing a teaching license. Talk to your principal to ask about options.

Not already working at a school? Consider applying! 

Schools have many important roles helping teachers in and out of the classroom. You’ll gain valuable classroom management experience, make connections with teachers and schools, and earn a living while working towards your license. 

Find jobs in a classroom.

There’s no simple answer to this question. It depends on your circumstances and whether you already have a bachelor’s degree or need to earn one. Some programs pay you during training!

Here are some factors that affect the cost of your teaching training:

• You don’t have a bachelor’s degree. If you need to earn a bachelor’s degree, then you’ll be looking at the cost of a college education.
• You have a degree in your teaching subject. If you already have a degree in the subject you want to teach, you can apply for a residency licensure position and start earning a salary right away. You’ll still need to pay for your teaching program, but it will be offset by your salary.
• You are an experienced tradesperson. If you are experienced in an industry skill or trade, you may be able to begin teaching right away in a career and technical education field!
• You plan to teach in a high need subject area. You’ll find additional scholarships, grants, and loan forgiveness options if you teach a shortage subject such as special education, math, science, bilingual ed or early childhood education.

Visit our Teacher Training Costs page to learn more.

There are ways to make your teaching program more affordable! You may be eligible for the following types of financial assistance for future teachers:

• Scholarships & Grants. These are free money based on factors such as the subject you choose to teach, the program you enroll in, your income, and more.
• Loan Forgiveness. If you do need to take loans for school, you can get them forgiven—that means you won’t have to pay them all back—for teaching.
• Earn While You Learn. Some programs allow you to earn a salary while you earn your teaching license. This salary can cover your living expenses and offsets the cost of your program. 

Get the Finances Guide for Future Teachers for more details about how to pay for your teaching program. 

It depends on your background and the type of teaching program you choose. 

Here’s what you can expect for most programs:

• Bachelor’s degree & licensure: About 4 years
• Master’s degree & licensure: 1–3 years
• Residency licensure: 1–2 years
• Licensure-only: Up to 1 year

Short answer: Yes.

Longer answer: To teach in North Carolina public schools, you’ll eventually need a teaching license. But if you have a bachelor’s degree or vocational work experience, you may qualify for alternative pathways that put you in the classroom faster!

• Do you have a bachelor’s degree? Licensure-only or residency licensure (also called alternative licensure) programs take less time and cost less than traditional teaching programs. Learn more about residency licensure.
• Are you a tradesperson? If you have vocational experience, you may be able to get licensed to teach as a Career & Technical Education instructor. For some subjects, you’ll need a bachelor’s degree. For others, you can start teaching with career experience. Positions are available in fields such as health sciences, skilled trades, business and marketing and others. Learn more.

“Reciprocity” means that if you’re already licensed to teach outside of North Carolina, you may be able to skip certain exams or other steps to get your NC teaching license.

The NC Department of Public Instruction has resources and instructions for out-of-state applicants. Learn more.

If you’re an international student, you’ll need extra documentation when you apply to your teaching program. It’s a good idea to start collecting those documents as soon as possible.

You’ll need: 

• Documentation that shows you are eligible to work legally in the U.S. This can be a copy of a valid work authorization, permanent resident card or U.S. passport.
• Test scores, if applicable (copies are okay).
• If you earned your degree in another country, you’ll also need an International Education Evaluation by an International Evaluation agency.

Learn more.

Your pay will depend on your years of experience and where you work. The average salary for North Carolina teachers is $58,292. (1)

In North Carolina, the state pays a base salary to all teachers in the state. Most districts pay an additional salary supplement on top of the state salary. The supplemental salary is often a percentage of your overall base salary, so it will increase as you gain experience or credentials. (2)

Learn more about North Carolina teacher pay.

Wondering how to pay for your program? We can help! Here are a few of the tools TeachNC offers:

• TeachNC scholarships for future educators
• $100 back for any application-related costs
• Information about financial resources with our Finances Guide
• Explore scholarships and other opportunities with our Financial Aid Explorer.