Teacher

===United States===
{{Main|Education in the United States}}
{{Further|Paraprofessional educator}}
[[File:NOLA Experience - Tulane University Students and Teacher with Cannon, New Orleans, 2009.jpg|thumb|Students of a U.S. university with their professor on the far right, 2009]]

In the United States, each [[U.S. state|state]] determines the requirements for getting a license to teach in public schools. Teaching certification generally lasts three years, but teachers can receive certificates that last as long as ten years.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://teacherportal.com/teaching-certification |title=Teacher certification |publisher=Teacherportal.com |access-date=2011-07-31 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720050328/http://teacherportal.com/teaching-certification |archive-date=20 July 2011 }}</ref> Public school teachers are required to have a bachelor's degree and the majority must be certified by the state in which they teach. Many [[charter schools]] do not require that their teachers be certified, provided they meet the standards to be highly qualified as set by [[No Child Left Behind]]. Additionally, the requirements for substitute/temporary teachers are generally not as rigorous as those for full-time professionals. The [[Bureau of Labor Statistics]] estimates that there are 1.4 million [[elementary school]] teachers,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes252021.htm |title=Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education |publisher=Bls.gov |date=17 May 2011 |access-date=2011-07-31 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110728165708/http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes252021.htm |archive-date=28 July 2011 }}</ref> 674,000 [[middle school]] teachers,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes252022.htm |title=Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Vocational Education |publisher=[[Bureau of Labor Statistics]] |date=17 May 2011 |access-date=2011-07-31 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110804231628/http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes252022.htm |archive-date=4 August 2011 }}</ref> and 1 million [[secondary school]] teachers employed in the U.S.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes252031.htm |title=Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Vocational Education |publisher=Bls.gov |date=17 May 2011 |access-date=2011-07-31 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110804231748/http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes252031.htm |archive-date=4 August 2011 }}</ref>

In the past, teachers have been paid relatively low salaries. However, average teacher salaries have improved rapidly in recent years. US teachers are generally paid on graduated scales, with income depending on experience. Teachers with more experience and higher education earn more than those with a standard bachelor's degree and certificate. Salaries vary greatly depending on state, relative cost of living, and grade taught. Salaries also vary within states where wealthy suburban school districts generally have higher salary schedules than other districts. The median salary for all primary and secondary teachers was [[USD|$]]46,000 in 2004, with the average entry salary for a teacher with a bachelor's degree being an estimated $32,000. Median salaries for preschool teachers, however, were less than half the national median for secondary teachers, clock in at an estimated $21,000 in 2004.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.aft.org/earlychildhood/worthy-wage-day-2019/downloads-and-2019-wage-data|title=Downloads and 2019 Wage Data|date=2015-04-16|website=American Federation of Teachers|language=en|access-date=2019-06-28|archive-date=28 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190628025049/https://www.aft.org/earlychildhood/worthy-wage-day-2019/downloads-and-2019-wage-data|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bls.gov/ooh/education-training-and-library/preschool-teachers.htm|title=Preschool Teachers|website=Occupational Outlook Handbook|publisher=[[Bureau of Labor Statistics]]|access-date=2019-06-28|archive-date=28 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190628021815/https://www.bls.gov/ooh/education-training-and-library/preschool-teachers.htm|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="US Salaries, 2004">{{cite web|url=http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos069.htm#earnings|title=U.S. Department of Labor: Bureau of Labor Statistics. (July 18, 2007). ''Teachers—Preschool, Kindergarten, Elementary, Middle, and Secondary: Earnings''|access-date=2007-10-11|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071011004532/http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos069.htm#earnings|archive-date=11 October 2007}}</ref> For high school teachers, median salaries in 2007 ranged from $35,000 in South Dakota to $71,000 in New York, with a national median of $52,000.<ref name="US Salaries, 2007">{{cite web|url=http://www.bls.gov/spotlight/|title=Spotlight on Statistics: Back to School|access-date=2007-10-11|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071011005502/http://www.bls.gov/spotlight/|archive-date=11 October 2007}}</ref> Some contracts may include long-term [[disability insurance]], [[life insurance]], emergency/[[leave of absence|personal leave]] and investment options.<ref>[http://www.nea.org/student-program/tools/makeithappen.html "Make It Happen: A Student's Guide,"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928031818/http://www.nea.org/student-program/tools/makeithappen.html |date=28 September 2007 }} National Education Association. Retrieved 7/5/07.</ref>

The [[American Federation of Teachers]]' teacher salary survey for the 2006–07 school year found that the average teacher salary was $51,009.<ref>[http://www.aft.org/pdfs/teachers/salarysurvey07.pdf 2007 "Survey & Analysis of Teacher Salary Trends,"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100816003803/http://www.aft.org/pdfs/teachers/salarysurvey07.pdf |date=16 August 2010 }} American Federation of Teachers. Retrieved 8/7/10.</ref> In a salary survey report for K-12 teachers, elementary school teachers had the lowest median salary earning $39,259. High school teachers had the highest median salary earning $41,855.<ref>[http://www.payscale.com/research/US/All_K-12_Teachers/Salary 2008 "Teacher Salary- Average Teacher Salaries"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080913144238/http://www.payscale.com/research/US/All_K-12_Teachers/Salary |date=13 September 2008 }} PayScale. Retrieved 9/16/08.</ref> Many teachers take advantage of the opportunity to increase their income by supervising after-school programs and other extracurricular activities. In addition to monetary compensation, public school teachers may also enjoy greater benefits (like health insurance) compared to other occupations. Merit pay systems are on the rise for teachers, paying teachers extra money based on excellent classroom evaluations, high test scores and for high success at their overall school. Also, with the advent of the internet, many teachers are now selling their lesson plans to other teachers through the web in order to earn supplemental income, most notably on TeachersPayTeachers.com.<ref>{{cite news |last=Hu |first=Winnie |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/15/education/15plans.html?_r=2&hp |title=Selling Lessons Online Raises Cash and Questions |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=14 November 2009 |access-date=2011-07-31 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110512095509/http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/15/education/15plans.html?_r=2&hp |archive-date=12 May 2011 }}</ref> The United Nations [[Sustainable Development Goal 4]] also aims to substantially increase the supply of qualified teachers through international cooperation by 2030 in an effort to improve the quality of teaching around the world.<ref>{{Cite web|title=SDG4's 10 targets|url=https://www.campaignforeducation.org/en/who-we-are/the-international-education-framework-2/the-sustainable-development-goal-4/sdg4s-10-targets/|access-date=2020-09-22|website=Global Campaign For Education|language=en-US|archive-date=1 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201001184041/https://www.campaignforeducation.org/en/who-we-are/the-international-education-framework-2/the-sustainable-development-goal-4/sdg4s-10-targets/|url-status=live}}</ref>