Become a Teacher
in Mississippi

Certification Roadmap

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Prerequisite Coursework

Teacher Preparation

Certification Reciprocity

Teacher Salary

Required Tests

Teacher Certification Information & Links

Mississippi Highlights

						$39490
						Avg. Elementary Teacher Salary
					

						$40760
						Avg. Secondary Teacher Salary
					

						139%
						Teacher Salary vs. State Average
					

						15
						Vacation Weeks Per Year:
					

						1
						Years to Tenure:
					

To become a certified teacher in Mississippi, you will need to fulfill all prerequisite coursework, teacher preparation, and testing requirements.

Our goal is to make this process as easy as possible, and we are dedicated to updating the site with new information on a regular basis. To stay up-to-date with the latest in teacher certification, please complete the form in the right sidebar.

Prerequisite Coursework

All states require that certified teachers at a minimum have a Bachelor’s degree. Additionally, some states have undergraduate credit hour requirements for certification in specialty areas. Mississippi, however, does not have any undergraduate credit hour requirements.

Teacher Preparation

Teacher preparation includes the completion of an accredited teacher education program.

Alternative Certification

Graduates of accredited colleges or universities whose bachelor’s degree was not in education, and who have not yet earned a traditional teaching certificate, can still receive an alternative teaching certificate by satisfying certain requirements. The state of Mississippi officially recognizes ABCTE certification as a route to earning your Mississippi teacher certification.

Typically teacher education programs consist of a combination of curricula and fieldwork. The curricula often includes instruction on foundational knowledge and skills, pedagogy (or the art and science of teaching), and preparing students to research, design and implement learning experiences in their field of study. The fieldwork component can include field observations, student teaching, and an internship.

Certification Reciprocity

Mississippi will accept some teaching credentials from the following states. Contact the Mississippi Department of Education to inquire about your specific situation. Please see our interstate reciprocity disclaimer for more information.

Alabama	Arizona	Arkansas	California
Colorado	Connecticut	Delaware	Florida
Georgia	Hawaii	Idaho	Illinois
Indiana	Kansas	Louisiana	Maine
Maryland	Massachusetts	Michigan	Missouri
Montana	Nebraska	Nevada	New Hampshire
New Jersey	New Mexico	New York	North Carolina
North Dakota	Ohio	Oklahoma	Oregon
Pennsylvania	Rhode Island	South Carolina	South Dakota
Tennessee	Texas	Utah	Vermont
Virginia	Washington	West Virginia	Wisconsin
Wyoming

Teacher Salary

Incentives to teach in high-needs schools or shortage subject areas: Mississippi provides differential pay support for teachers teaching in high needs schools and teachers teaching in shortage subject areas
Policies in place that articulate elements of effective induction: Mississippi has strong induction policies in place
Average Elementary Teacher Salary: The average elementary school teacher in Mississippi makes $39,490
Average Secondary Teacher Salary: The average secondary teacher in Mississippi makes$40,760
Teacher Salary vs. State Average Salary: The average teacher in Mississippi makes 139% of the salary of the average worker in Mississippi
Number of Vacation Weeks Per Year: The average teacher in Mississippi receives 15 weeks of vacation per year
Number of Years to Tenure: Mississippi requires 1 years of teaching before a teacher is eligible for tenure

Required Tests

In order to become a certified teacher, you must satisfactorily complete the Basic Skill Test requirement and any Subject Area Competence assessments needed for your desired area of instruction.