Become a Teacher
in New York
Certification Roadmap
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Prerequisite Coursework
Teacher Preparation
Certification Reciprocity
Teacher Salary
Required Tests
Teacher Certification Information & Links
New York Highlights
$67940
Avg. Elementary Teacher Salary
$70400
Avg. Secondary Teacher Salary
133%
Teacher Salary vs. State Average
15
Vacation Weeks Per Year:
To become a certified teacher in New York, 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. Here are New York's undergraduate prerequisites for some of the most popular specialty areas:
- Elementary Education: The individual evaluation pathway requires 30 semester hours of subject-specific coursework in addition to General Core and Pedagogical Core semester hours requirements.
- Secondary English/Language Arts: The individual evaluation pathway requires 30 semester hours of subject-specific coursework in addition to General Core and Pedagogical Core semester hours requirements.
- Secondary Mathematics: The individual evaluation pathway requires 30 semester hours of subject-specific coursework in addition to General Core and Pedagogical Core semester hours requirements.
- Secondary History/Social Science: The individual evaluation pathway requires 30 semester hours of subject-specific coursework in addition to General Core and Pedagogical Core semester hours requirements.
- Secondary Science: The individual evaluation pathway requires 30 semester hours of subject-specific coursework in addition to General Core and Pedagogical Core semester hours requirements.
Teacher Preparation
Teacher preparation includes the completion of an accredited teacher education program.
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.
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. Information about alternative certification in New York can be found here.
Certification Reciprocity
New York will accept some teaching credentials from the following states. Contact the New York State Education Department 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 | Kentucky | Louisiana |
| Maine | Maryland | Massachusetts | Michigan |
| Mississippi | Missouri | Montana | Nebraska |
| Nevada | New Hampshire | New Jersey | New Mexico |
| 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: New York 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: New York has strong induction policies in place
- Average Elementary Teacher Salary: The average elementary school teacher in New York makes $67,940
- Average Secondary Teacher Salary: The average secondary teacher in New York makes $70,400
- Teacher Salary vs. State Average Salary: The average teacher in New York makes 133% of the salary of the average worker in New York
- District-Specific Teacher Salary: Salaries for New York teachers vary widely, depending on district. An online database of New York teacher salaries is available, in order to access district-specific information
- Number of Vacation Weeks Per Year: The average teacher in New York receives 15 weeks of vacation per year
