Career Explorer Education
Changing shape
Middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education
Teach one or more subjects to students at the middle, intermediate, or junior high school level.
Among the careers AI is changing fastest: more resilient than 19% of the 831 careers we score. AI exposure is high (the Bureau of Labor Statistics rates it high), and US jobs are projected to change by -0.4% by 2035, expected to shrink. The work leans on emotional intelligence and creative vision.
AI can do many of the tasks, and hiring is expected to grow slower than average or to shrink. The job is likely to change, so build the human parts of it.
- Median pay (2025)
- $64,370
- Job growth to 2035
- -0.4%
- Openings a year
- 38,800
- People doing it (2025)
- 630,000
- Usual route in
- Bachelor's degree
Where people already use AI for this work
- Prepare informational or instructional materials
- Advise others on educational or vocational matters
- Monitor individual behavior or performance
From Microsoft Research, Working with AI (2025).
Work AI rarely helps with
- Develop educational programs, plans, or procedures
- Assess student capabilities, needs, or performance
- Set up classrooms, facilities, educational materials, or equipment
What the work looks like
- Prepare materials and classrooms for class activities.
- Observe and evaluate students' performance, behavior, social development, and physical health.
- Instruct through lectures, discussions, and demonstrations in one or more subjects, such as English, mathematics, or social studies.
- Prepare, administer, and grade tests and assignments to evaluate students' progress.
- Establish and enforce rules for behavior and procedures for maintaining order among students.
From O*NET 31.0, US Department of Labor.
Careers using similar strengths, with a stronger outlook
- Elementary school teachers, except special educationChanging shape, Index 23, -0.4%
- Career/technical education teachers, middle schoolChanging shape, Index 33, -0.5%
- Kindergarten teachers, except special educationChanging shape, Index 58, -0.3%
- Special education teachers, secondary schoolChanging shape, Index 29, -0.2%
Also known as: Language Arts Teacher (LA Teacher), Math Teacher (Mathematics Teacher), Science Teacher, Teacher, Art Teacher, English Teacher, Middle School Teacher, Music Teacher.
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Sources: US Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2025 to 2035; O*NET 31.0; Microsoft Research (2025); Anthropic Economic Index (2026); Eloundou and colleagues (Science, 2024); Felten, Raj and Seamans (2023). How we score. Updated 12 October 2026.