How to Become a P.E. Teacher: Requirements, Salary & Job Outlook

Q: Do I need a degree specifically in physical education to become a PE teacher?

Not necessarily. In many states, candidates can prepare to become physical education teachers with a degree in physical education or a related field such as kinesiology, exercise science, or health education, provided they also satisfy the state's educator preparation and clinical experience requirements. Accepted degree fields vary, so candidates should check the requirements of the state where they plan to become licensed.

Q: What exam do PE teachers need to pass?

Assessment requirements vary by state and certification pathway. Some jurisdictions use the Praxis Physical Education: Content Knowledge assessment, while others require their own state-specific examinations or provide alternative methods of demonstrating competency. Candidates should confirm the applicable assessment with their state's educator-licensing agency.

Q: Can I become a PE teacher without an education degree?

In many states, yes. Alternative certification pathways allow qualifying candidates who already hold a bachelor's degree to pursue physical education teacher licensure without completing another bachelor's degree in education. Candidates typically complete required educator preparation coursework and assessments, and some pathways allow them to teach under supervision or mentorship while finishing those requirements.

Q: Is CAEP accreditation required for my teacher prep program?

Not universally. CAEP accreditation is common among educator preparation providers, but states establish their own requirements for approving programs and may recognize programs through state approval processes or other accrediting structures. Candidates should verify that their preparation program satisfies the requirements of the state licensing agency where they intend to become certified.

Q: How much do PE teachers get paid?

The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish a separate national wage category specifically for physical education teachers, so PE teachers are generally included within broader elementary, middle, and secondary school teacher occupations. As of May 2025, national median annual wages were $63,970 for elementary school teachers, $64,390 for middle school teachers, and $72,170 for high school teachers. Actual PE teacher salaries vary by district, experience, education level, and location.

Written by Amanda Castillo, Last Updated: August 17, 2026

Here's how to become a PE teacher through the common traditional pathway: earn a bachelor's degree, complete a state-approved educator preparation program, and complete any assessments required for your state's PE credential and pathway. States determine their own credential and endorsement names, plus which content assessments they accept. Exact requirements, accreditation rules, and testing details vary by state and by pathway, so confirm specifics with your state's educator-licensing agency.

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What Makes a Great PE Teacher

Good PE teachers are patient, physically active, and comfortable managing a gym full of kids with wildly different skill levels at once. They plan lessons around students' physical and emotional readiness, not just the day's activity, and they know how to make competition and cooperation work in the same class period. The job comes with real trade-offs worth naming honestly: a schedule built around the school day, and comparatively little grading outside of class time. Experienced PE teachers often move into athletic director or district-level physical education coordinator roles.

P.E. Teacher: Requirements, Salary & Job Outlook by Degree Level

The tables and charts below break down the education level obtained as averaged across the U.S.

Athletes, Coaches, Umpires, and Related Workers

Degree Level	Percent (%)
Less Than High School Diploma	2.8%
High School Diploma	10.2%
Some College	19.3%
Associate Degree	7.7%
Bachelors Degree	42.8%
Masters Degree	15.5%
Doctorate Degree	1.8%

Data taken from BLS Educational attainment for workers 25 years and older by detailed occupation, 2010-11 (http://www.bls.gov/emp/ep_table_111.htm)

How to Become a PE Teacher: Requirements

Degree and Teacher Preparation Program

Traditional public-school teacher preparation generally includes a bachelor's degree, an approved educator preparation program (EPP), and supervised clinical experience, though exact requirements vary by state and pathway. The degree itself doesn't have to say "physical education" on it in most cases: kinesiology, exercise science, and health education degrees are common alternatives, provided they're paired with an approved EPP and a student teaching placement. Many colleges offer blended programs that combine the degree and certification coursework, so you finish both at once. Others require you to complete an EPP separately after your bachelor's degree.

Many EPPs are accredited by CAEP, the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation, but CAEP accreditation isn't a universal state requirement, since some states rely on their own approval process or a different accrediting body instead. Check your state educator-licensing agency's approved-program list rather than assuming CAEP is the rule everywhere.

Typical PE-track coursework includes kinesiology, exercise physiology, health teaching methods, adapted physical education, and applied physical education, alongside the pedagogy and classroom management courses every teacher candidate takes.

Certification and Subject-Area Assessments

Complete any assessments required for your state's PE credential and pathway before you're allowed in front of a class. States may require a physical-education endorsement or certification area and applicable content assessments, and both the credential name and the assessment used are set by the state, not by a single national standard. The Praxis Physical Education: Content Knowledge exam is accepted in some jurisdictions, and ETS itself directs candidates to confirm with their certifying state whether it's accepted before registering. Other states use their own state-specific assessments instead. Confirm the exact assessment list, passing scores, and any endorsement requirements with your state's educator-licensing agency before you register.

Alternative Certification Routes

If you already hold a bachelor's degree in another field, many states offer an alternative certification pathway into PE. Depending on the state, this can mean starting to teach sooner, often under a mentor, while finishing coursework and any required assessments on a different timeline than the traditional route. Alternative-route availability, eligibility, employment permissions, and the resulting credential all vary by state, so check with your state's educator-licensing agency for the specific program.

Find Information About Becoming a Teacher In Your State

Each state has different requirements for becoming a certified teacher. To find out specific requirements, click on your state.

Who Will My Students Be?

PE teachers work with students from kindergarten through 12th grade, generally ages 5 to 18, and the job looks different depending on which end of that range you're teaching.

Middle School and High School Students

Most PE teachers work at the secondary level. Students here range from about 11 to 18 and are moving through rapid physical growth alongside a shift toward abstract thinking, so lessons need to flex for kids who are developing at very different rates within the same class.

Elementary School Students

Elementary students run from about 5 to 11 or 12. These are formative years for how a kid sees their own body and ability, and PE teachers at this level plan with that development stage specifically in mind rather than scaling down a secondary lesson.

What Does a PE Teacher Do Day to Day?

PE teachers plan lessons around fitness, sport skills, and health concepts, then adapt them for students at wildly different physical ability levels within the same class. The specifics shift by grade band.

At the elementary level, the focus is coordination, agility, and teamwork, built through games rather than formal competition. Elementary PE teachers spend real energy on confidence: getting a kid who's never liked gym class to want to come back tomorrow. At the middle and high school levels, the emphasis shifts toward exercise physiology, nutrition, and long-term health habits, often through team sports like basketball, track, swimming, and soccer. Secondary PE teachers also keep academic and fitness progress records for each student, and many take on after-school coaching or intramural duties on top of their teaching load.

Where PE Teachers Work

Public Schools

Most PE teachers work in public schools, funded by state and local tax dollars and run under the state's board of education plus the local school district. Public schools must admit any student who lives in the district, so PE teachers here typically work with the widest range of backgrounds and ability levels. Most districts require applicants to apply directly to the district, not just to an individual school. Classroom and playing-field safety is its own ongoing conversation for teachers in any public school setting. Our piece on What About the Teacher's Safety? covers what that looks like in practice.

Private Schools

Private schools run independently of state funding and are usually governed by their own board or sponsoring organization. State licensure isn't always required to teach PE at a private school, but many private schools require it anyway as a hiring standard, and some require certification through a specific program tied to the school's affiliation. Ask the individual school what they require before assuming the state rule applies.

Charter Schools

Charter schools are tuition-free like public schools but run independently under a charter agreement that spells out the school's governance and accountability standards. They tend to be smaller, and PE teachers there may face additional school-specific requirements on top of state licensure.

Professional Organizations for PE Teachers

SHAPE America, the Society of Health and Physical Educators, sets the K-12 physical education standards that most state frameworks are built on. The Society of Health And Physical Educators (SHAPE) supports professionals across health, fitness, and dance education, and both are worth following for continuing education and professional development opportunities.

PE Teacher Salary and Job Outlook

PE teachers aren't tracked as a separate occupation by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. They're counted within the standard elementary, middle, and high school teacher categories for their grade band. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, elementary school teachers earned a median annual salary of $63,970 as of May 2025, middle school teachers earned $64,390, and high school teachers earned $72,170. Take-home pay depends heavily on where you teach: our State-by-State Ranking of Where Teacher Salaries Go the Furthest in Buying a Home breaks down how far a teacher's paycheck actually stretches by state.

Occupation	Median Annual Wage	Job Growth (2024-2034)
Elementary School Teachers	$63,970	-2%
Middle School Teachers	$64,390	-2%
High School Teachers	$72,170	-1.6%

Projections Central estimates classroom teaching employment will decline slightly through 2034 across all three grade bands, but that doesn't mean the job market is drying up. Elementary teaching alone is projected to add about 91,000 openings a year, driven by retirements and turnover rather than new positions. For PE teachers specifically, that steady replacement demand plus the relatively small pool of teachers who hold a PE endorsement tends to work in your favor when you're job hunting.

To learn more about how teacher pay compares across subjects and states, visit our Teacher Salary page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a degree specifically in physical education to become a PE teacher?

No. A degree in kinesiology, exercise science, or health education works in most states, as long as it's paired with a state-approved educator preparation program and student teaching. Check your target state's specific list of accepted degree fields.

What exam do PE teachers need to pass?

Assessment requirements vary by state and pathway. Praxis Physical Education: Content Knowledge is used in some jurisdictions, while other states use their own state-specific assessments. Confirm the exact requirement with your state's educator-licensing agency.

Can I become a PE teacher without an education degree?

In many states, yes, through an alternative certification pathway. You'll typically need a bachelor's degree in any field, then complete licensure coursework and any required assessments, sometimes while already teaching under a mentor. Availability, eligibility, and structure vary by state.

Is CAEP accreditation required for my teacher prep program?

Not universally. CAEP accreditation is common, but some states approve programs through their own process or a different accrediting body. Confirm your program's status with your state's licensing office rather than assuming CAEP applies.

How much do PE teachers get paid?

PE teachers aren't tracked as a separate BLS wage category, so figures are drawn from the elementary, middle, and high school teacher categories they fall under. As of May 2025, the national median was $63,970 for elementary, $64,390 for middle school, and $72,170 for high school, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Degree flexibility - A bachelor's in kinesiology, exercise science, or health education works in most states, not just a PE-specific degree.
CAEP isn't universal - It's a common accreditor for teacher prep programs, but some states use a different process.
Assessments vary by state and pathway - Praxis Physical Education is used in some jurisdictions, and others set their own state-specific assessments.
Alternative certification exists in many states - Career changers with a non-education bachelor's degree can often license through an alternative pathway, though eligibility and structure vary by state.
No PE-specific BLS wage category - Salary figures come from the elementary, middle, and high school teacher categories PE teachers are counted under.

Requirements are only half the picture: the other half is finding a preparation program that fits your timeline and your undergraduate background. The sponsored programs below include options for both traditional and alternative certification routes into physical education.

Amanda Castillo

Amanda R. Castillo, M.Ed., is an education writer and former K–12 teacher with more than 12 years of classroom and curriculum experience. She has taught elementary and middle school, supported special education inclusion, and guided aspiring educators through degree programs and state certification pathways. Amanda focuses on practical, accurate information about teaching careers, licensure requirements, and professional development.

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2025 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary figures for Kindergarten and Elementary School Teachers, Middle School Teachers, and High School Teachers. Job growth projections (2024-2034) are from the US Department of Labor-sponsored resource, Projections Central. Figures reflect state and national data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed August 2026.