How to Become a Teacher in Florida
To become a teacher in Florida, you need a bachelor's degree and to demonstrate subject-area competency through an approved preparation program or another recognized pathway. Depending on what you've already completed, the Bureau of Educator Certification issues either a Temporary Certificate, generally valid for five school fiscal years, or a Professional Certificate, valid for five years and renewable.
If you're researching how to become a teacher in Florida, the path runs through the Bureau of Educator Certification, and it looks different depending on which degree, experience, and testing route you're coming in with, but it follows the same general shape as the certification requirements most states use. Here's how the pieces fit together in Florida specifically.
Choose What You Want to Teach
Start with grade level and subject, because that decision shapes which preparation route and which subject-area competency requirement you'll need to satisfy. Elementary certification covers a broad range of subjects for one classroom. Secondary certification ties to a specific subject: biology, English, social studies, and so on. Special education has its own certification track and its own coursework in working with students with disabilities. The Florida Department of Education lists every certification subject area if you're still deciding.
Meet Florida's Education Requirements
Every route to Florida certification starts with a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution. From there, how you demonstrate readiness to teach depends on your background. Some candidates complete a traditional, state-approved teacher preparation program, which includes coursework in instructional methods, classroom management, teaching students with disabilities, and supervised student teaching under a mentor. Others qualify through an established subject-area specialization tied to their degree and experience, without completing a separate preparation program first. Florida doesn't require every candidate to go through the same door.
Traditional Teacher Preparation Programs
If you go this route, FLDOE keeps a list of approved teacher preparation programs in the state, including several fully online options. If you're already partway through a bachelor's degree, you can usually add the education coursework as you go. If you already hold a degree in something else, you can complete a preparation program separately, through a post-baccalaureate route, or look at one of the alternative pathways below instead.
Alternative Pathways If You Already Have a Degree
You don't need an education degree to teach in Florida. An Educator Preparation Institute (EPI) is one state-approved alternative for bachelor's degree holders who want to complete coursework and testing while already working in a classroom. The American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence (ABCTE) is a separate approved pathway: ABCTE certification can count toward Florida's Professional Certificate requirements for candidates who complete its exams, though exactly how it applies depends on your certification subject, so confirm the current pathway details with FLDOE before assuming it replaces every other requirement. A third option exists for candidates with two full-time semesters of college teaching experience combined with the applicable subject-area credentials.
Submit Your Certification Application
Florida's certification process starts with an application to the Bureau of Educator Certification, not with a separate eligibility step. The application asks for:
- A completed application form and non-refundable processing fee
- College transcripts showing your bachelor's degree and any completed preparation coursework
- Scores from any exams you've already taken
- Copies of any out-of-state certificate, ABCTE certificate, or National Board Certification you hold
Your Social Security number or Florida DOE number needs to be printed legibly on every document you submit. The Bureau won't start reviewing your file until everything is in.
Your Statement of Eligibility and Certificate Type
After you submit your application and supporting materials, the Bureau evaluates your file and issues an Official Statement of Status of Eligibility, which spells out what you still need to complete and which certificate you qualify for. If your credentials and testing already meet Professional Certificate requirements, that's what you're issued. If you still have coursework or testing outstanding, you're issued a Temporary Certificate instead, which lets you start teaching while you finish. Temporary Certificates issued on or after July 1, 2023 are generally valid for five school fiscal years. Once you've completed the remaining requirements, you apply to upgrade to a Professional Certificate through FLDOE's online certification portal.
Contact Information
Bureau of Educator Certification
Room 201, Turlington Building
325 West Gaines Street
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0400
Toll-free: 1-800-445-6739
Demonstrate Subject-Area and Professional Competency
Florida gives candidates more than one way to show they're ready. Depending on your certification route, you may need to pass one or more components of the Florida Teacher Certification Examinations (FTCE), or you may satisfy the requirement through another route FLDOE recognizes for your specific subject and credentials. Approved assessment alternatives can apply to certain certification subjects, so check what applies to yours before assuming you need every component below.
General Knowledge Competency
This component covers basic reading, writing, and math skills, typically through subtests in essay writing, English language skills, reading, and mathematics. Florida law allows candidates to demonstrate this competency through more than one approved method, so the timing and format can vary by pathway.
Professional Education Competency
Where required, this component covers general pedagogy: classroom management, instructional planning, assessment, and how to teach English Language Learners. It's typically tested through the FTCE Professional Education Test.
Subject-Area Competency
This is where you show content knowledge in the specific subject you'll teach. Florida offers multiple ways to demonstrate subject-area specialization depending on your certification subject and existing credentials, not just a single matching exam, so confirm which option applies to your subject area with FLDOE or your preparation program.
Bringing an Out-of-State License to Florida
Florida participates in NASDTEC, the interstate agreement most states use to recognize each other's teaching credentials, so an out-of-state license isn't starting from zero. Depending on your existing certificate, experience, and credentials, you may qualify for a Florida Professional Certificate directly through reciprocity, or you may be issued a Temporary Certificate while you complete any Florida-specific requirements still outstanding for your subject. If you hold a current National Board Certification, it can also factor into eligibility in the subject it covers. Contact the Bureau of Educator Certification directly, since what you owe depends on your specific certificate and subject area. If you're weighing options in a neighboring state, see How to Become a Teacher in Alabama or How to Become a Teacher in Georgia.
Find a Teaching Job in Florida
Once you're certified, Florida's Bureau of Educator Recruitment helps connect you with districts and openings, and exploring your options across education careers is worth doing before you commit to a district. Statewide, the picture is mixed: some subjects have plenty of candidates, and others don't come close.
Where the Need Is Greatest
According to the Florida Department of Education's most recent High Demand Teacher Needs report, presented to the State Board of Education in January 2026, seven subject areas show the largest gaps between certified teachers and open positions: exceptional student education, math, English, general science, physical science, Earth and space science, and English for Speakers of Other Languages. In exceptional student education alone, nearly 12,000 of the state's 57,504 courses were taught by someone not certified in the field during the 2024-2025 school year. If you're weighing subject areas and open to any of these, that's worth knowing going in.
Florida Education Association (FEA) and Florida Association of Teacher Educators (FATE)
Once you're hired, you may choose to join the FEA and FATE if you're interested. Both offer support and professional development at every career stage, but membership in either is voluntary, not automatic.
Private School Teaching Jobs
Florida also has more than 2,600 private schools, most with a religious affiliation, and some single-gender or academically selective. Pay, benefits, and pension structures in private schools often look different from the public system, so ask directly rather than assuming they match.
Florida Retirement System (FRS)
Public school teachers in Florida are eligible for a monthly pension through the Florida Retirement System once they retire, along with access to FRS investment guidance.
What Florida Teachers Earn
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Florida's core K-12 classroom teachers earned the following median annual wages as of May 2025:
| Occupation | Median Annual Wage | Job Growth (2024-2034) |
|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten Teachers | $59,970 | 7.8% |
| Elementary School Teachers | $59,530 | 7.7% |
| Middle School Teachers | $60,040 | 7.6% |
| Secondary (High) School Teachers | $61,570 | 8.0% |
That growth direction is worth calling out, because it runs against the national trend: nationally, most K-12 classroom teaching roles are projected to decline slightly through 2034, while Projections Central's Florida data shows growth across every core teaching role in the state, with an estimated 5,970 elementary openings and 3,410 secondary openings each year. Special education follows the same pattern here: special education teachers in Florida earned a median of $60,600 to $65,290 depending on grade band as of May 2025, with projected growth between 6.4% and 8% through 2034.
Renewing Your Certificate
Your Professional Certificate has to be renewed every five years, which means at least six semester hours of college credit, with one of those hours covering teaching students with disabilities. The rest has to come from an approved subject list: content specific to your certification area, teaching methods, computer literacy, or coursework tied to Florida's K-20 system. Up to three of the six hours can cover other subjects, unless you're renewing more than one subject area. You don't need graduate credit to renew; in-service hours, subject exams, or National Board certification can also satisfy it. Many districts also offer a pay incentive for teachers who complete a master's degree, so check your own district's salary schedule if that's part of your planning.
Frequently Asked Questions
What degree do I need to become a teacher in Florida?
At minimum, a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution. From there, you demonstrate readiness to teach either through a traditional state-approved preparation program or through another recognized pathway tied to your existing degree and experience.
How long does it take to get certified in Florida?
It depends on your pathway and how much of the requirement your existing degree and experience already cover. A traditional bachelor's-plus-preparation-program route typically runs several years, plus testing time. Some candidates who already meet Professional Certificate requirements qualify directly, without a Temporary Certificate in between.
What is the FTCE, and do I have to take all of it?
The Florida Teacher Certification Examinations are one way Florida measures general knowledge, professional education, and subject-area competency, but not every candidate needs every component. Which parts apply to you depends on your certification subject and the pathway you're using.
Can I teach in Florida with a license from another state?
Often, yes. Florida participates in NASDTEC, and depending on your existing certificate and experience, you may qualify for a Florida Professional Certificate directly through reciprocity, or be issued a Temporary Certificate while you finish any Florida-specific requirements still outstanding. Contact the Bureau of Educator Certification directly to confirm which applies to you.
What's the difference between a Temporary and a Professional Certificate?
A Temporary Certificate, generally valid for five school fiscal years if issued on or after July 1, 2023, lets you teach while you finish outstanding coursework or testing. A Professional Certificate is valid for five years, renewable, and is what you're issued once you've met every requirement for your subject and route.
- A bachelor's degree is the one universal requirement - how you demonstrate readiness to teach after that depends on your pathway, whether that's a traditional preparation program or an established subject-area specialization.
- Temporary Certificates now run five school fiscal years - for certificates issued on or after July 1, 2023, not the three-year term Florida used previously.
- Competency requirements are route- and subject-specific - the FTCE components and other approved assessment alternatives depend on your certification subject and credentials, not a single fixed sequence.
- Out-of-state licenses transfer through NASDTEC - some candidates qualify directly for a Professional Certificate through reciprocity, others complete outstanding requirements on a Temporary Certificate first.
- Florida's core teaching roles are projected to grow through 2034 - a rare exception to the national trend, according to Projections Central's state-level data.
2025 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary figures for Kindergarten and Elementary School Teachers, Middle School Teachers, High School Teachers, and Special Education 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.
Certification is only half the decision. The other half is finding a preparation program that fits how you actually need to study, whether that's a traditional track or an alternative route you can start while working. The sponsored programs on this page include both.