How to Become a Teacher in Georgia 2026
Here's how to become a teacher in Georgia: you'll need a bachelor's degree, a state-approved educator preparation program, passing scores on the GaPSC assessments for your certification field, and a background check. The Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC) issues the certificate through several induction pathways.
If you're figuring out how to become a teacher in Georgia, the system is built around a set of induction pathways rather than one single track. If you want the route into the classroom in general terms before getting into Georgia's specifics, that's worth a look first. The good news here: whether you're fresh out of a bachelor's program or switching careers with a degree in something else entirely, there's a pathway that fits.
Choose What You Want to Teach
Start by deciding where you want to be in a classroom. Elementary, middle, high school, and special education each lead down a different certification field, and that choice shapes which GACE content assessment you'll eventually sit for. The Georgia Department of Education and the Georgia Professional Standards Commission both publish guidance on choosing a certification field.
Complete a Bachelor's Degree and Approved Preparation Program
The basic requirements for a Georgia teaching certificate are:
- A bachelor's degree along with a GaPSC-approved educator preparation program at an accredited college or university (Georgia's CTAE certification structure allows some fields to be entered with a high-school diploma/GED or associate degree instead, under the applicable certification rule)
- A student teaching or clinical practice placement
- Passing scores on whichever GACE assessments apply to your certification field and pathway
For a list of accredited programs, check GaPSC's Approved Programs list.
Most colleges pair a teaching credential with the degree itself, so you can finish both at once. If you haven't picked a major yet, tie it to the grade level and subject you want to teach: a chemistry teacher usually majors in chemistry, not education, and completes the pedagogy coursework alongside it. Not required in Georgia, but it saves a step.
Georgia sorts candidates into induction pathways based on where they're starting from, generally by prior preparation, out-of-state experience, or current employment status with a Georgia school. The specific eligibility criteria for each pathway have been updated in GaPSC's current certification rules, so check GaPSC's Induction Certificate rule (505-2-.04) directly rather than relying on an older summary, including this one, for the exact requirements that apply to your situation.
Alternative Routes Into the Classroom
If a traditional four-year education degree isn't the fit, Georgia has three other doors in:
Master's Degree in Teaching or Education (MAT/MEd). You can earn certification alongside a graduate degree, often through Georgia's nontraditional preparation pathway for candidates already employed by a Georgia school, which lets you teach while you finish coursework. Check GaPSC's current rules for the exact terms that apply to your situation.
Certification-only programs. If you already hold a bachelor's degree in any field, a certification-only program gets you to GaPSC certification without a second degree.
Georgia's alternative educator preparation route. Available once you hold a bachelor's degree and a Local Unit of Administration (LUA) has hired you: this path runs on a more flexible schedule than a traditional prep program.
Pass the Required GACE Assessments
Georgia's testing requirements changed in 2025, and if you've seen an older guide mention a three-part "Program Admission Assessment" (reading, math, and writing), that test is gone. GaPSC dropped it as an entry requirement effective July 1, 2022, and Pearson (Evaluation Systems) took over as the testing supplier from ETS on July 1, 2025.
What you'll actually sit for:
- GACE Content Assessment(s): subject and grade-level knowledge specific to your certification field, delivered as testlets you can bank one at a time. If no GACE content assessment exists for a given field, GaPSC exempts that requirement
- GACE Ethics for Teachers Assessment: for candidates entering a traditional or nontraditional initial preparation program at the bachelor's level or higher, current GaPSC preparation standards require this before you enroll in the program, not just before certification is issued
- Literacy assessments: GaPSC is rolling out field-specific GACE literacy assessments tied to individual certification fields and programs rather than one universal test, so what's required and when depends on your field and enrollment date
Because these requirements vary by certificate type, preparation pathway, and certification field, ask your program advisor or check GaPSC's current assessment requirements for your specific field before registering for anything. The list is long and field-specific, and getting the wrong one wastes both time and the fee.
Apply for Your Georgia Teaching Certificate
Application Requirements
You'll apply through GaPSC's MyPSC portal with an Application for Certification, plus:
- Official college transcripts
- Verification of Lawful Presence documentation
- Employer Assurance Form (if applicable)
- An FBI fingerprint background check
Certificate Renewal
Georgia's Professional Certificate is valid for five years. Renewal usually means completing an individualized Professional Learning Plan with your LUA supervisor, clearing any outstanding Special Georgia Requirements from your initial certification, and completing your Personal Affirmation Questions through your MyPSC account each fiscal year.
Reciprocity for Out-of-State Teachers
If you're already certified in another state, Georgia offers reciprocity rather than starting over. You'll need a valid or expired professional certificate from a state-approved prep program that's equivalent to one of Georgia's certificate fields, plus any applicable Special Georgia Requirements GaPSC identifies for your credential, preparation, experience, and certification field, which can vary by applicant. Submit your out-of-state license, any assessment score reports, and official transcripts with your application.
Contact Information
Georgia Professional Standards Commission
200 Piedmont Avenue SE, Suite 1716, West Tower
Atlanta, GA 30334-9032
Phone: (404) 232-2500
Find a Teaching Job in Georgia
Public Schools
The state runs one official recruitment site, TeachGeorgia, where you can browse open positions and job fairs. Georgia has flagged ongoing shortage areas including math, sciences, special education, foreign languages, ESOL, and speech-language pathology, worth knowing if you're still choosing a certification field since those openings tend to come with more flexibility on where and when you can start.
Professional Organizations
The Georgia Association of Educators (GAE) and the Professional Association of Georgia Educators (PAGE) both support members with resources and legal services, though neither is a union.
Private Schools
Georgia's private schools are a separate hiring track with their own certification standards, which vary by school. If a state-issued certificate isn't required where you're applying, confirm what the school itself expects before assuming the GaPSC process applies.
If you're weighing Georgia against a neighboring state, the certification steps aren't identical. How to Become a Teacher in Florida, How to Become a Teacher in North Carolina, and How to Become a Teacher in South Carolina each walk through that state's own testing and licensure requirements.
Georgia Teacher Salary and Job Outlook
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Georgia elementary school teachers earned a median annual salary of $72,290 as of May 2025, with middle school teachers at $64,780 and high school teachers at $75,480. Special education teachers in Georgia's elementary and middle grades earned a median of $72,880 and $70,550, respectively, over the same period.
Projections Central estimates Georgia elementary teaching positions will grow about 10% between 2024 and 2034, with roughly 3,360 openings a year. Middle school positions in Georgia are projected to grow 10%, and high school positions 10.3%, over the same window. That's a different picture from the national trend, where most core K-12 roles are flat to declining. Georgia's growth is a state-specific number from Projections Central's Georgia labor market data, not a substitute for the national figures you'll see on other pages.
| Occupation | Median Annual Wage (GA) | Job Growth 2024-2034 (GA) |
|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers | $72,290 | +10% |
| Middle School Teachers | $64,780 | +10% |
| High School Teachers | $75,480 | +10.3% |
| Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary | $72,880 | +10% |
Continuing Education Once You're Certified
Georgia ties professional development to a personalized plan rather than a flat hour count. Teachers create a professional learning plan with specific goals, track Professional Learning Units statewide, and can go to their Regional Education Service Agency for courses and support.
Earning a Master's Degree
Georgia's state salary schedule runs on lanes tied to degree level (T-4, T-5, T-6, and so on), and finishing a master's degree is what moves you from the T-4 lane to T-5. GaPSC's Advanced Professional Certificate sits above that: it requires at least ten years of experience, compliance with GaPSC's Standards of Conduct, and an advanced degree that meets Rule 505-2-.33's accreditation requirements: generally a degree from a GaPSC-approved Georgia institution or a Carnegie-classified research university. GaPSC program approval is a separate process from CAEP accreditation, and Georgia's educator preparation programs can choose whether to maintain CAEP accreditation, so CAEP status alone isn't what qualifies a degree here. It doesn't have to be in your current certification field, as long as you add that field to your certificate afterward. Like the Professional Certificate, it renews every five years, with performance-rating requirements tied to Georgia's TKES evaluation system.
Check GaDOE's current state salary schedule for the exact dollar difference between lanes. It's adjusted most years, and citing a specific figure here would go stale before your next raise does.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need an education degree to teach in Georgia?
No. You need a bachelor's degree in any field plus a GaPSC-approved path to certification: that can be an education degree, a certification-only program, or an alternative preparation route if you've already been hired by a Georgia school. Georgia's CTAE certification structure is an exception, since some CTAE fields allow entry with a high-school diploma/GED or associate degree under the applicable certification rule.
Is the GACE Program Admission Assessment still required?
No. GaPSC dropped it as an entry requirement to educator preparation programs effective July 1, 2022. What's required now depends on your certificate field and pathway: generally a GACE Content Assessment (where one exists for your field), an Ethics for Teachers Assessment before you enroll in a bachelor's-level or higher prep program, and, for some fields and enrollment dates, a field-specific literacy assessment. Check GaPSC's current requirements for your exact field.
Can I transfer an out-of-state teaching certificate to Georgia?
Yes, through reciprocity, if your certificate came from a state-approved preparation program and matches one of Georgia's certificate fields. You'll still need to meet any applicable Special Georgia Requirements GaPSC identifies for your specific credential and field, which can vary by applicant.
How long does Georgia certification take?
With a bachelor's degree already in hand, a certification-only or alternative preparation program can take as little as a year. Starting from scratch with a four-year education degree is closer to four years before you're eligible to apply.
How often do I need to renew my Georgia teaching certificate?
Every five years, through a Professional Learning Plan managed with your Local Unit of Administration and the Personal Affirmation Questions in your MyPSC account.
- Multiple induction pathways - Georgia sorts candidates by starting point, not by a single track, so a career-changer with an unrelated degree has a real route in. Check GaPSC's current rule for exact eligibility.
- The old GACE Program Admission Assessment is gone - GaPSC dropped it in 2022. What replaces it depends on your field: Content, Ethics, and sometimes a field-specific literacy assessment.
- GaPSC decides, not the district - certification runs through the Georgia Professional Standards Commission's MyPSC system, regardless of where you end up teaching.
- Reciprocity exists, but requirements vary - an out-of-state license doesn't mean starting over, though GaPSC identifies which Special Georgia Requirements apply to your specific credential.
- A master's degree still moves your pay lane - Georgia's T-4 to T-5 salary schedule shift is tied directly to finishing a graduate degree.
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 the process, but fit is the harder question. If you're still deciding whether a traditional four-year path or a faster alternative route makes more sense for where you're starting from, the programs listed here span both.