How to Become a Teacher in Illinois
Most people become a teacher in Illinois by earning a bachelor's degree, completing an ISBE-approved educator preparation program for their endorsement, passing the applicable Illinois content-area test, and finishing supervised student teaching before applying for a Professional Educator License (PEL) through ELIS, though alternative and reciprocity routes exist too. The edTPA performance assessment isn't currently required for most candidates.
Illinois runs its teacher licensure process through the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), and the credential you're working toward has a specific name: the Professional Educator License, or PEL. If you want the general mechanics of how teacher licensure works before diving into Illinois specifics, that's a good place to start. Here's how to become a teacher in Illinois, including a couple of testing changes that took effect this year.
Choose What You Want to Teach
Whether you're drawn to a specific subject in high school or a special education classroom in the elementary grades, that decision shapes everything that follows. ISBE issues the PEL with a specific endorsement, so before you pick a preparation program, it's worth deciding which grade band or subject area you actually want. ISBE's licensure pages lay out the endorsement options and what each one requires.
If you're still weighing Illinois against a nearby state, the certification steps in How to Become a Teacher in Indiana, How to Become a Teacher in Iowa, and How to Become a Teacher in Wisconsin follow a similar shape, each with its own state-specific testing and licensing body.
Complete Your Education Requirements for Teaching in Illinois
For the traditional PEL pathway, Illinois requires at least a bachelor's degree completed alongside a teacher preparation program from an accredited college or university. If you haven't started your degree yet, most students complete the education coursework and the degree at the same time.
Complete a Teacher Preparation Program
To be entitled to a PEL through the traditional pathway, you need to complete an ISBE-approved educator preparation program for the endorsement you're seeking. Many Illinois programs are also accredited through the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP), but the state requirement itself is ISBE program approval, not CAEP accreditation specifically.
Most candidates go through a blended program, earning the bachelor's degree and the preparation coursework together. You can also complete a preparation program after you already hold a bachelor's degree. These are usually called fifth-year or post-baccalaureate programs, and they typically run two to four semesters.
Either version covers two things: coursework and fieldwork. The coursework side includes child development, pedagogy, educational technology, and methods classes. The fieldwork side includes classroom observation and student teaching, sometimes with an internship folded in. By the end, you'll have built a lesson-plan portfolio and written reflections on the whole experience. ISBE and your program both want to see that you can plan a lesson and then explain why you planned it that way.
Alternative Teacher Certification in Illinois
Teacher Certification Program
If the traditional route above doesn't fit your situation, Illinois also offers alternative certification through a college or university. The program has to hold an approved teacher preparation designation in the specific certification area and get State Board approval before it can offer an alternative route. ISBE's Directory of Approved Programs lists every approved teacher education program in the state, alternative and traditional alike.
Teacher Certification Reciprocity
Already licensed in another state? You may qualify for an Illinois PEL through reciprocity. You'll need to have completed an approved teacher education program in your original state and hold a valid, comparable out-of-state license. One thing changed here as of January 1, 2026: reciprocity candidates must now pass the Illinois content test for each endorsement area they're seeking. An out-of-state test can no longer stand in for it. Contact ISBE directly about your specific situation before you assume your existing license transfers as-is.
Pass the Required Tests for Illinois
The core testing requirement is the Illinois content-area test for your specific endorsement, administered through the Illinois Licensure Testing System (ILTS). Which test you take depends on the grade level and subject you're pursuing, since it's endorsement-specific rather than a single universal exam every candidate takes. The Special Education General Curriculum test applies in addition for candidates seeking an endorsement as a Learning Behavior Specialist I, a teacher of students who are blind or visually impaired, a teacher of students who are deaf or hard of hearing, or a speech-language pathologist working through the teaching endorsement. Your preparation program can confirm exactly which tests apply to your endorsement.
The edTPA, Illinois's teacher performance assessment, isn't currently required for most candidates: ISBE's waiver runs through September 1, 2029 under Public Act 104-0128. Some individual preparation programs still build edTPA into their own coursework regardless of the state waiver, so confirm directly with your program rather than assuming either way.
Apply for Your Illinois Teacher Certification
Application Requirements
Once you've passed your tests, completed student teaching, and finished your bachelor's degree, you're ready to apply for licensure. You'll do this online through the Educator Licensure Information System, ELIS. Candidates applying for administrative, school support, or substitute licensure use different forms, available through the same ELIS portal. Once your PEL is issued, you still need to register it before you can start teaching.
Contact Information
Illinois State Board of Education
100 N. 1st Street
Springfield, IL 62777
Phone: (217) 782-4321
Or:
Illinois State Board of Education
100 W. Randolph, Suite 14-300
Chicago, IL 60601
Phone: (312) 814-2220
Find a Teaching Job in Illinois
With tests passed and your license application in, it's time to find the classroom.
Teaching in a Public School
ISBE links out to several third-party job boards, including Careers at Chicago Public Schools (CPS), IASA Online's Illinois Education Job Bank, and K-12 JobSpot. None of these sites are run by ISBE itself, but they're where most Illinois district postings actually land.
Once you're hired, you can join the Illinois Federation of Teachers, which represents more than 80,000 teachers and paraprofessionals statewide, or the Illinois Education Association (IEA-NEA). Both advocate for teachers and negotiate on their behalf. When you eventually retire, the Illinois Teachers' Retirement System provides a pension along with disability and other benefits.
Teaching in a Private School
Illinois has an extensive private school network, and not every private school requires state certification. Illinois has nearly 1,500 private schools serving roughly 300,000 students, and pay and advancement can look different from district to district in ways that don't always mirror the public system.
Illinois Teacher Salaries and Job Growth
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Illinois elementary school teachers earned a median annual salary of $75,320 as of May 2025, with kindergarten teachers at $64,020 and middle school teachers at $76,110. High school teachers led the group at a median of $79,990. Special education teachers ran close behind the general-classroom figures, from $62,580 for preschool special ed up to $79,890 at the secondary level.
| Occupation | Median Annual Wage | Job Growth (2024-2034) |
|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten Teachers | $64,020 | +2.4% |
| Elementary School Teachers | $75,320 | +2.1% |
| Middle School Teachers | $76,110 | +2.0% |
| Secondary (High) School Teachers | $79,990 | +2.4% |
| Special Education Occupation | Median Annual Wage | Job Growth (2024-2034) |
|---|---|---|
| Special Ed Teachers, Preschool | $62,580 | +4.6% |
| Special Ed Teachers, Kindergarten & Elementary | $77,960 | +2.2% |
| Special Ed Teachers, Middle School | $74,730 | +2.0% |
| Special Ed Teachers, Secondary School | $79,890 | +2.3% |
The job growth numbers are the encouraging part of this story, and worth calling out because it runs against the national trend: Illinois Department of Employment Security projections, sourced from Projections Central, show every core K-12 teaching occupation in Illinois growing between 2024 and 2034, not shrinking: elementary at +2.1%, middle school at +2.0%, and high school at +2.4%. Preschool teaching leads the state at +12%. That's the opposite of the national picture, where most classroom-teaching occupations are projected to decline slightly over the same period.
Teacher Shortage Areas in Illinois
The most recent Teacher Shortage Area (TSA) report published by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Postsecondary Education, covering the 2021-2022 school year, listed these Illinois shortage areas. A newer TSA report was not available in ISBE's or the Department's published data at the time of this update:
- Special education (generic)
- Elementary education, K-8
- Physical education, K-12
- World languages, including Spanish and other languages
- Biological sciences and general science
- Career and technical education, family and consumer science
- Music, K-12
- Mathematics, including algebra
- Business education
- Chemistry
- Bilingual education and ESOL
- English
Continue Your Education and Professional Development
Professional Development and PEL Renewal in Illinois
A PEL is valid for five years. For a licensee with a teaching-field endorsement working 50% FTE or more in an Illinois public, charter, or state-operated school, ISBE requires 120 hours of professional development to renew, regardless of how many degrees the teacher holds. ISBE sends a renewal reminder by email before your license expires on June 30, and the renewal window itself opens April 1 of that year. School support personnel and administrator endorsements carry different renewal requirements, so check ISBE's Renewal and Professional Development page for the rule that matches your specific endorsement.
Workshops, seminars, conferences, and college coursework all count toward PD hours, with coursework converting at 15 clock hours per semester credit. Teachers holding a current NBPTS Master Teacher designation need only 60 hours instead of 120. Independent providers can apply to become approved facilitators for PD programming, as long as they meet ISBE's accountability standards. If you're not sure whether a specific activity counts, ISBE is the one to ask, not the provider selling it to you.
The Case for a Master's Degree
A master's degree isn't required to teach in Illinois, but it's worth thinking about for reasons beyond the classroom itself. Illinois doesn't set a statewide teacher pay scale, so whether and how a master's degree or additional graduate credits move you into a higher pay column depends entirely on your specific district's salary schedule. Check with your district's HR office or your union contract rather than assuming a fixed statewide bump.
Graduate coursework can count toward the professional development hours you need for license renewal, as long as it relates to your current endorsement and comes through an ISBE-approved provider. ISBE converts college coursework directly into PD credit: one semester hour of coursework equals 15 clock hours of professional development.
Illinois teachers renewing a PEL with a teaching-field endorsement need 120 hours of professional development per five-year cycle, according to ISBE, regardless of how many degrees they hold. The one exception is a current National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) Master Teacher designation, which lowers the requirement to 60 hours. School support personnel and administrator endorsements carry different renewal requirements.
That's the financial case for graduate study. Here's what other prospective Illinois teachers ask us most.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to take the edTPA to become a teacher in Illinois?
Not right now. ISBE extended its edTPA waiver through September 1, 2029, so most candidates for initial licensure won't need to complete it during that window. Some individual preparation programs still build edTPA into their coursework regardless of the state waiver, so confirm the requirement with your specific program.
What is a Professional Educator License, and is it the same as a teaching certificate?
The PEL is Illinois's main educator credential: it's the license you need to teach, work in school support, or serve as an administrator in most Illinois public and approved non-public programs. "Teaching certificate" is the older, informal term for the same idea. ISBE's official paperwork uses PEL.
Can I become a teacher in Illinois without an education degree?
Yes, through Illinois's alternative certification route. You'll need a bachelor's degree in any field, admission to an ISBE-approved alternative preparation program, and completion of that program's coursework and supervised teaching requirements. It's a real path, not a shortcut around the requirements, just a different sequence.
Does an out-of-state teaching license transfer to Illinois?
Often, through reciprocity, but not automatically. You need a comparable out-of-state license and an approved teacher education program behind it, and as of January 1, 2026, you also have to pass the Illinois content test for each endorsement you're seeking. Your out-of-state test scores no longer substitute for that step.
How much do Illinois teachers make?
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Illinois elementary school teachers earned a median annual salary of $75,320 as of May 2025, with high school teachers at $79,990. Actual pay varies by district salary schedule and by how much graduate coursework a teacher has completed.
- The credential is the PEL - the traditional pathway runs through a bachelor's degree, an ISBE-approved preparation program, the endorsement-specific content test, and supervised student teaching, applied for through ELIS. Alternative and reciprocity routes also exist.
- edTPA isn't currently required - ISBE's waiver runs through September 1, 2029, though individual preparation programs can still require it.
- Reciprocity changed in 2026 - out-of-state licensed teachers must now pass Illinois's own content test for each endorsement. An out-of-state test no longer substitutes.
- Illinois teaching jobs are growing, not shrinking - state projections show every core K-12 teaching occupation growing through 2034, the opposite of the national trend.
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, and from the Illinois Department of Employment Security. Figures reflect state and national data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed August 2026.
Certification requirements are only one half of the decision: the other half is finding a preparation program that actually fits your schedule and your existing degree. The sponsored programs listed on this page include options built for career changers who already hold a bachelor's degree in another field.