How to Become a Teacher in Louisiana 2026
How to become a teacher in Louisiana comes down to three things: a bachelor's degree, a state-approved educator preparation program, and the assessments required for your certification area. If you already have a degree in another field, Louisiana's alternative certification routes let you start teaching sooner while you finish the coursework. The Louisiana Department of Education issues your license once everything's in.
Louisiana wants every student on track for college or a career, and that starts with the adults in front of them. If you're weighing how to become a teacher in Louisiana, the path has a few more branches than the national certification picture suggests, mostly because of how many alternative routes are on the table for people who didn't major in education.
Choose What You Want to Teach
Before anything else, decide roughly where you want to land: elementary, middle, or high school, or a subject area like special education. You don't need certainty yet, but your answer shapes which preparation program and which certification-area assessments you'll need. The Louisiana Department of Education lists certification areas by grade band if you want to see the full range before committing.
Earn a Bachelor's Degree Through an Approved Preparation Program
Louisiana's traditional pathway to certification runs through a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university, earned via a state-approved educator preparation program (EPP). Most EPPs require a minimum 2.5 GPA for admission, so it's worth checking your transcript before you apply.
Many schools bundle the degree and the preparation program together, so education majors finish both at once. That path also includes a bachelor's degree earned inside an approved teacher preparation program, with built-in field placements rather than a separate application later.
Complete a Teacher Preparation Program
Whichever EPP you choose, expect coursework in teaching methods, differentiated instruction, and assessment, plus a substantial fieldwork component. Louisiana requires 180 hours of field experience and a yearlong teaching residency, where you work under a mentor teacher and gradually take over lesson planning and instruction before you're on your own.
If you already hold a degree in something other than education, you're not shut out. Louisiana runs several alternative certification programs built for exactly that situation.
Alternative Teacher Certification in Louisiana
To enter one of Louisiana's approved alternative pathways, you need at least a bachelor's degree in any field. The program identifies your certification content area based on your degree, though the direction can shift depending on the assessment requirements for that area. Louisiana approves three main alternate pathways:
Practitioner
This pathway has you teaching full-time while you complete coursework, under a mentor. It covers PK-3, 1-5, 4-8, 6-12, All-Level K-12 (art, dance, foreign language, health and physical education, music), and special education mild-moderate.
Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT)
This pathway gets you certified and earns you a graduate degree at the same time. It covers the same grade bands as the Practitioner pathway, plus Early Interventionist (birth to age five), Significant Disabilities (grades 1-12), Hearing Impaired (K-12), and Visual Impairments/Blind (K-12).
Certification-Only
Flexible in format, available online or in person. It covers Early Childhood (PK-3), Elementary (1-5), Middle School (4-8), Secondary (6-12), All-Level K-12, and the same special education categories as the MAT pathway.
Pass Louisiana's Required Certification Assessments
Basic Skills Test
Most candidates need to pass the Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators tests in Reading, Writing, and Mathematics before their preparation program will recommend them for certification. Louisiana exempts candidates who've already earned a master's degree from a regionally accredited university, and it also offers exemptions for qualifying ACT or SAT scores, so check the current cut scores before you assume you need to sit for Core.
Certification-Area Assessments
Beyond the basic skills tests, complete the assessment requirements applicable to your certification area and pathway. Louisiana's assessment chart varies by area: most areas have an adopted Praxis content exam, but where no Louisiana content exam has been adopted, relevant coursework can be used instead in applicable circumstances. Check the chart for your specific certification area rather than assuming a single subject test applies.
Teaching of Reading Assessments
Certain certification areas, including elementary and special education, also carry a separate Teaching of Reading assessment requirement on top of the basic skills and content exams. If your certification area is one of the designated ones, confirm which reading assessment applies before you schedule your other tests.
Apply for Your Louisiana Teaching License
Application Requirements
Once your preparation program and assessments are done, you'll submit your certification application through the Louisiana Educator Portal (LEP), along with transcripts and exam scores. Double-check you're using the right form, since Louisiana runs several depending on your certification pathway.
If you're already licensed in another state, don't start from scratch. Three or more years of verified successful out-of-state teaching experience can fulfill Louisiana's exam requirements outright. If you haven't yet met those requirements, you can still start working: Louisiana issues a three-year nonrenewable Out-of-State certificate that lets you teach while you complete what's outstanding. And if you're still weighing Louisiana against nearby options, the certification steps look a little different in How to Become a Teacher in Mississippi and How to Become a Teacher in Texas.
Contact Information
Louisiana Department of Education
1201 North Third St.
Baton Rouge, LA 70802-5243
Phone: (877) 453-2721
doe.louisiana.gov
Find a Teaching Job in Louisiana
Once you're certified, the state's Teach Louisiana database connects candidates with open positions across public school systems, and Louisiana also participates in the Troops to Teachers program for veterans transitioning into the classroom.
Public School Teacher Benefits and Support
Public school teachers can join the Louisiana Federation of Teachers (LA-AFT) or the Associated Professional Educators of Louisiana (A+PEL), both of which run professional development and advocate for teachers at the state level. After retirement, teachers draw a pension through the Teachers Retirement System of Louisiana (TRSL), which also offers financial planning support for teachers and their spouses.
Teaching in Louisiana's Private Schools
Louisiana's private schools serve roughly 140,000 students. Pay and benefits usually run lower than public districts, but smaller class sizes and more favorable student-to-teacher ratios are common trade-offs, along with sometimes faster paths to leadership roles.
What Louisiana Teachers Earn
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Louisiana elementary school teachers earned a median annual salary of $58,770 as of May 2025, while middle school teachers earned $58,760 and high school teachers earned $59,850. Kindergarten teachers earned $53,130.
Special education teachers in Louisiana earned somewhat more at the elementary level: $58,800 median for special ed teachers working with kindergarten and elementary students, $59,420 at the middle school level, and $59,100 at the secondary level, according to BLS data.
Projections Central estimates Louisiana elementary teaching positions will decline about 1.3% between 2024 and 2034, with high school positions down roughly 1% and middle school down about 1.3%. That's not a hiring freeze: the state still expects an average of 1,360 elementary openings and 900 high school openings every year, mostly from retirements and teachers leaving the field. Preschool teaching is the exception, projected to grow 1.2% with 310 openings a year.
| Grade Level | Employed Teachers (Louisiana) |
|---|---|
| Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education | 3,570 |
| Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education | 3,730 |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | 22,060 |
| Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | 5,560 |
| Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | 15,210 |
| Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School | 4,000 |
| Special Education Teachers, Middle School | 1,130 |
| Special Education Teachers, Secondary School | 3,160 |
Advance Your Certification: Level 1, 2, and 3
Your first Louisiana teaching certificate is a Level 1, valid for three years, with up to two one-year extensions available if you're not yet ready to move up. Moving to Level 2 requires at least three years of classroom teaching experience. Level 2 and Level 3 certificates both renew based on maintaining effective evaluations for at least three of the previous five years.
Level 3, the highest tier, is optional. It requires a graduate degree, five years of classroom teaching experience, and three years of meeting the state's standards of effectiveness. You can apply for Level 3 here once you've met those requirements.
Continue Your Professional Development
Louisiana teachers can create a login on the state Department of Education's professional development site to track offerings and transcripts, including programs run through groups like the Louisiana Association of Teachers of Mathematics (LATM).
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a degree in education to teach in Louisiana?
No. A bachelor's degree in any field qualifies you for one of Louisiana's alternative certification pathways, which pair full-time or part-time teaching with the coursework you still need. An education degree just means you likely finish your coursework before you start the job instead of alongside it.
What assessments does Louisiana require for certification?
Most candidates take the Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators tests in reading, writing, and math, though Louisiana exempts candidates who hold a qualifying master's degree or a qualifying ACT or SAT score. Beyond that, the assessments required depend on your certification area and pathway - most areas have an adopted content exam, some substitute coursework where no Louisiana content exam exists, and several areas also require a Teaching of Reading assessment.
Can I transfer my teaching license from another state to Louisiana?
Often, yes. Three or more years of verified successful out-of-state teaching experience can fulfill Louisiana's exam requirements outright. If you haven't met those requirements yet, Louisiana can issue a three-year nonrenewable Out-of-State certificate so you can start teaching while you finish what's outstanding.
How long does a Louisiana teaching certificate last?
Your first certificate, Level 1, is valid for three years, with up to two one-year extensions available. Level 2 and Level 3 certificates run on five-year renewal cycles, based on maintaining effective evaluations for at least three of the previous five years.
What's the difference between the three alternative certification pathways?
Practitioner has you teaching full-time while completing coursework. The Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) pathway leads to certification and a graduate degree together. Certification-Only is the most flexible, available online or in person, for candidates who just need the certification itself.
- Multiple paths in - a bachelor's degree plus an approved preparation program gets you certified, and three alternative pathways exist if your degree is in another field.
- Testing depends on your certification area - Core Academic Skills tests (with exemptions for a qualifying master's degree, ACT, or SAT score), plus whatever content and Teaching of Reading assessments apply to your specific area and pathway.
- Certification has tiers - Level 1 (3 years, up to two 1-year extensions) leads to Level 2 (3 years of experience to qualify, 5-year renewals) and, optionally, Level 3 with a graduate degree and five years of teaching experience.
- Reciprocity can shortcut the process - three or more years of verified out-of-state teaching experience can satisfy Louisiana's exam requirements outright.
- Pay tracks close to the regional median - Louisiana teachers earn in the high $50Ks to low $60Ks depending on grade level, per BLS data, with steady annual openings even where enrollment-driven positions are projected to shrink slightly.
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.
Certification is only the first decision: the other is finding a preparation program that fits your timeline, whether that's a traditional four-year track or one of the alternative routes above. The sponsored programs listed on this page include options built for career-changers who already hold a degree in something other than education.