How to Become a Teacher in New Jersey 2026
How to become a teacher in New Jersey comes down to a few core steps: earn a bachelor's degree from an accredited college, complete an NJDOE-approved teacher preparation program, pass the applicable Praxis Subject Test or other assessment required for your endorsement, and clear a background check. Traditional-route candidates also complete supervised student teaching before the state issues certification.
Anyone researching how to become a teacher in New Jersey runs into the same structure fast: a specific degree, endorsement-specific exams, and a state-approved preparation program. For the certification basics that apply nationwide, this page covers how they play out specifically in New Jersey, from choosing a grade level through landing your first job.
Choose What You Want to Teach
Special education? Elementary, middle, or high school? Decide which grade level or subject fits you before you start studying, since New Jersey sets specific coursework prerequisites for each area.
Earn a Bachelor's in Education to Meet the Requirements for a Teaching Certificate in New Jersey
New Jersey requires at least a bachelor's degree to become a teacher through its traditional and alternate instructional routes, along with a teacher preparation program. The degree must come from an accredited college or university. Many schools offer a blended program: finish the required coursework, fieldwork, and test scores, and you graduate with both a bachelor's degree and a teaching license at once. That's the most direct route for anyone who knows from the start that they want to teach.
Complete a Teacher Preparation Program
Public school teachers need a license to teach, and gaining one means completing a teacher preparation program approved by the New Jersey Department of Education. New Jersey currently recognizes CAEP and AAQEP as Commissioner-approved accrediting bodies for these programs, in addition to the state's own approval. Follow this traditional route, and you'll graduate with a certification and a bachelor's degree together.
New Jersey requires a bachelor's degree along with specific coursework depending on what you want to teach, and every candidate completes a coherent sequence of education coursework. Several subject areas carry their own credit requirements:
Elementary Education (Kindergarten - fifth grade)
A teaching candidate needs at least 60 liberal arts credits, or a liberal arts or science major. Grades 5-8 also require an endorsement in a specific subject area.
English (Kindergarten - twelfth grade)
This certification requires a minimum of 30 credits in an English program, including at least 12 advanced-level class hours.
Mathematics (Kindergarten - twelfth grade)
This certification requires a minimum of 30 credits in a mathematics program, including at least 12 advanced-level class hours.
Science (Kindergarten through twelfth grade)
Becoming a certified Science teacher in New Jersey requires at least 30 credits in Chemistry or Physics, with 12 of those hours at the advanced level. You'll also need 15 full credit hours in physics, mechanics, electrical engineering, thermodynamics, mechanical design, chemistry, or biochemistry.
Alternative Teaching Certification in New Jersey
An alternative route to certification is available in New Jersey.
Teacher Certification Program
This option fits people who already hold a four-year bachelor's degree but haven't completed a teacher preparation program. You won't earn a new degree through this program, just certification. To apply, you must meet the requirements administered through NJDOE's Office of Recruitment, Preparation and Certification, using the NJEdCert system. Candidates generally complete at least 50 hours of pre-professional experience before employment, then enroll in an approved Certificate of Eligibility educator-preparation program and complete it while teaching under provisional employment with a mentor.
Pass the Exams Required for Teacher Certification in New Jersey
The next step to becoming a teacher in New Jersey is passing the necessary tests.
Basic Skills Requirement
New Jersey's basic-skills requirement, met through the Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators Test or a qualifying SAT, ACT, or GRE score, applies specifically to candidates pursuing a limited Certificate of Eligibility or limited CEAS. It isn't a universal requirement for every traditional or alternate-route candidate: check the current NJDOE testing requirements for your specific certification pathway to confirm whether it applies to you.
Subject Tests
New Jersey teacher candidates take the applicable Praxis Subject Test or other assessment required for their specific endorsement. Requirements and exceptions vary by endorsement area, and some areas call for additional assessments while at least one endorsement carries a listed exemption. Talk with your school counselor or advisor to confirm you've registered for the correct test for your endorsement: the exams mix multiple-choice questions with constructed-response essay questions.
Apply for your New Jersey Teacher Certification
Application Requirements
You can apply online or submit transcripts for evaluation. To submit your application for new certification, you'll need to:
- Submit a $70 payment by credit card online
- Provide verification of program completion
- Provide copies of out-of-state certificates, if applicable
- Include a letter detailing any years of full-time teaching or administrative experience, on school district letterhead and signed by the appropriate officials, if applicable
- Submit official college transcripts showing a degree conferral and GPA. A 3.00 GPA, or in some cases 2.75 with high Praxis scores, is required
- Provide a credentials evaluation if you were certified in another country
- Sign and notarize an Oath of Allegiance, or a Non-citizen Oath of Allegiance if applicable
- Provide scores for the applicable Praxis Subject Tests required for your endorsement
- Satisfy the physiology and hygiene requirement: qualifying military training, appropriate college coursework in biology, health, or nutrition, or the online test
- Complete at least 50 hours of pre-professional experience if applying through the Certificate of Eligibility route
Contact Information
NJ Department of Education, PO Box 500, Trenton, NJ 08625-0500. Phone: (877) 900-6960.
Find a Teaching Job in New Jersey
Once you've completed certification and received licensure, you're ready to start your career as a teacher in New Jersey. If you're weighing nearby states as well, the process runs similarly in How to Become a Teacher in Delaware and How to Become a Teacher in New York, with state-specific differences in coursework and testing.
Teaching Job in a Public School
Like much of the country, New Jersey is seeing shortages in language, math, and science teachers, along with special education. The state runs an active recruitment effort through the Department of Education website and a companion site, NJ School Jobs. Once hired, public school teachers can join a union such as the New Jersey Education Association (NJEA) or the American Federation of Teachers New Jersey (AFT-NJ), and upon retirement can draw from the Teachers' Pension and Annuity Fund of New Jersey.
Teaching Job in a Private School
Teachers can also apply directly to any of the state's more than 1,500 private schools, which tend to run smaller student-to-teacher ratios and can offer a comfortable transition into full-time teaching. Each school sets its own application process.
Teacher Shortage Areas in New Jersey
The U.S. Department of Education has previously identified these as ongoing New Jersey teacher shortage fields, all PreK-12: ESOL and Bilingual Education, World Languages, Mathematics, Science, Special Education, and Career and Technical Education.
New Jersey Teacher Salary and Job Outlook
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, New Jersey elementary school teachers earned a median annual salary of $78,200 as of May 2025, among the highest state medians in the country. Middle school teachers earned a median of $78,770, and secondary school teachers earned $82,200.
| Occupation | Median Annual Wage | Job Growth (2024-2034) |
|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten Teachers | $74,210 | +5.6% |
| Elementary School Teachers | $78,200 | +5.5% |
| Middle School Teachers | $78,770 | +5.5% |
| Secondary School Teachers | $82,200 | +5.8% |
| Special Education Teachers, Preschool | $92,060 | +13.9% |
| Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary | $76,660 | +5.6% |
| Special Education Teachers, Middle School | $79,110 | +5.6% |
| Special Education Teachers, Secondary School | $83,770 | +5.7% |
New Jersey's job growth outlook runs ahead of the national trend, where most core K-12 teaching occupations are projected to decline slightly. Projections Central estimates New Jersey elementary teaching positions will grow about 5.5% between 2024 and 2034, with roughly 3,390 openings a year as the workforce turns over.
Continue Your Education and Professional Development
New Jersey teachers complete 20 hours of professional development each year under the state's Standards for Professional Learning, through online courses, peer-led conferences, and administrator presentations. Check your district's copy of the New Jersey collaborative professional learning toolkit for specifics.
Consider the Benefits of a Master's in Education or Teaching
A master's degree isn't required to teach in New Jersey, but earning one in instruction or a specific subject broadens your opportunities. Coursework toward the degree can also help satisfy your annual Professional Development Plan hours.
As a new teacher, you'll apply for a Certificate of Eligibility with Advanced Standing (CEAS), which authorizes you to seek employment but isn't itself a teaching certificate. Once a district hires you, it requests a Provisional Certificate on your behalf, valid for up to two years, during which you complete the Provisional Teacher Process (PTP): at least 30 weeks of mentoring plus evaluation and supervision through your district. Standard certification follows once you've completed the PTP requirements, including two effective or highly effective final summative ratings, not simply after two years pass. CE candidates must also complete their approved preparation program along the way.
Earning a Master's in Teaching or Education
District salary schedules across New Jersey commonly include a step for an advanced degree. Figures vary by district and bargaining agreement, so check your target district's published salary schedule for specifics.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to become a teacher in New Jersey?
Most candidates finish a bachelor's degree and teacher preparation program in about four years, then add the time needed to pass the applicable Praxis Subject Tests for their endorsement. The alternate route through a Certificate of Eligibility can move faster for candidates who already hold a bachelor's degree in another field.
Do I need a master's degree to teach in New Jersey?
No. A bachelor's degree and an approved preparation program are enough for a Standard Certificate. A master's degree is optional, though it can help satisfy professional development requirements.
What tests do I need to pass for New Jersey teacher certification?
You'll need the applicable Praxis Subject Test or other assessment required for your endorsement. The Praxis Core basic-skills requirement applies specifically to candidates pursuing a limited Certificate of Eligibility or limited CEAS, not to every candidate.
Can I become a teacher in New Jersey without a teaching degree?
Yes. New Jersey's alternative route lets candidates with a bachelor's degree in another field apply for a Certificate of Eligibility, complete at least 50 hours of pre-professional experience, and then teach under provisional employment with a mentor while completing an approved preparation program.
How much do teachers earn in New Jersey?
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, New Jersey elementary school teachers earned a median annual salary of $78,200 as of May 2025, among the highest state medians in the country.
- Bachelor's degree plus an approved program - New Jersey requires both a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution and completion of an NJDOE-approved teacher preparation program.
- Testing is endorsement-specific - candidates take the applicable Praxis Subject Test or other assessment required for their endorsement; the Praxis Core basic-skills requirement applies only to limited Certificate of Eligibility or limited CEAS candidates, not everyone.
- An alternate route exists - candidates with a bachelor's degree in another field can pursue a Certificate of Eligibility through NJDOE's Office of Recruitment, Preparation and Certification, completing at least 50 hours of pre-professional experience before teaching under provisional employment with a mentor.
- Pay runs above the national median - New Jersey elementary teachers earned a median of $78,200 in May 2025, well above the national figure, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Shortage areas get priority attention - ESOL, world languages, math, science, and special education are ongoing New Jersey shortage fields, which can mean more openings for candidates in those subjects.
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.
New Jersey's certification steps are only half the picture: the other half is finding a program that fits your timeline and budget. The sponsored programs on this page include both traditional and alternate-route options, and several work with candidates who already hold a degree in another field.