How to Become a Teacher in Pennsylvania 2026
Pennsylvania requires a bachelor's degree from a PDE-approved preparation program, passing scores on the required certification tests, and an application through the Teacher Information Management System (TIMS). Most candidates hold a Level I certificate, valid for six years of actual Pennsylvania teaching service, before converting to a permanent Level II certificate, and alternative routes exist if you already have a degree outside education.
Pennsylvania issues teaching certificates through the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE), and the fastest way through how teacher certification works is knowing which of two tracks you're on: the traditional route through a four-year education degree, or an alternative route if you already hold a bachelor's degree in something else. Both end at the same certificate; what changes is the order you do things in.
Choose What You Want to Teach
Start with the setting, not the paperwork. Elementary certification covers PreK-4 or 4-8 depending on the program, while middle and secondary certificates tie to a subject: math, English, biology, and so on. Special education is its own certificate and can pair with a grade-band certificate. Decide this early - it determines which program you enroll in and which subject-area test you'll eventually take.
Complete Your Bachelor's Degree Through a PDE-Approved Program
The base requirement for a Pennsylvania teaching certificate is a bachelor's degree earned through a program PDE has approved to include an Educator Preparation Program (EPP). Vocational certificate seekers also need two years of full-time, wage-earning experience in that trade area.
Complete a Teacher Preparation Program
What matters for Pennsylvania certification is that your program is PDE-approved as an Educator Preparation Program, not any particular national accreditation. Many programs also carry accreditation from the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) or its predecessors, NCATE and TEAC, but that's separate from PDE's approval and isn't itself the requirement.
If you're in a blended program, the EPP is built into your bachelor's degree. If not, you can complete it separately through an alternative program after you already hold a degree. A 3.0 GPA is the standard benchmark for admission to Pennsylvania's traditional preparation route, but PDE has alternative admissions and testing provisions for candidates who fall short of it, so check with your program directly if your GPA is close to that line.
Expect coursework in pedagogy, teaching methodology, differentiated instruction, and classroom management, plus a fieldwork component. That fieldwork is where the work becomes real: supervised classroom observations followed by student teaching, where you plan and deliver lessons under a mentor teacher for a set period. Pennsylvania allows up to half of student teaching hours to be remote. Eligible applicants can also apply for a $10,000 stipend through the PA Student Teacher Support Program, awarded first-come, first-served and tied to a three-year commitment to teach in a Pennsylvania public school after certification; mentor teachers can receive up to $2,500 separately.
Alternative Teacher Certification in Pennsylvania
If you already have a bachelor's degree in a field other than education, Pennsylvania offers two alternative paths into the classroom.
Experience-Based Certification Program
Renamed from the Teacher Intern Certification Program under Act 47 of 2025, this program lets you begin teaching while you finish coursework and exams, provided you already hold a bachelor's degree. Details and the current list of approved programs are on PDE's certification page for this pathway.
American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence (ABCTE)
Holding a Passport to Teaching credential from the American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence (ABCTE) can also qualify you for a Pennsylvania Instructional I certificate in secondary English, math, general science, physics, chemistry, or biology. After earning the ABCTE Passport, you apply for a Temporary Teaching Permit (TTP) through the Bureau of School Leadership and Teacher Quality, valid for one year, and it places you in a full-time classroom under a mentoring program while you complete the remaining requirements.
Pass the Required Certification Tests
Which tests you take depends on the certificate you're seeking. Pennsylvania issues several certificate types, including:
- Instructional I Certificate
- Educational Specialist Certificate
- Administrative Certificate
- Vocational Certificates
- Instructional Add-Ons
Pennsylvania no longer requires a standalone basic-skills test as a blanket certification requirement. A basic-skills assessment can still serve as an alternative admission path into a preparation program for candidates in certain GPA circumstances, but it isn't something every candidate takes. What PDE does require is assessment of general, professional, and subject-area knowledge specific to your certificate and field, and the exact tests vary accordingly, with exceptions for certain applicants. PDE's testing requirements page lists current tests and passing scores by certificate type: check it directly, since requirements are updated periodically.
Apply for Your Pennsylvania Teacher Certification
Application Requirements
PDE requires every applicant to apply through the Teacher Information Management System (TIMS). Your prep program verifies completion directly in TIMS, and you'll submit transcripts and passing scores with the application. Applicants must generally be U.S. citizens or otherwise legally authorized to work in the U.S., with an exception for world language certification.
Contact Information
Pennsylvania Department of Education
School Leadership and Teacher Quality
333 Market Street
Harrisburg, PA 17126-0333
Phone: (717) 728-3224
Find a Teaching Job in Pennsylvania
Public Schools
Public school districts post their own openings independently, so you'll apply directly to the district rather than through PDE. PDE's website links out to third-party listing sites, including the Pennsylvania School Boards Association's Professional Vacancy List, SchoolSpring.com, and region-specific boards like Teach Philadelphia.
Labor Unions for Teachers in Pennsylvania
Once hired, most teachers join a union: the Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA) or AFT Pennsylvania are the two largest. Some districts also have independent affiliations like the Keystone Teachers Association (KEYTA).
Retirement Benefits
Teachers contribute to the Public School Employees' Retirement System (PSERS) and can track contributions through PSERS' online portal.
Private Schools
Pennsylvania has roughly 3,000 private schools, and pay, benefits, and advancement there can differ significantly from the public system. The state doesn't require certification to teach at a private school, though many prefer or require it anyway.
What Pennsylvania Teachers Earn
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Pennsylvania teachers earned the following median annual wages as of May 2025:
| Occupation | Median Annual Wage | Job Growth (2024-2034) |
|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten Teachers | $64,430 | -0.1% |
| Elementary School Teachers | $77,060 | -0.3% |
| Middle School Teachers | $77,930 | -0.3% |
| High School Teachers | $78,800 | -0.1% |
Employment of Pennsylvania classroom teachers is projected to hold roughly flat to slightly down through 2034, not grow, but the job market isn't thin. Projections Central still estimates 3,630 elementary and 3,200 secondary openings in the state every year, driven by retirements and turnover rather than new positions.
Special education pays somewhat higher across most grade bands: Pennsylvania special ed teachers earned median annual wages of $72,680 (K-elementary), $77,040 (middle school), and $77,000 (secondary) as of May 2025, per the BLS.
Continue Your Education and Professional Development
Highly effective teachers tend to keep learning after certification, and Pennsylvania builds that into the license itself. Common PD areas include integrating subject matter into the classroom, strategies for diverse student populations, and assessment practices, and those hours can also move you toward better pay in districts that reward advanced coursework.
Professional Development in Pennsylvania
To maintain an active teaching certificate, PDE requires six credits of collegiate study, six credits of approved continuing professional education, or 180 hours of continuing professional education every five years. If you have questions about which option fits your situation, your district representative or building administrator can walk you through it.
Earn a Master's to Meet Level II Certification Requirements
Your first Pennsylvania certificate is a Level I provisional certificate, valid for six years of actual teaching service, not six calendar years from issue. Converting to a Level II permanent certificate requires three years of satisfactory service, 24 post-baccalaureate credits, a PDE-approved induction program, and the applicable assessment documentation, and that conversion isn't optional. Miss the six-year service window and the provisional certificate lapses.
Those 24 credits don't have to come from a full graduate degree, but many teachers pursue a master's anyway, since the required credits count toward it. A typical education master's runs 30-56 credits, so the 24 you already need puts you close to halfway there. At least 6 of the 24 must improve your practice in your certified subject area; beyond that, you can choose general education, your subject, or a related specialty.
You'll submit your Level II application through the same Teacher Information Management System (TIMS) you used for your initial certificate. Beyond satisfying the requirement, a master's degree tends to open doors to higher pay: most Pennsylvania districts place master's-prepared teachers on a higher step of the salary schedule than bachelor's-only teachers.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to become a certified teacher in Pennsylvania?
Through the traditional route, expect four years for a bachelor's degree plus the built-in preparation program and student teaching. The alternative and Experience-Based routes can move faster since you're already teaching while finishing requirements, but they still require PDE's applicable assessments for your certificate.
Do I need a degree in education to teach in Pennsylvania?
No. You can earn a bachelor's in any subject and pursue certification through an alternative or Experience-Based program afterward, or through the ABCTE Passport to Teaching route. What matters is completing a PDE-approved preparation pathway and the applicable assessments for your certificate.
What's the difference between a Level I and Level II certificate?
A Level I certificate is provisional, valid for six years of actual Pennsylvania teaching service rather than six calendar years. A Level II certificate is permanent and requires three years of satisfactory Pennsylvania service, 24 post-baccalaureate credits, and completion of a PDE-approved induction program. You must convert before your six years of Level I service run out, or the provisional certificate lapses.
Can I teach in Pennsylvania if I'm certified in another state?
Out-of-state certification can transfer through reciprocity, but the exceptions to Pennsylvania's own testing requirements depend on a specific certificate-and-experience pathway. Pennsylvania generally doesn't simply substitute another state's differently named or coded exams for its own, so check PDE's out-of-state educator guidance for your exact situation. Applications go through TIMS either way. If you're weighing a move instead, the requirements for How to Become a Teacher in Maryland and How to Become a Teacher in West Virginia are worth comparing against Pennsylvania's.
Do Pennsylvania private schools require certification?
Not by state mandate, but many private schools prefer or require it regardless. Pay and benefits at private schools can differ significantly from the public system, so ask directly about both.
- Two main routes exist - a bachelor's degree with a built-in preparation program, or an alternative/Experience-Based route if you already have a degree in another field.
- PDE decides through TIMS - every application, transcript, and test score goes through the Teacher Information Management System, and applicants generally need to be U.S. citizens or otherwise legally authorized to work in the U.S. to apply.
- Level I runs on service, not the calendar - your six years to convert to Level II count actual Pennsylvania teaching service, and you'll also need an induction program and post-baccalaureate credits completed before that window closes.
- A student teaching stipend is available, with conditions - eligible applicants can get a $10,000 stipend (first-come, first-served, tied to a three-year PA teaching commitment) through the PA Student Teacher Support Program, and mentor teachers can get up to $2,500.
- Employment is flat, not growing - but thousands of openings occur every year from retirements and turnover, so the job market isn't as thin as the growth number alone suggests.
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 requirements are the easy part to look up. Finding a program that fits your schedule and already holds PDE approval is the harder part, and the programs listed on this page include options built for people working full-time while they complete their preparation coursework.