How to Become a Teacher in Tennessee
To become a teacher in Tennessee, you'll need a bachelor's degree, a state-approved educator preparation program (EPP), passing Praxis exam scores, and a clean background check. From there, you apply for a Practitioner License through TNCompass, the Tennessee Department of Education's online licensure system. Alternative routes exist if you already hold a degree in another field.
Tennessee's path to the classroom follows the same basic shape as most states: a degree, an approved training program, a set of exams, and a background check. If you want the broader picture of what certification involves before getting into Tennessee's specifics, that's worth a look first. What trips people up is the order things happen in, and which route fits their situation. Here's how it breaks down.
Choose What You Want to Teach
Elementary, middle, high school, special education, or a specific subject area: your first real decision shapes everything that follows, including which Praxis exams you'll take. If you're not sure yet, sit in on a few classes at different grade levels or talk to a school counselor about what the day-to-day actually looks like at each one. This isn't a decision to rush.
Earn a Bachelor's Degree and Complete an Educator Preparation Program
Tennessee requires a bachelor's degree at minimum, earned alongside or followed by a state-approved educator preparation program (EPP) through the Tennessee Department of Education. The degree has to come from an accredited college or university. Most people entering straight from high school end up in a blended program that combines the degree and the EPP requirements into one track.
What the Preparation Program Involves
Your EPP must be approved by the Tennessee State Board of Education and meet the state's required EPP standards. Many programs also hold national accreditation, but that's not the only path to compliance. Programs mix coursework in pedagogy and teaching methods with fieldwork: classroom observation, guided teaching under a licensed mentor, and a student-teaching placement, usually in your final semester. That placement is where you run a real classroom, plan lessons, grade work, and handle the parts of the job that don't show up in a textbook.
Pathways Into the Classroom
Tennessee's initial license is the Practitioner License, valid for three years, and there's more than one way to earn it depending on where you're starting from. Coming straight out of a traditional undergraduate program with a student-teaching placement is the classic four-year route. If you already hold a bachelor's degree in another field, Tennessee also recognizes job-embedded preparation pathways, which let you begin teaching under a provisional arrangement while you complete your EPP coursework and requirements at the same time. Which assessments and requirements apply to you depends on which pathway you're in: your EPP or your district's HR office can tell you exactly which one fits your background. If you're weighing Tennessee against a neighboring state, How to Become a Teacher in Kentucky walks through that state's steps for comparison.
Meet Tennessee's Licensure Assessment Requirements
Tennessee's testing requirements aren't one-size-fits-all. What you need to pass depends on your endorsement area and your preparation pathway, so there's no single statewide checklist that applies to every candidate. Your EPP or the Tennessee Department of Education can confirm the exact combination for your situation.
Content Assessments
Every endorsement area has its own required specialty-area content assessment(s). Praxis exams cover most subjects, but Tennessee also recognizes other providers for certain endorsements, including NES and Alta Language Tests. Some endorsements also require a specialty-area reading assessment on top of the content test, so don't assume one test covers everything. Check the specific requirements for your endorsement with your EPP.
Pedagogical Assessment
Whether you take a pedagogical assessment, and which one, depends on your pathway. Candidates coming through a traditional program with a student-teaching or internship placement generally complete edTPA. Candidates in job-embedded pathways may not need a separate pedagogical assessment at all. Out-of-state candidates transferring into Tennessee may satisfy this requirement with either edTPA or the Praxis PLT, depending on their situation.
Apply for Your Tennessee Teaching License
Application Requirements
To earn an initial Tennessee educator license, you'll need to:
- Be at least 18 years old
- Hold a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution
- Complete your pathway's EPP or program requirements and receive the necessary program recommendation
- Pass the content and pedagogical assessments required for your endorsement area and pathway
- Submit your licensure transaction through TNCompass, the state's online licensure system. Who submits it depends on your pathway: out-of-state educators generally submit their own TNCompass transactions, while Tennessee EPPs submit program-completer applications on behalf of their candidates
Tennessee's initial Practitioner License is valid for three years. Some processing fees may apply, depending on your program and the State Board of Education. Contact your EPP or the Tennessee Department of Education's Office of Educator Licensure and Preparation for current fee amounts.
Licensure Reciprocity for Out-of-State Teachers
Already licensed to teach in another state? Tennessee can issue a Professional License based on an equivalent valid out-of-state professional-level license under specified conditions. The exact requirements depend on your credential and pathway, so confirm your specific situation with the Tennessee Department of Education's Office of Educator Licensure and Preparation before you move.
Contact Information
Tennessee Department of Education, Office of Educator Licensure and Preparation
Andrew Johnson Tower, 9th Floor
710 James Robertson Parkway
Nashville, TN 37243
Phone: (615) 741-2731
Find a Teaching Job in Tennessee
Once you're certified, Tennessee has a large system of public and private schools looking for teachers, particularly in high-need subject areas.
Public School Teaching Jobs
The Tennessee Department of Education has designated Teachers-Teachers.com as its official job-posting database. Districts across the state, especially in special education, STEM, and world languages, regularly post openings there. Registering for an account is the fastest way to see what's actually available in your area.
Tennessee Teacher Associations
Once you're hired, you can join a state chapter of a national labor union: the Tennessee Education Association (TEA) or the Professional Educators of Tennessee (PET). Both offer support during labor and legal disputes, plus professional development and networking.
Tennessee Teacher Retirement Benefits
Tennessee teachers draw retirement benefits through the Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System (TCRS). Your individual pension depends on years of service and salary history, so the payout varies by teacher.
Private School Teaching Jobs
Tennessee has close to 600 private schools, with an average student-to-teacher ratio around 10:1, smaller than most public classrooms in the state. That ratio tends to mean more one-on-one time with students, which is worth weighing if that's a priority for you.
Where Tennessee Needs Teachers Most
Tennessee has consistently reported shortages in special education, secondary math and science, English language learner (ESL) instruction, and world languages, based on the U.S. Department of Education's Teacher Shortage Area designations. These are the subject areas where districts tend to have the most openings and, in some cases, additional incentives for candidates willing to teach them.
Continue Your Education and Professional Development
Tennessee doesn't require a master's degree to earn or keep your license, but the state's licensure structure rewards it anyway.
Tennessee has two license levels: the initial Practitioner License and the full Professional License. To move from Practitioner to Professional, you need at least three years of teaching experience plus either a recommendation from your director of schools or 30 professional development points. The state's advancement checklist spells out the details. After that, maintaining a Professional License takes 60 professional development points every seven-year renewal period, and renewal requirements accept graduate coursework toward those points, at a rate of 10 points per semester credit hour.
So a master's degree isn't mandatory, but it can knock out an entire renewal cycle's worth of professional development points in one pass, and it opens doors toward specialization, admin roles, or a pay bump depending on your district's salary schedule.
What Tennessee Teachers Actually Earn
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Tennessee elementary school teachers earned a median annual salary of $59,980 as of May 2025, while middle school teachers earned $60,690 and high school teachers earned $61,860. Special education teachers in the state earned between $60,000 and $62,560 depending on grade level. Projections Central estimates steady demand across the board: elementary teaching positions in Tennessee are projected to grow about 8.9% between 2024 and 2034, with roughly 2,200 openings a year as the state's teacher workforce turns over.
| Annual Openings | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten Teachers | $58,070 | 9.4% | 350 |
| Elementary School Teachers | $59,980 | 8.9% | 2,200 |
| Middle School Teachers | $60,690 | 8.9% | 890 |
| High School Teachers | $61,860 | 9.4% | 1,370 |
| Annual Openings | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Special Ed Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary | $62,560 | 8.6% | 320 |
| Special Ed Teachers, Middle School | $60,000 | 8.6% | 90 |
| Special Ed Teachers, Secondary School | $61,360 | 8.8% | 150 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a master's degree to teach in Tennessee?
No. Tennessee requires only a bachelor's degree and a completed educator preparation program for an initial Practitioner License. A master's degree can help you satisfy professional development requirements faster and may affect your pay depending on your district's salary schedule.
What if I already have a bachelor's degree in another field?
Tennessee recognizes job-embedded preparation pathways for candidates who already hold a bachelor's degree, letting you begin teaching under a provisional arrangement while you complete your EPP requirements. Contact an approved EPP or your district's HR office to find out which pathway fits your background.
How do I apply for a Tennessee teaching license?
You submit your licensure transaction through TNCompass, the Tennessee Department of Education's online licensure system. Who submits it depends on your pathway: out-of-state educators generally submit their own transactions, while Tennessee EPPs submit program-completer applications on behalf of their candidates.
Can I transfer my teaching license from another state to Tennessee?
Often, yes. Tennessee can issue a Professional License based on an equivalent valid out-of-state professional-level license under specified conditions. The exact requirements depend on your credential and pathway, so confirm your situation with the Tennessee Department of Education's Office of Educator Licensure and Preparation.
How much do Tennessee teachers make?
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Tennessee elementary school teachers earned a median annual salary of $59,980 as of May 2025. Middle school teachers earned $60,690, and high school teachers earned $61,860.
- Bachelor's degree plus an approved pathway is the standard route - a degree from an accredited institution, paired with EPP or job-embedded pathway requirements approved by the Tennessee State Board of Education.
- Assessments depend on your endorsement and pathway - content tests vary by subject area (Praxis, NES, Alta Language Tests), and pedagogical assessment requirements (edTPA or Praxis PLT) depend on how you're earning your license.
- The Practitioner License lasts three years - that's Tennessee's initial license, whichever pathway you take to get there.
- TNCompass handles every licensure transaction - but who submits it, you or your EPP, depends on your pathway.
- Tennessee teacher demand is steady - Projections Central estimates roughly 8-9% growth across elementary, middle, and high school teaching roles in Tennessee through 2034.
2025 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary figures for Kindergarten and Elementary School Teachers, Middle School Teachers, and High School Teachers, plus 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 only one part of the decision: the other is finding a program built for how you actually need to study, whether that's a traditional four-year track or a job-embedded pathway while you work. The sponsored programs listed here include options for both.