Are you looking to hire teachers in California? You’ve come to the right place. Below, we detail the California teaching environment, teacher qualifications, teacher desires, and a few methods for filling your next vacancy.
The California teaching environment
California has 307,470 public school teachers across 10,588 public schools. There are 1300+ charter schools in California.
California is a competitive state for teachers, who have an excellent career outlook, compensation, and benefits. Since the State of California has a higher regional cost of living, teachers tend to be paid higher than the national average ($61,730 for a public school teacher). California cities take the top four spots in the top-five highest-paid places for teachers in the United States. New York City takes fifth place in the same ranking.
The California Department of Education plots teacher pay scale based on three categories: elementary schools, high schools, and unified school districts. A beginner teacher can expect to make an average of $45-55k, a midrange teacher can expect to make an average of $65-92k, and teachers with the highest annual salaries make an average of $91-114k. Salaries are higher in schools with higher average daily attendance and the biggest earners work in non-unified high schools.
Schools are well-funded compared to other states with a base amount of $8,235 - $9,269 per student per year based on grade level and adjusted annually. State funding includes funds for special education, English language learners, and at-risk, low-income students.
California has a severe teacher shortage. Teacher attrition in California is 9% annually, higher than the national average. Special education teachers, who are often under-credentialed, leave at higher rates.
What qualifies a teacher in California
Each state has different requirements, but every state requires a teaching license and California is no different.
To gain a teacher’s license in California, an educator must:
- Complete an approved teacher preparation program.
- Fulfill specialist credentials. Elementary school teachers must earn a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential, high school teachers must earn a Single Subject Teaching Credential, and special education teachers must earn an Education Specialist Instruction Credential. Charter school teachers have extra flexibility in this requirement.
Credentialing in California is highly specific. The California Commission on Teacher Credentialing has detailed guides to becoming a teacher.
If you hire a teacher from out of state, they may need to apply for a teaching license in California. The Commission outlines its reciprocity agreements for out-of-state teachers here.
What teachers want
California is a fairly progressive state. Teachers in this state want:
- Competitive salary
- See the annual state average wage for teachers and other education professionals (including administrators) by teaching level here
- Strong health benefits and affordable health insurance
- Mental health benefits
- Retirement benefits (based on years of service)
- Many California teachers retire early
- Safe teaching environments with clear coronavirus guidelines
- In some cases, remote or hybrid work options
- Mentoring and support to help reduce teacher attrition
- Resources to help them become and remain culturally competent in a linguistically diverse school system
Hire your next teacher in California
Teachers On Demand is the preferred K-12 staffing solution for 200+ schools. We connect our education partners with qualified and enthusiastic teachers, administrators, and other school professionals across the United States.
Here are three great ways to fill your next vacancy.
Check or post on our job boards
Our educator network is 50,000+ strong, and we’re adding new jobs all the time. Sign up to post on our job board for FREE. Registration is simple!
Hire a substitute educator
We get wonderful feedback on our substitute teachers, and we even offer a teacher absence scheduling platform. All of our substitutes are certified and highly qualified with a strong work ethic. We invest in their well-being so they love going to work. Hire a California-certified substitute today.
Recruit full-time educators and other professionals
Teacher On Demand’s direct hire/permanent placement program is easy and straightforward for every instructional and non-instructional position. Find out how teacher recruitment works at TOD - and how we make your life much easier!