Explore
K-12 visual arts
Art Teacher
Six hundred students a week and a supply budget that ran out in October.
Typical pay
$42k-$80k
How you get in
Art education degree plus state licensure
Outlook
Steady but position-limited; often one per building
Art teachers deliver visual arts instruction across many grade levels. Elementary art teachers often see the entire school, which means enormous student loads and a supply budget that rarely matches the ambition.
A day in the life
- 7:30aPrep materials for five different projects
- 8:15aFirst class, then a new group every 45 minutes
- 11:30aLunch and kiln loading
- 12:15pAfternoon classes
- 3:30pClean the room, which takes longer than anyone thinks
- 5:00pMount work for the district art show
How to get in
Art education degree
Duration
4-5 years
Cost
$40,000-$180,000
Credential
State teaching license in visual arts
- Complete an art education degree with studio and pedagogy coursework
- Build a personal portfolio alongside teaching preparation
- Complete student teaching and licensure exams
- Apply broadly — positions are limited since schools have few art teachers
Artist into teaching
Duration
1-2 years
Cost
$4,000-$20,000
Credential
Alternative certification in art
- Hold a studio art degree
- Complete an alternative certification program
- Pass the visual arts content exam
- Bring genuine practice experience students respond to
Museum and community arts education
Duration
2-4 years
Cost
$40,000-$150,000
Credential
Art or education degree; museum education coursework
- Work in museum education, community arts or after-school programs
- No teaching license required in most of these settings
- Build program development and grant writing skills
- Different pace and population than a school building
What people love
- · Teach a creative subject you care about
- · School calendar and benefits
- · You see every student in the building
- · Genuine creative latitude in curriculum
What wears people down
- · Art budgets are cut before almost anything else
- · Hundreds of students per week to know and assess
- · Teachers routinely buy supplies personally
- · Cleanup and setup are unpaid time