Become a Teacher in Alabama

To get your teaching credential in Alabama, you will need to complete the necessary college coursework, teacher preparation program, and standardized tests required by the State of Alabama. If you obtained your teaching credential from another state, you may be able to gain an Alabama teaching credential through interstate reciprocity. Learn more about earning your Alabama teaching credential through the Alabama State Department of Education. Alabama has three levels of teacher certification. A Class B certificate is issued to new teachers who have completed a bachelor’s degree and a teacher education program, a Class A certificate is available to teachers who have earned a master’s degree, and the Class AA is for teachers who have completed a sixth-year program.

Learn more about getting your teaching credential on Teach.com.

Alabama offers an Provisional Certificate for various fields which let teachers earn a certificate over a maximum of three years while teaching full time. See the Alabama Department of Education website for more information and a list of institutions offering alternative teacher certification programs. Members of the military can learn more about the Troops to Teachers program in Alabama.

Interstate Reciprocity is a program where you can use a certification from another state to become certified in a new state. Read more on the certification reciprocity page to check which states are eligible for reciprocity in Alabama, or contact the Alabama Department of Education if you have more specific questions about your state or institution.

The Alabama Department of Education runs a teaching job recruitment website called Teach in Alabama, which allows users to browse available positions and apply online. Positions can be filtered by school district or board district and tracked through an online account. Additionally, the Alabama Department of Education participates in the Troops to Teachers program, which helps veterans find work as educators in Alabama schools.

Learn more about finding a teaching job on Teach.com.

Average teacher salaries in Alabama range from around $50,370 depending on grade level, according to 2019 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Pay levels increase with higher levels of education as well as with every three years of experience. Teacher incentives in Alabama are primarily handled at the district level. Some federal student loan forgiveness is offered to teachers willing to work in high-need schools.

Learn more about teacher salaries on Teach.com.

Retirement benefits for teachers in Alabama are handled by the Teachers’ Retirement System (TRS). Retirement planning information as well as retirement and social security calculators can be found on the TRS website.

Learn more about benefits for teachers on Teach.com

Life SkillsTeacher Shortage information was provided by the U.S. Department of Education’s Teacher Shortage Areas Nationwide Listings for 2020–2021, and was determined by examining the most recent data about unfilled teaching positions; positions filled by teachers certified by irregular, provisional, temporary, or emergency certification; and teachers teaching in subject areas other than their area of preparation.

As of August 2011, professional development and evaluation in Alabama is handled by EDUCATEAlabama. EDUCATEAlabama features a set of teacher evaluations as well as online developmental resources to build upon on-site development days.

A master’s degree in the field of education may give you more knowledge and skills to use in the classroom, ultimately enabling you to become the best teacher you can be. Teachers in Alabama who hold a master’s earn about $7,000 more per year than those who hold a bachelor’s, according to the Alabama DOE.

Learn more about the benefits of a Master of Arts in Teaching vs. Master of Education on Teach.com.