How does the job market look for teachers right now? Specifically teaching history at the high school level?

Question

I am currently a history major at a junior college with aspirations of transferring to cal state long beach and eventually becoming a teacher at the high school level. This is totally what i want to do, but i want to be aware of the difficulties facing teachers today.

Answer 1

In California we are actually laying teachers off because of our perpetual budget short falls.

Answer 2

The bad news is history/social studies teachers are a dime a dozen.  The good news is many are retiring in the next few years, so the field should open up.  Whether it opens up enough in the next 2 to 3 years in order to benefit you and your timeline, that remains to be seen.

Be flexible about where you are willing to go.  You may have to go where the jobs are, and it may not be CA.  Good luck.

Answer 3

Don't go to CA. You get paid absolutely nothing. My teachers are always complaining about how they can barely afford to live here. Some teachers even had to move away to Oregon and places like that because the cost of living was too high. Also, history seems to be a subject that most teachers can teach considerably well so many of them do not get fired and there usually isn't a problem with the department. I don't think history is a highly needy subject. However, one history teacher that I know of did get hired at my friend's school.

Answer 4

History has never been a really high needed area.  Science, math, library, and special education are the areas that are the most in need of teachers and if you have one of those areas of certification you should be able to get a job rather easily.

Answer 5

While looking through the classified section, I noticed a few History Teachers needed in the Richmond, VA area.  VA is well known for having some of the best schools in the country, so I'm sure you'd get paid pretty well.  In fact, I saw one listing for a teacher, salary in the 40K range.

Answer 6

I live in Texas and the job market for history teachers is not that good. I having trouble and I teach a high needs area. History will never be a high needs area. I have heard california is hit or miss. Those that hire new teachers are bad schools but, you can survive if you play thier game.