How to Become an Art Teacher: Requirements, Salary & Jobs
The traditional path to becoming an art teacher is a bachelor's degree in art education or a related field, a state-approved teacher preparation program, supervised student teaching, and passing scores on your state's licensure exams. Alternative or provisional pathways also exist in many states, though the requirements vary.
An art teacher does more than teach students how to draw. The job covers everything from mixing basic colors with kindergartners to walking high schoolers through art history and portfolio-ready techniques, and it takes both artistic skill and a state teaching credential to do it in a public school. The traditional path is a bachelor's degree, an approved teacher prep program, supervised student teaching, and passing your state's licensure exams, though alternative and provisional pathways exist and their requirements vary by state.
The rewards of the job are tied closely to the students. An art class often gives kids an outlet they don't get anywhere else in the school day, especially the ones who struggle with more traditional subjects. The job outlook for art teachers runs a bit behind teaching overall, since art programs are some of the first things cut when a district's budget gets tight, but it holds steady in charter and private schools where the curriculum has more room to breathe. Like most careers in education, the tradeoffs are real, but so is the chance to shape how kids see and make things.
What Does an Art Teacher Do?
An art teacher plans lessons, demonstrates technique, and gives students the room to develop their own artistic voice, then grades and critiques the results like any other subject.
Qualities of an Art Teacher
An art teacher needs to be comfortable showing their own work in front of a room of students who are learning to do the same. That means teaching the basics, then pushing students to take a technique further than the textbook version.
Patience matters more here than in most subjects. Art asks students to try things that feel uncomfortable at first: showing an unfinished piece, taking a critique, starting over. An art teacher has to make that safe enough to attempt.
A working knowledge of visual and graphic media matters too. Students today expect exposure to more than paint and pencil, and an art teacher who's only ever taught traditional media will find that gap shows up fast.
Daily Responsibilities
Beyond the art itself, an art teacher carries the same day-to-day load as any other classroom teacher: hallway or bus duty, attendance, behavior management, lesson planning, and grading. The one real difference is that art isn't tested as a core subject on state standardized tests, which changes how the class gets prioritized at the school level but not how much work it takes to run well.
What Are the Requirements to Become an Art Teacher?
Education Requirements
The standard path is a bachelor's degree in education with a specialty in art, from a program accredited by your state's approving body. Most of these programs are dual-track: you finish with both the degree and the teaching certificate in hand, which means you can start applying for jobs immediately.
Beyond studio art and art history, expect coursework in child development, educational technology, and teaching methods, plus required observation hours and student teaching built into the degree. Exact requirements vary by program, but the dual degree-and-certificate structure is standard.
Tests and Certification Exams
Some states or preparation pathways require a basic-skills assessment or another demonstration of basic competency, such as a qualifying ACT/SAT score or GPA threshold. Some states also require an art content assessment and/or other educator assessments, depending on the state and the grade band you plan to teach. Exam names, numbers, and pass requirements are set by the state, not the program: Texas art teachers, for example, take the TExES Art EC-12 (178) as part of their certification pathway. Required assessments vary by state, credential, and pathway, so confirm current exam requirements with your state's educator-licensing agency.
Alternative Certification Routes
Some states offer alternative or provisional pathways for candidates who hold a bachelor's degree in art or a related field but not a traditional teacher preparation credential. The structure of these pathways, what they require, and whether they lead to full licensure vary substantially by state, so confirm the specifics with your state's educator-licensing agency before assuming a path applies to you.
Find Information About Becoming a Teacher In Your State
Each state has different requirements for becoming a certified teacher. To find out specific requirements, click on your state.
For a closer look at how these steps play out in practice, see the certification guides for How to Become a Teacher in Hawaii and How to Become a Teacher in Alaska.
Who Will My Students Be?
Art teachers can teach anywhere from kindergarten through 12th grade, but the job looks different at each level.
Elementary School Art Teachers
Some elementary schools staff a dedicated art teacher who serves the whole school, seeing each class two or three times a week. Others have one art teacher travel between multiple buildings. The students are there because the class is required, not because they chose it, so building genuine interest is part of the job.
Related: Elementary School Teacher
Middle School and High School Art Teachers
Art is usually an elective at the middle and high school level, which changes who's in the room: some students chose to be there, others were placed in the class because another elective filled up. High schoolers who elect into art tend to already know more than the basics and want to go further with it.
Related: Middle School Teacher and High School Teacher
Where Can Certified Art Teachers Teach?
Public Schools
Public school art teachers usually see the widest range of student ability and background, and are most often placed at the middle or high school level. Public schools are tuition-free and subject to state testing standards, though that has limited effect on art specifically since it isn't a tested subject.
Private Schools
Private school students are there because their families are paying tuition, which often means a more defined curriculum with required topics. Some private schools carry a religious or mission-based affiliation that shapes what and how art gets taught.
Charter Schools
Charter and magnet schools sometimes build their whole identity around the arts, which means a more developed, specialized art curriculum and a student body that opted in for exactly that. Charter schools are tuition-free like public schools, but since they aren't run by the district, the curriculum has more room to vary school to school.
Once you're certified, Search Teaching Jobs Nationwide for open art positions across public, private, and charter schools.
What Is the Salary for an Art Teacher?
The BLS doesn't track "art teacher" as its own occupation, so the closest verified figures come from the grade-band categories art teachers actually work in: elementary, middle, and high school. As of May 2025, elementary school teachers earned a median annual wage of $63,970, middle school teachers earned $64,390, and high school teachers earned $72,170, according to BLS Educational Services industry data.
| Grade Level | Median Annual Wage | Job Growth (2024-2034) |
|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers | $63,970 | -2% |
| Middle School Teachers | $64,390 | -2% |
| Secondary (High) School Teachers | $72,170 | -1.6% |
Employment in all three grade bands is projected to decline slightly through 2034, but Projections Central still counts roughly 91,000 elementary, 40,500 middle school, and 66,200 high school teaching openings every year, driven by retirements and turnover rather than new positions. That's a real number of jobs even on a flat-to-shrinking occupation.
Read more about a teacher's salary and the benefits that typically come with it.
Art Teacher Organizations & Associations
National Art Education Association (NAEA): the leading professional membership organization for visual arts educators at the elementary, middle, and high school level.
DESIGN-ED: a network of K-12 teachers, administrators, universities, designers, and institutions focused on design education.
Arts Education Data Toolkit: a set of resources from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Education Commission of the States, built to help stakeholders report on arts education data.
Arts Education Partnership (AEP): a national network of more than 100 organizations, supported by the National Endowment for the Arts and the U.S. Department of Education since 1995.
College Art Association (CAA): a career and professional development organization open to anyone with an interest in art, art history, or a related discipline.
Americans for the Arts: an organization supporting arts networks and individuals across the country.
International Society for Education Through Art (InSEA): a nonprofit advancing creative education through art, design, and crafts to build international understanding.
Frequently Asked Questions
What degree do you need to become an art teacher?
Most states require a bachelor's degree in art education, fine arts, or education with an art specialty, completed through a state-approved teacher preparation program. Many programs combine the degree and teaching certificate into a single track, so you finish with both at once.
What are the art teacher requirements for certification?
Certification requirements vary by state but generally include a bachelor's degree and an approved teacher prep program with supervised student teaching. Required assessments vary by state, credential, and pathway, so check with your state's educator-licensing agency for current exam requirements.
Can you become an art teacher without a teaching degree?
In many states, yes. Alternative or provisional pathways exist for candidates who hold a bachelor's degree in art or a related field but not a traditional teacher preparation credential. The structure and whether it leads to full licensure depend heavily on the state, so verify the path with your state's educator-licensing agency.
How much does an art teacher make?
The BLS doesn't report a separate wage for "art teacher," but the grade-band figures apply: as of May 2025, elementary teachers earned a median of $63,970, middle school teachers $64,390, and high school teachers $72,170 annually, according to BLS Educational Services industry data.
What grade levels can an art teacher teach?
Art teachers can work anywhere from kindergarten through 12th grade. Elementary art teachers often serve an entire school or travel between buildings, while middle and high school art teachers usually teach it as an elective with a more self-selected group of students.
- Degree and credential come first - a bachelor's degree in art education or a related field, through a state-approved teacher prep program, is the standard entry point.
- Required exams vary by state - assessments depend on your state, credential, and pathway, with exact names and passing scores set by your state's educator-licensing agency, not by this guide.
- Alternative pathways exist but vary widely - some states offer alternative or provisional routes for art-degree holders without a traditional teaching credential, but the structure and requirements differ substantially state to state.
- Pay tracks grade level, not subject - the BLS reports wages by grade band, not by "art teacher," so use the elementary, middle, or high school figure that matches where you'll teach.
- The job outlook is flat, not growing - art teacher employment moves with general K-12 hiring, which is projected to decline slightly, though real openings still come from retirements and turnover every year.
2025 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary figures for Kindergarten and Elementary School Teachers, Middle School Teachers, and High School 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.
Every state runs its own certification process, and the sponsored programs listed here include both traditional art education degrees and alternative routes for career-changers who already have a background in art. Comparing a few side by side is worth doing before you commit to one.