What is a bilingual teacher and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
Quoted Expert
Dr. Diana Jones

Children who are fluent in more than one language and culture have a significant advantage in today's interconnected world, which is why so many institutions encourage bilingual education. If you know two or more languages and love assisting young people in their learning, you should consider becoming a bilingual teacher.

A bilingual teacher is usually responsible for a class of students learning a second language. As a Bilingual teacher who speaks a student's original language, you can provide tailored education that other monolingual teachers cannot provide in school districts with a high population of second language Learners.

As a bilingual teacher, your employer will expect you to have a bachelor's degree in education or a related discipline, especially ones related to the second language you intend to teach. You must be fluent in English and at least one more language, easy to talk to, and interested in interacting with people from diverse backgrounds. You can earn between $30,970 to $34,280 in this position.

What general advice would you give to a Bilingual Teacher?

D

Dr. Diana JonesDr. Diana Jones LinkedIn Profile

Chair, Department of Kinesiology, Anderson University

General advice: I would encourage graduates to find a mentor who can guide them in their careers, stay on top of the latest technology, not be too hard on themselves, be flexible, be team players, be present, and care about their students.
ScoreBilingual TeacherUS Average
Salary
4.0

Avg. Salary $51,770

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level
7.6

Growth Rate 4%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity
5.7
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.53%

Asian 3.84%

Black or African American 7.68%

Hispanic or Latino 14.03%

Unknown 3.96%

White 69.98%

Gender

female 71.05%

male 28.95%

Age - 42
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 42
Stress Level
7.6

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level
8.5

Complexity Level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance
4.3

Work Life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Bilingual Teacher career paths

Key steps to become a bilingual teacher

  1. Explore bilingual teacher education requirements

    Most common bilingual teacher degrees

    Bachelor's

    66.5 %

    Master's

    22.9 %

    Associate

    5.6 %
  2. Start to develop specific bilingual teacher skills

    Skills
    ascdesc
    Percentages
    ascdesc
    Instructional Materials12.98%
    English Language12.76%
    Classroom Management11.76%
    Public Schools9.20%
    Bilingual Education7.61%
  3. Research bilingual teacher duties and responsibilities

    • Guide and supervise this year's mathematics vertical curriculum alignment and curriculum mapping project across all grade levels.
    • Participate in IEP meetings with students and parents to discuss student growth and accommodations on a weekly basis.
    • Challenge students to master basic math concepts through implementation of manipulative, graphing, charting, and creative writing exercises.
    • Work cooperatively with other teachers to modify the curriculum as needed to help support the needs of students with an IEP.
  4. Prepare your bilingual teacher resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your bilingual teacher resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a bilingual teacher resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose From 10+ Customizable Bilingual Teacher Resume templates

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  5. Apply for bilingual teacher jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a bilingual teacher job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How Did You Land Your First Bilingual Teacher Job

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Are you a Bilingual Teacher?

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Average bilingual teacher salary

The average Bilingual Teacher salary in the United States is $51,770 per year or $25 per hour. Bilingual teacher salaries range between $41,000 and $64,000 per year.

Average Bilingual Teacher Salary
$51,770 Yearly
$24.89 hourly

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How do bilingual teachers rate their job?

-/5

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Bilingual Teacher reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2023
Pros

The kids light up my days.

Cons

The demand and low pay. Teachers have families, too.


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2022
Pros

You got to work with learners who will love you unconditionally. It gives a great satisfaction to be able to help them. I love learners with Special Needs and I am a Mom of one.

Cons

I can't say, maybe because there is none.


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2022
Cons

Administration, observations, being told what to teach and HOW to teach it, expecting us to participate in things we might not want to or have the time for, staff meetings with no substance

Pros

Kids, teaching lessons, co-teachers, hours, weekends off, salary, holidays off, summers off, paid sick and personal days


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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