What is a math teacher and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted Expert

Dr. Diana Jones

A math teacher specializes in teaching mathematical concepts to students. They plan and deliver lessons, create assessments, and provide feedback to students. Math teachers use strategies including lectures, demonstrations, group work, and problem-solving activities to encourage participation and learning. They also monitor student progress and provide individualized instruction to support struggling students. Moreover, math teachers may collaborate with educators and participate in professional development to enhance their skills and stay up-to-date with the latest trends.

What general advice would you give to a Math Teacher?

Dr. Diana Jones

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.

ScoreMath TeacherUS Average

Salary

4.0

Avg. Salary $51,088

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

8.4

Growth Rate 5%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

4.7

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.46%

Asian 3.61%

Black or African American 8.15%

Hispanic or Latino 11.84%

Unknown 3.97%

White 71.98%

Gender

female 53.03%

male 46.97%

Age - 43

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 - 43

Stress Level

8.4

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

8.3

Complexity Level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

5.9

Work Life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a Math Teacher?

Pros

Job security and stability
Competitive salary and benefits
Flexibility in scheduling and classroom management
Potential for summers off or reduced workload during breaks
Chance to explore different teaching approaches and methods

Cons

Heavy workload with lesson planning, grading, and student management
Challenging and often stressful work environment
High expectations from administration, parents, and students
Potential for burnout due to long hours and emotional demands of teaching
Limited opportunities for salary growth or advancement beyond leadership roles

Key steps to become a math teacher

Explore math teacher education requirements

Most common math teacher degrees

Bachelor's

72.0 %

Master's

20.5 %

Associate

3.6 %

Start to develop specific math teacher skills

Skills	Percentages
Math	32.01%
Classroom Management	12.36%
Student Learning	5.39%
Instructional Materials	3.62%
Public Schools	3.57%

Complete relevant math teacher training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New math teachers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a math teacher based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real math teacher resumes.

Research math teacher duties and responsibilities

Lead professional development for colleagues on integrating graphing calculators into the curriculum.
Utilize cooperative learning techniques and provide individualized instruction in the field of pre-algebra and middle grade mathematics.
Provide students with high quality teaching of math subject utilizing state standards, course overviews accelerate mathematics curriculum program.
Plan and teach lessons for 6th grade mathematics and 7th grade Pre-Algebra.

Prepare your math teacher resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your math 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 math 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 Math Teacher Resume templates

Build a professional Math Teacher resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Math Teacher resume.

Apply for math teacher jobs

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

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

How do math teachers rate their job?

4.5/5

Based On 2 Ratings

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

Math Teacher reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2022

Pros

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

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

A zippia user wrote a review on Apr 2021

Pros

I enjoy teaching or giving knowledge to the children.

Cons

The educational system is very flawed, poor administration who don’t put children and learning first but their own self-interests. I don’t like how many school systems have handled the pandemic, total disregard for safety.

5.0

A zippia user wrote a review on Apr 2021

Pros

Train and teach student's mind that Math is fun

Cons

Easy application of technology to mathematics subjects

What is a math teacher and how to become one

What general advice would you give to a Math Teacher?

What are the pros and cons of being a Math Teacher?

Math Teacher career paths

Key steps to become a math teacher

Explore math teacher education requirements

Most common math teacher degrees

Start to develop specific math teacher skills

Complete relevant math teacher training and internships

Research math teacher duties and responsibilities

Prepare your math teacher resume

Choose From 10+ Customizable Math Teacher Resume templates

Apply for math teacher jobs

How Did You Land Your First Math Teacher Job

Average math teacher salary

How do math teachers rate their job?

Math Teacher reviews

Math Teacher jobs by state