How To Become A Computer Teacher

If you want to impart your knowledge and expertise about computers to students, you can consider a career as a computer teacher. You will have the opportunity to teach students in the elementary, high school and college levels about the interesting world of computers. You will be providing instruction on computer software and hardware following a curriculum as well as providing the needed activities and materials to enhance learning. In addition to giving computer lectures to students, you will also be given the responsibility of ensuring that the computer lab is well-maintained and the programs up-to-date.

If you are teaching elementary and high school students, a lot of patience and resourcefulness is needed. Good communication skills and creativity will help your students learn computer concepts more effectively. College level computer teachers, on the other hand, will need to ensure that their knowledge is constantly fresh and updated since there is a possibility that older students are themselves well-versed on computer programs and have most likely already learned how to code.

Why Become A Computer Teacher

Computer teachers have a passion to share their knowledge about this technology with others. The satisfaction that can be learned from knowing that you are instrumental in bringing this relatively new subject to students who would someday be able to make a new discovery that would help mankind is priceless. Teaching is generally a stable career and computer teachers are also paid relatively well—two good reasons to go into this profession.

Computer Teacher Work Environment

Computer teachers generally hold lessons in the computer laboratory which is quite comfortable. They may be required to give anywhere from 12 to 16 hours of classroom lectures a week if they are employed for the school fulltime. If they are not teaching and preparing lesson plans, they may perform inventory and maintenance duties on the equipment in the computer lab. They may also need to meet with students, parents and fellow teachers to discuss a student’s progress and other concerns.

Computer Teacher Salary

The May 2013 Occupational Employment and Wages report of the US Bureau of Labor Statistics revealed that secondary school teachers, including computer teachers, were paid a mean annual wage of $58,260 while elementary school teachers received $56,320. Postsecondary computer science teachers received much higher pay of $80,990 annually.

Average Computer Teacher Annual Salary

$91,590

The average annual salary for computer teachers is $91,590 a year. Salaries start at $41,270 a year and go up to $159,180 a year.

Stats were based out of 32,230 employed computer teachers in the United States.

Highest Paying States For Computer Teachers

1. Rhode Island $134,360 / yr
2. District of Columbia $123,000 / yr
3. California $113,710 / yr
4. Ohio $111,090 / yr
5. Maryland $108,450 / yr

Top Paying Cities For Computer Teachers

1. College Station, TX $156,200 / yr
2. Ithaca, NY $146,940 / yr
3. Providence, RI $128,590 / yr
4. Camden, NJ $127,730 / yr
5. Durham, NC $125,840 / yr

Data provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Computer Teacher Career Outlook

The employment rate of high school teachers is going to be 6 percent from the ten-year period covering 2012 to 2022, a rate that is slower than the average rate of all occupations. This is the opposite of the outlook of postsecondary teachers which is expected to grow 19 percent in the same time period, a rate which is faster than the average for all occupations. Both fulltime and part-time teachers are covered in this estimate.

Computer Teacher Degree

Computer teachers typically hold a bachelor’s degree in computer science. Those who teach in public schools will need to be licensed by the state—a requirement that is not necessary to those who teach in private schools. Meanwhile, computer teachers who wish to teach in college are usually required to obtain a higher degree before they can be hired by universities and colleges.