Salary

• The average salary for a secondary school teacher was $55,150 a year as of May 2009, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The median salary for this position was $52,200 for the same time period. When comparing this salary to those offered by other types of jobs, keep in mind that high school science teachers work nine to 10 months a year.
  
  Teachers in different parts of the country can expect different levels of pay. Those looking to maximize income potential should head to New York state, where teaching salaries top $68,000 on average. Illinois and Alaska offer the second highest pay levels, with average salaries exceeding $67,000. However, you must factor in the cost of living to get a true picture of how much your money will buy.
  
  

Certification and Advancement

• All 50 states require secondary school teachers to obtain state licensing prior to working in a public school setting, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Those who wish to increase their salary potential can pursue a master's degree or other advanced education beyond the bachelor's degree required for licensing. High school science teachers also can boost their earnings by acting as a mentor or coach within the school system, or by teaching or tutoring during the summer.
  
  

Job Outlook

• Jobs prospects for all secondary school teachers are expected to grow about as fast as the average rate for other industries through 2018. Math, science and special education positions offer the best chances to obtain a job, and open teaching positions tend to be easiest to find in urban or rural settings.
  
  

Considerations

• A widely debated issue in modern education is the concept of differential pay for teachers of some subjects. Proponents argue that math and science teachers are hard to find, and that many children aren't getting the best education in these subjects due to a lack of qualified teachers. One reason that fewer candidates choose to teach in these subjects is that they can earn higher salaries in other fields, even with the same basic skills and education. For example, according to the Washington State Institute for Public Policy, science teachers earned an average of $54,568 per year as of December 2008, while those in nonteaching fields earned $76,199 with the same credentials. This gap can grow to more than $27,000 after 10 years of experience.
  
  

Differential Pay

• To help reduce the salary gap between teaching and nonteaching positions in scientific fields, some states offer differential pay for teachers in these subjects. This means, for example, that science teachers will earn more than English or gym teachers within the same school or school system. As of December 2008, at least four states had some form of differential pay policy: California, Alaska, Louisiana and New York. In addition, some school districts or cities offer their own differential pay or special bonuses for science and math teachers.