Become a Teacher in Maryland

To earn your Maryland teaching credential, you will have to complete the required amount of undergraduate coursework and standardized tests, as well as an accredited certification program. Maryland offers four levels of certification for graduates of traditional teacher preparation programs:

Learn more about getting your teaching credential on Teach.com.

Maryland offers alternative teacher preparation at the county and city level, which means there are many different programs available throughout the state. These programs are compiled in the Maryland Approved Alternative Teacher Preparation Programs Directory which is consistently updated by the department of education. Teachers in alternative preparation programs are issued a Resident Teacher Certificate, which is valid for two years.

Interstate reciprocity is a program that allows teachers certified in one state to teach in another state. To find out which other state teaching licenses can be used in Maryland, visit the Teach.com reciprocity page. Or, for more specific questions about your situation, contact the Maryland State Department of Education.

To find out what other state teaching licenses can be used in Maryland, check out our Teacher Certification Reciprocity page on Teach.com.

The Maryland Department of Education posts some teaching jobs on their site. Job seekers can also go to use the Maryland page on SchoolSpring to find in-state teaching jobs. in state. Learn more about finding a teaching job.

Learn more about finding a teaching job on Teach.com.

In Maryland, teachers earned an average of $73,000 to $75,000 in 2018 depending on grade level, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Maryland is one of the highest paying states to teach in and provides additional pay support to teachers working in high-needs schools and shortage subjects. Salary schedules are left up to individual school districts. An example of a salary schedule can be found on Montgomery County Public Schools website.

Learn more about teacher salaries on Teach.com.

Teachers in Maryland public schools become vested in the pension system after five years of service. Employees must work at least 50% of the work week to be eligible for benefits. Teachers in Maryland can retire with full benefits at age 62 with at least five years of service, or at age 55 with 25 years of service for reduced benefits. Additional benefits include multiple healthcare plans, compensation plans, tuition reimbursement, and paid annual, personal, and sick leave. For more information, visit the Maryland State Retirement and Pension System or by going to Teach.com the online Maryland’s Public School Teacher Benefit Summary.

Learn more about benefits for teachers on Teach.com.

A teacher shortage occurs when there are not enough teachers in key subject areas, which has been partly caused by years of teacher layoffs during the Great Recession, a growing student population and fewer people entering teacher preparation programs, according to the Learning Policy Institute.

The following is a list of teacher shortage areas in Maryland for the 2020-21 school year as reported by the U.S. Department of Education.

Maryland residents are eligible for the Applegate/Jackson/Parks Future Teacher Scholarship as well as the TEACH Grant, a grant which gives financial aid to students in return for an agreement to teach in a high-need school.

Learn more about how to finance your Master’s degree on Teach.com.

Maryland’s Professional Development Advisory Council (PDAC) recognizes the importance of professional development to improve public education. The council aims to standardize policies and programs and the local and state level. Teachers can currently participate in a variety of conferences and workshops, or take online courses over the summer.

It is no longer enough to only have many years of experience teaching. After No Child Left Behind and other academic quantification measures, teachers are almost solely being evaluated by their success in the classroom.  A master’s degree in the field of education will give you more educational theory and classroom skills, as well as more hands-on student teaching experience with a mentor.

After a master’s program, you may be able to achieve better results in the classroom, which has the potential to lead to higher pay. Teachers may earn significantly more with a master’s degree, depending on the county, according to the state department of education.

Learn more about the benefits of a Master of Arts in Teaching vs. Master of Education on Teach.com.