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Home · Careers · Education & Research

School Teacher

Education & Research

Teach Class 1-12 students at govt or private schools. CTET/TET qualification mandatory.

What they actually do

Teach a subject (or be a primary class teacher) at a school. Govt school teachers have stronger job security but transferable postings; private school teachers have urban concentration but pay-rate variance.

A typical day

  • Classroom teaching (5-6 periods/day)
  • Lesson planning + assignment correction
  • Parent-teacher meetings + reports
  • Co-curricular activities + invigilation
  • Continuous professional development (mandatory)

How to become a School Teacher

3 viable paths.

  • Class 12 → BEd/DEd → CTET/TET → Govt school

    Most common for govt schools. CTET for central schools, state TETs for state schools.

    CTET →Various state TETs →
  • Bachelor's + BEd → Private school

    Private schools hire on BEd + subject-specialist degrees; no TET requirement.

  • Postgrad → KVS/NVS PGT/TGT

    For Class 11-12 teaching (PGT) or Class 6-10 (TGT). Specific KVS/NVS recruitment exams.

Qualifications

  • BEd (mandatory for govt schools)
  • Bachelor's (subject) for secondary teaching
  • Master's + BEd for PGT (Class 11-12)
  • CTET / state TET (for govt jobs)

Skills that matter

  • Subject mastery
  • Classroom management
  • Lesson design + pedagogy
  • Patience + empathy
  • Digital literacy (post-pandemic)

Salary bands by experience

Wide bands — real salary depends on city, employer, performance. Pick the midpoint for planning.

  • Govt school (start)₹4 - ₹7 LPA

    7th CPC scale, state cadre. Plus DA + HRA. KVS PGT slightly higher.

  • Private school (start)₹2 - ₹6 LPA

    Wide variance — tier-3 city ₹2-3L, top metro schools ₹6L+.

  • 10 yr govt₹8 - ₹13 LPA
  • Senior + private school principal₹15 - ₹40 LPA

    International school principals can hit ₹40L+.

Career growth + employers

Teacher → Senior Teacher → HOD/Subject Head → Vice Principal → Principal

Top employers (informational, not endorsement)

  • KVS, NVS, Sainik Schools (central govt)
  • State govt schools (UP, MH, KA, TN etc.)
  • DPS, DAV, KV chains (large private)
  • Cambridge/IB international schools

Honest pros + cons

Pros

  • Strong job security in govt sector
  • Pension + DA benefits substantial
  • Holidays + summer break unlike most jobs
  • Direct impact + societal respect

Cons

  • Mid-career pay flat in private sector
  • Bureaucracy frustrating in govt
  • Classroom strength 40+ stressful
  • Salaries lag CS/finance heavily

Demand outlook

Stable in govt; mixed in private. Govt school teacher shortage acute in many states.

Related careers

  • College Professor (Assistant Professor → Full Professor)

    Teach + research at undergraduate / postgraduate level. UGC NET-JRF or PhD entry.

  • PhD Researcher / Scientist

    Doctoral research in academia or national labs. UGC-NET / CSIR / GATE entry. Long-horizon.

Relevant exams

  • CTET
  • UP UPTET
  • TN TET
  • BR TET
  • MP TET
  • RJ REET