School education
Elementary school teacher
Plan lessons, teach foundational subjects and assess student learning while working with families and school teams.
BLS · May 2025
EDUCATION & ENTRY
Teacher preparation + required teaching license
Choose an approved preparation route for the grade levels and endorsement you want. Supervised teaching, assessments and licensing steps are separate from simply earning any bachelor’s degree. Special education has additional preparation.
The state’s typical entry education classification is “Bachelor's degree.” This describes the occupation broadly; employers, programs and licensing bodies set specific requirements.
CONNECT THE CAREER TO A PLACE TO LEARN
Oregon training options
These are related routes to investigate. Confirm the full preparation, current admissions and eligibility for your intended role with the provider.
Linfield University
Elementary Education
Prepare to teach elementary-age learners through education coursework and supervised classroom experience.
Ask: When would student teaching begin, and what screening, assessment and endorsement steps must I complete?
Program page reviewed September 15, 2026
Eastern Oregon University
Elementary Education
Applicants must first be accepted to EOU and then complete the teacher-preparation application. Confirm the current cohort deadline and location of supervised classroom experiences.
Ask: Which preparation, timetable and complete budget apply to my Elementary Education plan?
Program page reviewed September 15, 2026
Southern Oregon University
Education Studies
Students complete general education and preparation before the professional education sequence. The route supports an Oregon preliminary teaching-license application, subject to all current requirements.
Ask: Which preparation, timetable and complete budget apply to my Education Studies plan?
Program page reviewed September 15, 2026
Take this question to a counselor.
Would I enjoy planning learning activities, managing a classroom and helping children with different needs?
Before choosing a program, ask for prerequisites, the complete timeline, class and placement schedules, and a full cost estimate including supplies, exams, travel and living expenses.
Build a working cost estimate →Understand the numbers.
The median is the midpoint of estimated wages for Oregon workers in this occupation. An hourly median is not published. These figures describe workers across experience levels; they are not starting pay or the earnings of graduates from the programs below.
Oregon projects employment moving from 12,838 jobs in 2024 to 12,645 in 2034. The projected 8,290 openings over the decade include growth and replacement needs as workers leave an occupation. Dividing that total by ten gives the rounded annual average shown above. These are projections, not today’s vacancies.
How to read wage information →