Become a Teacher in Oklahoma

Oklahoma Teaching Jobs

The Oklahoma State Department of Education websites hosts a page advertising jobs in the state. The Oklahoma Employment Security Commission also directs users looking for work to OKJobMatch, which includes teaching positions. Similarly, the Oklahoma State School Boards Association Hiring Consortium lists statewide jobs in education online.

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

Oklahoma Teacher Salary and Incentives

With an average public school teacher salary of $45,292, Oklahoma ranks 50th among states for educator compensation, according to The National Education Society. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the average school teacher in Oklahoma makes $45,245. For more information, consult the Oklahoma State Department of Education, which publishes its salary schedule for teachers online.

Learn more about teacher salaries on Teach.com.

Oklahoma Teacher Benefits and Retirement

The Oklahoma Teachers Retirement System is responsible for retirement benefits for educators in the state. Additional benefits vary within the state, usually by district. For example, Tulsa Public Schools offer health insurance, life insurance, disability, paid time off, retirement benefits and more. Oklahoma public school teachers also have around 17 weeks of vacation, as well as three to four years to tenure for those on the tenure track.

Learn more about benefits for teachers on Teach.com.

Oklahoma Teacher Shortage Areas

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 Oklahoma for the 2017-18 school year as reported by the U.S. Department of Education. ( see page 65)

Financial Aid in Oklahoma

There are several forms of aid available to teachers pursuing their Master’s in Teaching. The TEACH Grant, for example, offers financial aid in return for teaching full time in a high-need field at a low-income school for at least four academic years. Similarly, the Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program allows teachers to teach full-time at a low-income school for five years in exchange for forgiveness of up to $17,500 of student loans. The college or university where you plan to attain your master’s degree may also offer its own aid.

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

Professional Development for Oklahoma Teachers

The Oklahoma State Department of Education hosts a variety of professional development resources, programs and events that cover a range of topics, from classroom excellence to advanced placement to summer education.

Benefits of a Master's Degree in Oklahoma

Public school teachers are generally not required to have a master's degree,, but educators across the country are realizing more and more the value of an advanced degree. It’s never a bad idea to go to graduate school, whether you’re pursuing a master's degree.

Since the No Child Left Behind and the Every Student Succeeds Acts, greater emphasis has been placed on teacher performance, teacher qualification and the results teachers achieve in the classroom. A master’s degree can carry a lot of weight in the new teaching job market, and those who have their master’s degrees are regarded as experts in their field.

Teachers with a master’s degree are more likely to be hired, promoted, and better compensated for their work. In Oklahoma, teachers with their master’s degree begin their careers making $1,200 more than teachers holding only their bachelor’s, according to the State Minimum Salary Schedule.

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