Secondary Teachers

Teaching Careers in Secondary Schools

Secondary schools in BC public education are typically organized to begin at grade 8. In most cases, the teachers are hired to teach in particular subject areas and will teach these subjects to a number of grade levels. In very small and rural settings, secondary teachers may teach a number of subjects.

In addition to traditional classroom jobs, BC public education offers a wide range of alternative teaching positions. Each of the districts offers unique experiences tailored to their own students’ needs. These include interesting and alternate settings for students to get their secondary education.

Certification and Qualification Details

All teachers in BC Education must be certified to teach with the Ministry of Education’s Teacher Regulation Branch.

Sometimes, when a certified teacher cannot be hired, a letter of permission may be obtained. These letters of permission allow an individual to teach within the BC education system for up to one year without their certification.

Teacher Salary

BC teachers are paid an annual salary according to their assigned TQS category/level. This category is determined by the Teacher Qualification Service (TQS), the agency responsible for evaluating a teacher’s qualifications and years of education for salary purposes.

Depending on a teacher’s level of experience, and their district of employment, their salary may fall below or above these ranges. Below is an average minimum and maximum salary range for each TQS category.

Remote and Rural Allowance

There are some additional allowances paid to some teachers in certain districts. In many districts, allowances are paid to teachers who hold positions of special responsibility, such as a department head, head teacher, teacher in charge, or teacher coordinator.

In addition, teachers in some districts are paid a remote and rural allowance to aid in the recruiting efforts of districts in remote communities and to recognize the difficulty of working in a remote community. The allowance is $2,947 per FTE annually as of July 1, 2023. When paid monthly, for example, a full-time continuing employee would receive an additional allowance of $294 per month for 10 months or $245 per month for 12 months. Teachers on call (TOCs) are not eligible to receive this allowance.

To view districts’ individual salary grids and determine which offer these allowances, check out the Salary Finder tool.

Training and Educational Programs

To prepare teachers for the classroom, teacher education programs include theoretical coursework and an in-school practicum experience component. The length of training to prepare a teacher for the public school system ranges from one to two years, depending on the program.

Start your secondary teaching career by enrolling in a teacher education training program at one of these BC universities.

Employment Opportunities

Find senior and secondary school teacher jobs on Makeafuture.ca under the ‘teachers and administrators’ position category.

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