# Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education

US SOC code 25-2022. Markdown version of https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/25-2022

Also called: Middle school teacher, MS teacher, Junior high teacher, Grade 6 teacher, Grade 7 teacher.

## In brief

In May 2025, [BLS](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) counted **620,090** US middle school teachers (except special and career/technical education), with median pay of **$64,370** a year. Of the BLS counts since 2012, the highest was **632,760**, in May 2015, close to the May 2025 count. The earliest figure here is [an estimate](https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d08/tables/dt08_032.asp) of **60,000** from 1920, not measured the same way as today's count. The last full technology era for middle school teachers: 1:1 Chromebook + Google Classroom, 2012 to 2020.

## What the sources say

### Official outlook

BLS projects little or no change in employment from 2025 to 2035 (-0.4%). Source: [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=25-2022&ioType=o).

### AI exposure studies

- **34.1%** of this job's tasks are exposed to large language models. Not a forecast of job losses. [Eloundou and others, 2023](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv)
- **0.17** estimated probability that the whole occupation could be computerised, over an unspecified number of years. Not a forecast of job losses. [Frey and Osborne, 2013](https://oms-www.files.svdcdn.com/production/downloads/academic/The_Future_of_Employment.pdf)

### Since the 2013 prediction

In 2013, Frey and Osborne put this job's probability of computerisation at 0.17. BLS counted **621,970** of these jobs in May 2013 and **620,090** in May 2025 (0%, a change derived by Future History).

Data as of BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35. BLS publishes these counts as yearly survey snapshots and cautions against reading them as a precise trend. In May 2021 BLS changed how it estimates these counts (a model-based method using three years of survey data) and moved fully to the 2018 occupation codes, so part of a change across 2021 can come from the method rather than the work.

## Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education employment and pay by year

- On record since: 1909
- Latest US employment: 620,090 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [3]
- Latest US median pay: $64,370 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [5]
- Outlook: -0.4% by 2035. Source: BLS Employment Projections 2025-35 [20]

### All 30 years of cited US data

| Year | US employment | Annual pay (median unless marked) | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1920 | 60,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., NCES [1] |
| 1950 | 130,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., NCES [1] |
| 1960 | n/a | $5,000 (estimate) | Est., NCES Digest Table (dt09\_078) [4] |
| 1970 | 280,000 (estimate) | $8,626 (estimate) | Est., NCES (employment) [2]; Est., NCES Digest Table (dt09\_078) (pay) [4] |
| 1980 | n/a | $15,970 (estimate) | Est., NCES Digest Table (dt09\_078) [4] |
| 1990 | 380,000 (estimate) | $31,367 (estimate) | Est., NCES (employment) [2]; Est., NCES Digest Table (dt09\_078) (pay) [4] |
| 2000 | n/a | $41,807 (estimate) | Est., NCES Digest Table (dt09\_078) [4] |
| 2003 | 604,370 | $42,450 | BLS OEWS May 2003 [3] |
| 2004 | 623,400 | $43,670 | BLS OEWS May 2004 [3] |
| 2005 | 637,340 | $44,640 | BLS OEWS May 2005 [3] |
| 2006 | 652,700 | $46,300 | BLS OEWS May 2006 [3] |
| 2007 | 652,560 | $47,900 | BLS OEWS May 2007 [3] |
| 2008 | 661,820 | $49,700 | BLS OEWS May 2008 [3] |
| 2009 | 665,420 | $50,770 | BLS OEWS May 2009 [3] |
| 2010 | 655,090 | $51,960 | BLS OEWS May 2010 [3] |
| 2011 | 642,820 | $53,130 | BLS OEWS May 2011 [3] |
| 2012 | 620,900 | $53,430 | BLS OEWS May 2012 [3] |
| 2013 | 621,970 | $53,940 | BLS OEWS May 2013 [3] |
| 2014 | 630,620 | $54,940 | BLS OEWS May 2014 [3] |
| 2015 | 632,760 | $55,860 | BLS OEWS May 2015 [3] |
| 2016 | 626,310 | $56,720 | BLS OEWS May 2016 [3] |
| 2017 | 622,340 | $57,720 | BLS OEWS May 2017 [3] |
| 2018 | 609,970 | $58,600 | BLS OEWS May 2018 [3] |
| 2019 | 622,330 | $59,660 | BLS OEWS May 2019 [3] |
| 2020 | 599,520 | $60,810 | BLS OEWS May 2020 [3] |
| 2021 | 592,000 | $61,320 | BLS OEWS May 2021 [3] |
| 2022 | 611,120 | $61,810 | BLS OEWS May 2022 [3] |
| 2023 | 626,690 | $64,290 | BLS OEWS May 2023 [3] |
| 2024 | 620,370 | $62,970 | BLS OEWS May 2024 [3] |
| 2025 | 620,090 | $64,370 | BLS OEWS May 2025 [3] |

## Sources (88)

### Employment series

1. [NCES — "Historical summary of public elementary and secondary school statistics: 1869-70 through 2005-06" (Digest of Education Statistics, Table 032; total instructional staff 678,000 in 1919-20)](https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d08/tables/dt08_032.asp), National Center for Education Statistics
2. [NCES — "Public and private elementary and secondary teachers, enrollment, pupil/teacher ratios: fall 1955 through fall 2022" (Table 208.20; total teachers ~2,292,000 in fall 1970)](https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d22/tables/dt22_208.20.asp), National Center for Education Statistics
3. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2024](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)

### Wage series

4. [NCES Digest Table (dt09\_078) — average annual salary of public elementary and secondary teachers: $4,995 in 1959-60. Junior high / middle school teachers (increasingly requiring secondary-level subject-matter credentials by this era) earned near or at the combined average.](https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d09/tables/dt09_078.asp), National Center for Education Statistics
5. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)
6. [BLS OEWS May 2024, national cross-industry estimates (flat file)](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

### Tool eras

7. [Wikipedia — Junior high school (history of the concept, 1909 Columbus OH first junior high)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junior_high_school), Wikipedia
8. [EdTech Magazine — "How Mimeographs Transformed Information Sharing in Schools"](https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2020/09/how-mimeographs-transformed-information-sharing-schools), EdTech Magazine
9. [Wikipedia — Middle school (history, Alexander 1963 conference, middle school movement)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_school), Wikipedia
10. [EdTech Magazine — "3M Overhead Projectors Began a New Era of Classroom Visual Aids"](https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2017/02/3m-overhead-projectors-began-new-era-classroom-visual-aids), EdTech Magazine
11. [Hack Education — "How Steve Jobs Brought the Apple II to the Classroom" (Kids Can't Wait program, 1983; Apple IIe in school labs)](http://hackeducation.com/2015/02/25/kids-cant-wait-apple), Hack Education
12. [Wikipedia — "No Child Left Behind Act" (signed January 8, 2002; annual testing grades 3-8)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_Child_Left_Behind_Act), Wikipedia
13. [NearHub — "When Did Smartboards Come Out? The Complete History (1991-Today)"](https://www.nearhub.us/blog/when-did-smartboards-come-out), NearHub
14. [Kajeet — "Why Chromebooks Have Expanded in K-12 Classrooms" (from \<1% to 58% of K-12 devices 2012-2016)](https://www.kajeet.com/en/blog/why-chromebooks-have-expanded-in-k-12-classrooms), Kajeet
15. [EPI — "The pandemic has exacerbated a long-standing national shortage of teachers" (2022)](https://www.epi.org/publication/shortage-of-teachers/), Economic Policy Institute
16. [NCES — National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 2022 Report Card (8th-grade math fell 8 points — largest decline in history of the assessment)](https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/reading/), National Center for Education Statistics / NAEP
17. [Khan Academy — Khanmigo: AI-powered tutoring and teaching assistant (launched March 2023, GPT-4 integration, middle-school-focused pilot)](https://www.khanacademy.org/khan-labs), Khan Academy
18. [Gallup / Walton Family Foundation — "Teaching for Tomorrow: Unlocking Six Weeks a Year With AI" (2025): 30% of teachers use AI weekly; weekly users save 5.9 hrs/week](https://news.gallup.com/poll/691967/three-teachers-weekly-saving-six-weeks-year.aspx), Gallup / Walton Family Foundation
19. [MagicSchool AI — Product overview: 3M+ teachers, 7+ hrs saved per week on lesson planning, rubrics, IEP goals, parent emails (2025)](https://www.magicschool.ai/), MagicSchool AI

### Forecasts and exposure studies

20. [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35, National Employment Matrix: 25-2022 Middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education (2025: 630.1 thousand; 2035: 627.4 thousand; -0.4%)](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=25-2022&ioType=o), Bureau of Labor Statistics
21. [Frey & Osborne (2013), "The Future of Employment: How Susceptible Are Jobs to Computerisation?", Appendix (SOC 25-2022 Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education: probability 0.17, rank 200 of 702)](https://oms-www.files.svdcdn.com/production/downloads/academic/The_Future_of_Employment.pdf), Oxford Martin School, University of Oxford
22. [Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin & Rock (2023), "GPTs are GPTs", occupation-level exposure data occ\_level.csv (O\*NET-SOC 25-2022.00, human-rated β 0.341)](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv), OpenAI

### Historical notes

23. [Wikipedia — Junior high school (first junior highs 1909, Columbus OH; historical development)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junior_high_school), Wikipedia
24. [Wikipedia — Middle school (Conant 1960 report as precursor to the middle school movement)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_school), Wikipedia
25. [Wikipedia — "A Nation at Risk" (April 1983, National Commission on Excellence in Education)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Nation_at_Risk), Wikipedia
26. [Wikipedia — "No Child Left Behind Act" (signed January 8, 2002; annual testing grades 3-8 mandate)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_Child_Left_Behind_Act), Wikipedia
27. [Wikipedia — "Common Core State Standards" (released June 2010; K-12 ELA and math standards)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Core_State_Standards), Wikipedia
28. [Khan Academy — Khanmigo (AI tutor and teaching assistant, GPT-4, announced March 2023)](https://www.khanacademy.org/khan-labs), Khan Academy
29. [BLS National Employment Matrix — 25-2022 Middle School Teachers (2024-34: -2%, 40,500 annual openings)](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=25-2022&ioType=o), Bureau of Labor Statistics

### Predecessors & successors

30. [Fiveable — "Horace Mann and the push for universal education" (Massachusetts normal schools 1839)](https://fiveable.me/history-education/unit-7/horace-mann-push-universal-education/study-guide/UmF68joduiHQFE3V), Fiveable
31. [O\*NET 11-9032.00 — Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary](https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/11-9032.00), O\*NET / BLS
32. [O\*NET 25-9031.00 — Instructional Coordinators](https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/25-9031.00), O\*NET / BLS

### Present-day analysis

- [O\*NET 30.3 — Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education (25-2022.00)](https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/25-2022.00), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Eloundou et al. 2024 — GPTs are GPTs (Science)](https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130), accessed 2026-05-24
- [BLS OES May 2023 — Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education (25-2022): median annual wage $61,810](https://www.bls.gov/oes/2023/may/oes252022.htm), accessed 2026-05-24
- [RAND — Teachers and AI: A Survey of Teacher Perspectives on AI Tools in K-12 Education (2024)](https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA956-21.html), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Stanford HAI — Artificial Intelligence in K-12 Education: Opportunities, Challenges, and Recommendations (2025)](https://hai.stanford.edu/news/ai-k-12-education), accessed 2026-05-24
- [MagicSchool AI — Product overview: 3M+ teachers using AI for lesson planning, rubric writing, differentiation, IEP goals, parent emails (2025)](https://www.magicschool.ai/), accessed 2026-05-24
- [IXL Learning — Real-Time Diagnostic: identifies student grade-equivalent skill level across math and ELA in 30 minutes, auto-generates personalized action plan (2025)](https://www.ixl.com/diagnostic/info), accessed 2026-06-21
- [K-12 Dive — AI literacy and middle school: why AI education cannot wait for grades 6-8 (2025)](https://www.k12dive.com/news/ai-literacy-shouldnt-wait-for-middle-school/805295/), accessed 2026-06-21
- [ISTE — AI in Education: Guidance for Educators on Responsible AI Use (2025)](https://iste-ascd.org/ai), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Khanmigo — Free AI-powered teaching assistant and tutor for K-12 educators: Socratic guidance model, free for teachers (2025)](https://www.khanmigo.ai/teachers), accessed 2026-06-21
- [Brisk Teaching — Google Workspace add-on: generates lesson plans and slide decks from a topic prompt in one click (2025)](https://www.briskteaching.com/), accessed 2026-05-24
- [EdSurge — Teachers try to take time back using AI tools: lesson planning, parent emails, and feedback automation; teacher curation remains essential (2025)](https://www.edsurge.com/news/2025-08-25-teachers-try-to-take-time-back-using-ai-tools), accessed 2026-06-21
- [Diffit — AI text differentiation: adapts any article or URL to a target reading level or grade in seconds; free for teachers (2025)](https://app.diffit.me/), accessed 2026-05-24

How to read these figures: https://futurehistory.earth/methodology. Every figure links to its own source; gaps stay gaps.