How to Become a Teacher in Georgia: Tests, Fees and Routes

By the Transforming Education editorial team. Every fact on this page was checked against the source linked beside it on November 7, 2026.

No degree yet: the traditional route

For high school students, college students and anyone without a bachelor's degree. You earn the degree and the teacher preparation in one program.

GaPSC-approved educator preparation program

Candidates enroll in a bachelor's, master's or certification-only program that leads to initial educator certification and includes student teaching, field experiences or a practicum. Georgia program completers must pass the GACE content assessment for the field, the Ethics for Teachers Assessment (351) and the aligned literacy assessment. Completers receive a 5-Year Induction certificate, which converts to a Professional certificate after three years of successful educator experience.

1. Choose a grade level and subject and check its requirements in the Certificate Explorer
2. Complete a GaPSC-approved preparation program that includes clinical experience
3. Pass the GACE content assessment and the aligned GACE literacy assessment
4. Complete the GACE Ethics for Teachers Assessment (351)
5. Apply for the 5-Year Induction certificate through a MyPSC account

Source: gapsc.com

Bachelor's in another field: the alternative route

For people who already hold a bachelor's degree in a subject other than education.

Georgia Teacher Academy for Preparation and Pedagogy (GaTAPP)

GaTAPP is described by the GaPSC as Georgia's only alternative route to initial teacher certification, for career changers and recent graduates with a bachelor's degree who have not completed a teacher preparation program. Candidates must pass the GACE content assessment at the Induction level (or hold a major in the field) and the ethics assessment, then be hired as a classroom teacher so the employer can request a 3-year, non-renewable Provisional certificate. They complete an approved GaTAPP program of at least one school year (most run 18 months to 2 years) and then convert to an Induction or Professional certificate.

1. Earn a bachelor's degree or higher
2. Pass the appropriate GACE content assessment at the Induction level or higher
3. Complete the GACE Ethics for Teachers Assessment (351)
4. Get hired by a Georgia school district, accredited private school or approved charter school, which requests a Provisional certificate
5. Enroll in and complete a GaPSC-approved GaTAPP program within three years
6. Convert the Provisional certificate to an Induction or Professional certificate

Source: gapsc.com

Changing careers into teaching in Georgia

If you already have a bachelor's degree and some years in another job, start with the alternative route described above. It is built for people who did not study education. The 14 programs below are on the state's approved list, and one of them says its coursework is online.

For pay context, the median annual wage for high school teachers in Georgia was $75,480 in May 2025, according to the BLS OEWS state estimates. If your background matches a subject on the state's shortage list, that list is further down this page.

State-approved alternative certification programs

Programs shown are a selection from the state's approved list, checked November 7, 2026. "Online" reflects what the program or the state says about its coursework; teaching practice is always in a real school. The full, current list is on the agency's approved-program page.

Licensed in another state

For teachers who hold a license from another state and want to teach in Georgia.

Interstate reciprocity for out-of-state educators

Educators with a valid or expired professional certificate from another state, DC or a qualifying jurisdiction such as DoDEA, based on a state-approved program with pedagogy and clinical practice, can apply for a comparable Georgia certificate. Reciprocity does not guarantee a Georgia certificate, and Special Georgia Requirements may need to be met before or after issuance. Effective July 1, 2026, out-of-state applicants in teaching fields must also pass a Georgia-approved or GaPSC-accepted literacy assessment.

1. Submit the online application through a MyPSC account with Verification of Lawful Presence
2. Provide a copy of the out-of-state professional certificate and an Experience Verification Form if applicable
3. Send official content and literacy assessment score reports
4. Have all colleges send official transcripts electronically to the GaPSC
5. Pay the $20 processing fee through MyPSC unless an employer's Employer Assurance Form waives it

Source: gapsc.com

Required tests, codes and qualifying scores

Georgia uses GACE for teacher licensure. The table lists the core tests by license area, with the qualifying score and fee exactly as the source publishes them. Which tests you take depends on the license area you are seeking, so check the full list for your subject before you register.

Scores and fees change. Confirm both on the testing company's page before you register.

Fees, background check and license validity

Background check

Employment in a Georgia public school includes federal and state background checks, and the employing school system sets the procedures for starting the process. Certification applicants answer Personal Affirmation Questions, and false answers may lead to disciplinary action. The GaPSC also checks all applicants against the NASDTEC database and honors sanctions imposed by other states. Source

Your first license

License: 5-Year Induction certificate. It is valid for 5 years. Generally non-renewable. Holders convert to a Professional certificate after three years of successful educator experience. Alternative route teachers start on a 3-year, non-renewable Provisional certificate requested by their employer. Source

Renewal

Renewable Professional certificates are valid for five years and can be renewed from December 1 of the year before expiration. Public and charter school employees are renewed through an employer request. Educators not employed in a P-12 setting complete one option such as 6 semester hours of college credit, 10 CEUs or 10 PLUs (100 clock hours), or passing the GACE content assessment, and pay a $20 processing fee. Requirement: Every 5 years; for non-employed educators, one option such as 10 PLUs (100 clock hours) or 6 semester hours. Source

Teacher pay in Georgia

Elementary teachers in Georgia earned a median of $72,290 a year in May 2025, $8,320 above the national median of $63,970. Half of teachers in each occupation earn more than the median and half earn less. What you earn in a given district depends on its salary schedule, your experience and any graduate credits.

Annual wages, cross-industry estimates, from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025 state tables, retrieved through the BLS Public Data API on November 7, 2026. Special education teachers are shown separately; our guide to the online master's in special education covers the add-on and initial-license options.

Teacher shortage areas, 2026-27

Georgia reported these subject areas to the US Department of Education as teacher shortage areas for the 2026-27 school year.

• Core Subjects: Elementary Education (statewide)
• Language Arts (statewide)
• Mathematics (statewide)
• Science (statewide)
• Special Education (statewide)

Source: US Department of Education, Teacher Shortage Areas report, retrieved November 7, 2026.