How to Become a Teacher in Hawaii: 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.

Note: The Hawaii Teacher Standards Board (HTSB) website could not be reached from our network on November 7, 2026, so the routes, license, renewal and background-check details on this page come from Hawaii's administrative rules, Haw. Code R. Title 8, Chapter 54, Teacher Licensing Standards. Rules set the requirements but not always the current procedures or fees, so confirm both with the agency before you apply.

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.

State Approved Teacher Education Program (SATEP)

Applicants for a Hawaii teaching license complete a State Approved Teacher Education Program (SATEP), meet the basic skills and content knowledge requirements (Praxis tests are one option) and meet professional fitness requirements. Program completers without at least three of the last five years of full-time teaching experience receive a non-renewable Provisional License, and those with that experience can qualify for the renewable Standard License. A Hawaii license or permit is required before starting work in a public or charter school.

1. Complete a State Approved Teacher Education Program (SATEP)
2. Pass the Praxis Core Academic Skills tests and the Principles of Learning and Teaching test for the grade span, or meet the requirement another way
3. Pass the Praxis Subject Assessment for the licensure area
4. Meet the HTSB professional fitness requirements
5. Apply to the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board for a license, selecting HTSB (code 8620) as a Praxis score recipient

Source: praxis.ets.org

Bachelor's in another field: the alternative route

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

Emergency Hire Permit while completing a SATEP or state-approved alternative licensure program

Candidates with at least a bachelor's degree who have not completed a teacher education program may apply to the Hawaii State Department of Education for a position in their field of study, and their applications are considered after qualified applicants are placed. Once hired, they hold an Emergency Hire permit for up to three years and must complete the requirements of a State Approved Teacher Education Program within the first three school years, showing each year that they are actively pursuing a license. A state-approved alternative licensure program is also listed as a way to qualify.

1. Earn at least a bachelor's degree
2. Apply to the Hawaii State Department of Education for a teaching position in the field of study
3. Obtain an Emergency Hire permit after being hired
4. Enroll in and complete a State Approved Teacher Education Program or state-approved alternative licensure program within three school years
5. Apply to the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board for a license

Source: teachinhawaii.org

Changing careers into teaching in Hawaii

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.

For pay context, the median annual wage for high school teachers in Hawaii was $74,310 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

Not verified yet: the state's website could not be reached when we checked. Check with the agency.

Licensed in another state

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

Teachers licensed in another state

Teachers licensed in another state must hold a Hawaii license or permit, issued by the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board, before they start teaching in a Hawaii public or charter school, although they may apply for jobs first. Applicants with an active, valid out-of-state license and at least three of the last five years of full-time teaching experience can qualify for a Standard License, while those without that experience can receive a Provisional License. National Board certified educators are exempt from all Praxis assessments.

1. Confirm the out-of-state license is active and valid
2. Gather documentation of full-time teaching experience in the last five years
3. Apply to the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board for a Standard or Provisional License
4. Apply for Hawaii State Department of Education positions while the license is pending
5. Send the Hawaii license to the Department of Education recruitment office once issued

Source: teachinhawaii.org

Required tests, codes and qualifying scores

Hawaii uses Praxis 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

Hawaii Department of Education rules require department employees, and allow the department to require applicants, to be fingerprinted for criminal history record checks run through the Hawaii criminal justice data center. The fingerprinting and record checks are done at no charge to employees and applicants, and the department may refuse to hire or may terminate anyone who willfully fails to cooperate. Salaried employees continuously employed by the department since before July 1, 1990 are exempt. Fee: $0 (no charge). Source

Your first license

License: Provisional License. It is valid for No more than 3 years (non-renewable). The renewable Standard License may be granted for 5 years to applicants who meet the Standard License requirements, which include at least three of the last five years of full-time teaching experience. An Emergency Hire permit can be held for up to three years while working toward a license. Source

Renewal

Licensees must renew by the expiration date of the current license or permit by submitting a renewal application and all applicable fees, which can be done through an online renewal system, and must meet the renewal criteria set by the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board, which at minimum include the performance standards in the chapter's appendices. Standard licenses renew every five years and advanced licenses every ten years, and holders of an advanced license earned through National Board Certification must also keep that certification current. A license that is not renewed on time is automatically forfeited, and the holder has two years to restore it before it is terminated. Requirement: Standard License renewed every 5 years and Advanced License every 10 years, meeting board renewal criteria. Source

Teacher pay in Hawaii

Elementary teachers in Hawaii earned a median of $71,410 a year in May 2025, $7,440 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

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

• Early Childhood: Early Childhood and Elementary Education (statewide)
• Mathematics (statewide)
• Science (statewide)
• Special Education (statewide)

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