How to Become a Teacher in New York: 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.

Approved Teacher Preparation Program

Most candidates complete a registered teacher preparation program at a New York college or university, either a bachelor's program or a graduate program that usually includes an internship in a K-12 school. On completion, the institution enters a College Recommendation in the candidate's TEACH account. Candidates also pass the required New York State certification exams, complete the required workshops and obtain fingerprint clearance before the Initial certificate is issued.

1. Enroll in and complete a New York State registered teacher preparation program at the bachelor's or graduate level.
2. Pass the required NYSTCE exams for the certificate title, typically the Educating All Students test and a Content Specialty Test.
3. Complete the Child Abuse Identification and Reporting, DASA and School Violence Prevention workshops (plus autism training for special education titles).
4. Get fingerprinted for certification through IDEMIA and obtain clearance.
5. Create a TEACH account, apply for the Initial certificate and pay the fee after the college enters its recommendation.

Source: nysed.gov

Bachelor's in another field: the alternative route

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

Alternative Teacher Preparation (Transitional B) Program

Alternative teacher preparation programs are offered by colleges in partnership with school districts for candidates who hold a bachelor's degree with a major in the subject they plan to teach (or a liberal arts and sciences major for elementary grades). Candidates complete a 200-clock-hour introductory component with at least 40 field hours and pass the Educating All Students test and the Content Specialty Test, then teach full time on a Transitional B certificate with district mentoring and college supervision. The Transitional B certificate is valid for up to three years while the candidate stays enrolled, and program completion leads to the Initial certificate.

1. Hold a bachelor's degree with a major in the subject (or liberal arts and sciences for elementary) and at least 30 semester hours in the certification area.
2. Meet the 3.0 undergraduate GPA minimum or obtain a positive recommendation from the program, plus the program's admission test requirement.
3. Apply to and enroll in a college offering a registered Transitional B program.
4. Complete the 200-clock-hour introductory component, including at least 40 hours of field experience.
5. Pass the Educating All Students test and the Content Specialty Test before teaching.
6. Teach on the Transitional B certificate in a partner district with mentoring while finishing the program, then apply for the Initial certificate.

Source: nysed.gov

Changing careers into teaching in New York

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 New York was $97,070 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.

The agency keeps the official list here: approved programs in New York.

Licensed in another state

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

Endorsement of a Classroom Teaching Certificate

Teachers with three years of certified public school teaching experience in another U.S. state or territory, in the subject and grade range of the application, can apply through the endorsement pathway, which is available only at the Initial certificate level. Applicants need a valid comparable out-of-state certificate, effective or highly effective ratings verified by the out-of-state employer, a bachelor's degree with a 2.5 cumulative GPA, fingerprint clearance and the required workshops. Endorsement applicants are not required to pass the New York certification tests, while applicants who completed a comparable program in another state without that experience must pass the required exams.

1. Confirm you hold a valid, comparable out-of-state certificate in the subject and grade range you are applying for.
2. Document three years of certified public school teaching in that area and have each employer submit the Classroom Teacher Rating Form showing effective or highly effective ratings.
3. Show a bachelor's or higher degree with at least a 2.5 cumulative GPA.
4. Obtain fingerprint clearance and complete the required workshops.
5. Apply for the Initial certificate in TEACH and pay the fee.

Source: nysed.gov

Required tests, codes and qualifying scores

New York uses NYSTCE 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

Certification applicants must obtain fingerprint clearance through the statewide vendor-managed system operated by MorphoTrust/IDEMIA with the Division of Criminal Justice Services. Applicants schedule an appointment online or by phone using the certification service code 14ZGQT and pay the fee to IDEMIA. The fingerprints are checked against state and FBI criminal history records. Fee: $107.50. Source

Your first license

License: Initial Certificate. It is valid for 5 years. The Initial certificate is the entry-level classroom teaching certificate and leads to the Professional certificate. Within the five years the holder must complete three years of experience (one mentored in a public or charter school) and a related master's degree. An expired Initial certificate may be reissued for five years. Source

Renewal

Initial certificate holders advance to the Professional certificate after three years of experience and a master's degree. Professional certificate holders must register and, if they practice in an applicable school throughout the five-year registration period, complete 100 clock hours of Continuing Teacher and Leader Education (CTLE) from approved sponsors. Requirement: 100 CTLE clock hours every 5-year registration period. Source

Teacher pay in New York

Elementary teachers in New York earned a median of $85,760 a year in May 2025, $21,790 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

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

• Career and Technical Education (statewide)
• Health and Physical Fitness: Health Science (statewide)
• Language Arts: English (statewide)
• Science (statewide)
• Special Education (statewide)

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