How to Become a Teacher in Washington: 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.

Residency Teacher Certificate (First Issue) through a Washington approved program

Candidates complete a Washington state-approved teacher preparation program and hold at least a bachelor's degree. The preparation program verifies a basic skills test and a content area test for each endorsement, then initiates the certificate application; candidates cannot apply until the institution does so. The first credential issued is the Residency (First Issue) certificate. The WEST-E/NES testing site notes that edTPA is no longer required for state certification, although individual programs may still use it.

1. Earn a bachelor's degree or higher.
2. Complete a Washington state-approved teacher preparation program.
3. Take the WEST-B basic skills test (or an approved alternative) and pass the WEST-E or NES content test for each endorsement.
4. Submit fingerprints for a background check unless a valid Washington certificate is already on record.
5. Wait for the program to initiate the Residency certificate application, then complete it in E-Certification and pay the fee.

Source: ospi.k12.wa.us

Bachelor's in another field: the alternative route

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

Alternative Route certification programs

Washington requires every teacher to hold at least a bachelor's degree and complete a state-approved teacher preparation program. People who already have a degree in another field can enroll in a certification-only program or a master's program, including state-approved Alternative Route programs listed by the Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB). Separately, a school district can request a conditional teacher certificate for someone it wants to hire based on experience and expertise, generally valid for up to two or three school years.

1. Confirm a bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited institution.
2. Choose a state-approved Alternative Route, certification-only or master's program from the PESB program list.
3. Complete the program, including its testing requirements.
4. Submit fingerprints for a background check unless a valid Washington certificate is already on record.
5. Apply for the Residency certificate through E-Certification once the program recommends you.

Source: ospi.k12.wa.us

Changing careers into teaching in Washington

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 Washington was $102,670 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 Washington.

Licensed in another state

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

Out-of-state applicants

Teachers prepared or licensed in another state can apply for the Washington Residency (First Issue) certificate. Applicants qualify either by completing an approved traditional or alternate route preparation program in any state, or by holding a full regular teaching certificate from another state (valid or expired) with three years of verified teaching experience. They must also meet the basic skills and content test requirements, which out-of-state applicants have one calendar year from the temporary permit to complete. Holders of a comparable advanced certificate, such as the Wisconsin Master Educator License or the Ohio five-year Professional Teaching License, may apply directly for the Professional Teacher certificate.

1. Submit official transcripts showing a bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited institution.
2. Verify an approved preparation program (Form 4020E or 4020E-1), or submit a full out-of-state teaching certificate plus three years of experience (Form 4020F-1).
3. Meet the basic skills requirement with the WEST-B or an approved alternative such as CBEST, certain Praxis exams, or qualifying ACT or SAT scores.
4. Meet the content test requirement with the WEST-E/NES or an approved equivalent test for each endorsement.
5. Submit fingerprints unless a valid Washington certificate is already on record.
6. Apply through E-Certification and pay the certificate fee.

Source: ospi.k12.wa.us

Required tests, codes and qualifying scores

Washington uses WEST-B, WEST-E and NES 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

Applicants who do not already hold a valid Washington certificate must be fingerprinted. The background check runs through the Washington State Patrol and the FBI, and results are posted to OSPI's Educational Data System. Clearance is valid for two years from the FBI clearance date, and fingerprinting providers may add their own charges on top of the OSPI processing fee. Fee: $50. Source

Your first license

License: Residency Teacher Certificate (First Issue). It is valid for No expiration date until reissued; the reissued Residency certificate is valid for 5 years. A Residency (First Issue) certificate has no expiration date until the holder is employed. Teachers in Washington public school districts must have it reissued once district-reported experience reaches 1.5 years full-time equivalent; the reissued certificate is valid five years. The Professional Teacher certificate is the second-tier credential. Source

Renewal

Five-year teacher certificates are renewed with clock hours or equivalents completed after the issue date of the certificate being renewed. The hours must include equity-based school practices, plus STEM hours for holders of a STEM endorsement. A valid National Board certificate can replace the clock hours. Renewal applications are due by January 1 of the expiration year, with certificates expiring June 30; late applications carry an extra fee. Requirement: 100 clock hours or equivalents every 5 years, including 15 hours of equity-based school practices (and 15 STEM hours for STEM endorsements). Source

Teacher pay in Washington

Elementary teachers in Washington earned a median of $102,350 a year in May 2025, $38,380 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

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

• Career and Technical Education: Agricultural Science and Technology, Family and Consumer Science, Health and Medical Occupations, Technology Preparation (statewide)
• Core Subjects: Elementary Education (statewide)
• Early Childhood: General Curriculum/ Early Childhood (statewide)
• English as a Second Language: English as a Second Language (statewide)
• Language Arts: Reading and Literacy (statewide)
• Science: General Science (statewide)
• Special Education: All Exceptionalities (statewide)
• Support Staff: Counseling (statewide)
• World Languages: American Sign Language (statewide)

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