ESL Teacher job description: duties, skills and qualifications.

Core duties

16

O*NET task statements

Preparation

Job Zone 4 of 5

considerable preparation

Typical entry education

Bachelor's degree

BLS 2025–35

Median pay

$61,540

BLS May 2025

Data Government data groups this job as Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors (O*NET-SOC 25-3011.00). Figures on this page are for that occupation.

1. Observe and evaluate students' work to determine progress and make suggestions for improvement. importance 4.4 of 5
2. Observe students to determine qualifications, limitations, abilities, interests, and other individual characteristics. importance 4.3 of 5
3. Establish clear objectives for all lessons, units, and projects and communicate those objectives to students. importance 4.3 of 5
4. Adapt teaching methods and instructional materials to meet students' varying needs, abilities, and interests. importance 4.2 of 5
5. Prepare students for further education by encouraging them to explore learning opportunities and to persevere with challenging tasks. importance 4.2 of 5
6. Prepare materials and classrooms for class activities. importance 4.2 of 5
7. Instruct students individually and in groups, using various teaching methods, such as lectures, discussions, and demonstrations. importance 4.2 of 5
8. Plan and conduct activities for a balanced program of instruction, demonstration, and work time that provides students with opportunities to observe, question, and investigate. importance 4.2 of 5
9. Assign and grade class work and homework. importance 4.2 of 5
10. Maintain accurate and complete student records as required by laws or administrative policies. importance 4.1 of 5
11. Conduct classes, workshops, and demonstrations to teach principles, techniques, or methods in subjects, such as basic English language skills, life skills, and workforce entry skills. importance 4.1 of 5
12. Establish and enforce rules for behavior and procedures for maintaining order among the students for whom they are responsible. importance 3.9 of 5
13. Prepare and administer written, oral, and performance tests and issue grades in accordance with performance. importance 3.8 of 5
14. Prepare and implement remedial programs for students requiring extra help. importance 3.7 of 5
15. Prepare for assigned classes and show written evidence of preparation upon request of immediate supervisors. importance 3.7 of 5
16. Enforce administration policies and rules governing students. importance 3.7 of 5

Work activities O*NET rates most important here: Thinking Creatively, Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others, Coaching and Developing Others, Training and Teaching Others and Making Decisions and Solving Problems.

Also part of the job

Supplemental tasks O*NET lists for this occupation: less central than the core duties above, and not done in every job.

• Provide students with disabilities with assistive devices, supportive technology, and assistance accessing facilities, such as restrooms.
• Provide information, guidance, and preparation for the General Equivalency Diploma (GED) examination.
• Select and schedule class times to ensure maximum attendance.
• Train and assist tutors and community literacy volunteers.
• Observe and evaluate the performance of other instructors.
• Confer with leaders of government and community groups to coordinate student training or to find opportunities for students to fulfill curriculum requirements.

Knowledge areas: English Language, Education and Training, Customer and Personal Service and Administrative.

Software O*NET lists for this occupation: Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Adobe Photoshop, Facebook, Google Workspace software, Microsoft Outlook. These are examples O*NET records for the job, not a list of tools every employer uses or a checklist of what you must know.

• Education: BLS lists a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education.
• Experience: BLS lists no work experience in a related occupation as typical to enter.
• Training on the job: BLS lists no typical on-the-job training once hired.
• Preparation: O*NET places the job in Job Zone 4 of 5 (considerable preparation). A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations.
• Licenses and certifications: not listed here. A license is a legal requirement set by a state; a certification is a credential from a private or professional body. Rules vary by state and employer, and a missing entry on this page does not mean none is required: check with your state's licensing board and see how to become an ESL teacher.

The most common answer among ESL teachers surveyed by O*NET is a bachelor's degree (41%).

Job title: ESL Teacher
[Company] · [City, State] · [Full-time or part-time] · [Pay range, where your state requires one]

About the role
[Company] is hiring an ESL Teacher to teach or instruct out-of-school youths and adults in basic education, literacy, or English as a Second Language classes, or in classes for earning a high school equivalency credential.
[One sentence on your team and why this role matters.]

What you will do
- Observe and evaluate students' work to determine progress and make suggestions for improvement.
- Observe students to determine qualifications, limitations, abilities, interests, and other individual characteristics.
- Establish clear objectives for all lessons, units, and projects and communicate those objectives to students.
- Adapt teaching methods and instructional materials to meet students' varying needs, abilities, and interests.
- Prepare students for further education by encouraging them to explore learning opportunities and to persevere with challenging tasks.
- Prepare materials and classrooms for class activities.
- Instruct students individually and in groups, using various teaching methods, such as lectures, discussions, and demonstrations.
- Plan and conduct activities for a balanced program of instruction, demonstration, and work time that provides students with opportunities to observe, question, and investigate.

What we are looking for
- [Education: BLS lists a bachelor's degree as typical for this occupation; set the level this role truly needs]
- [Experience: BLS lists no related work experience as typical to enter; set what this role needs]
- Strength in instructing, reading comprehension and active listening
- Working knowledge of English Language and Education and Training
- [Software your team uses, e.g. Microsoft Excel or Microsoft Office software]
- [Any license or certification your state or company requires]

[Schedule, benefits and how to apply]

Illustrative: every name, employer, school, date and number in these samples is fictional or a bracketed placeholder. Replace each bracket with your own true details; never copy a result you did not achieve.

Not a real job posting. This template is TryHired's illustration built from government occupational data. It is not an opening at any employer, and no employer wrote it.

The median annual wage was $61,540 in May 2025. The median hourly wage was $29.59. BLS estimates about 37,310 jobs in this occupation in the U.S.

BLS projects employment of Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors to decline 13.9% from 2025 to 2035, with about 3,800 openings a year over that period, including openings to replace workers who leave.

See the full ESL teacher salary breakdown by percentile, state and metro.

• Read a real ESL teacher posting next to the core duties above. Duties it repeats, such as “Observe and evaluate students' work to determine progress and make…”, tell you what that employer weighs most; anything it adds is specific to that team.
• Tailor your resume to the posting, not to this page: describe only ESL teacher work you have actually done, with your own results.
• Prepare a story for each of the top-rated skills (instructing and reading comprehension); ESL teacher interview questions turns them into practice questions.