The challenges teachers face every day—from salaries that vary wildly from region to region, to bureaucracy and burnout—can make the realm of education a high-turnover industry for all but the most dedicated. But for those who remain in the profession, there’s the security of mind that no matter where you go, there’ll be a school looking for a teacher. (With 13 million teachers nationwide, education makes up the second largest employment category in the U.S.)

HOW TO BECOME A TEACHER

Get a bachelor’s degree.
Teaching qualifications vary from state-to-state and even from district-to-district, but federal regulations require all general education teachers to have at least a bachelor’s degree and completion of an accredited teacher training program, in addition to one or two semesters of supervised student-teaching. Some states also require technology courses as part of their coursework.

Plan to earn a master’s degree.
Although neither Lee nor Gardner received their undergraduate degrees in education, both earned their master’s degrees in order to become qualified to teach.