Florida Teaching Certification
Becoming a certified teacher in Florida requires at least a bachelor’s degree, a state-approved teacher preparation program, and passing the Florida Teacher Certification Exams (FTCE). The Bureau of Educator Certification issues a Temporary Certificate first, then a Professional Certificate once all requirements are met. Out-of-state teachers can apply through Florida’s reciprocity agreements instead.
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Florida’s Bureau of Educator Certification issues two credential types, a Temporary Certificate and a Professional Certificate, and which one you start with depends on how close you are to finishing your teacher preparation program. The path looks different depending on whether you’re a new graduate, a career-changer, or a teacher moving from another state. Here’s what each route requires: current salary data for Florida teachers, and where to go next.
Which Certification Path Fits You?
Florida certification isn’t one-size-fits-all. Pick the option below that matches your situation:
- Initial Teaching Certification: You’re finishing a degree and haven’t been certified before
- Teaching in Florida from another state: you already hold a certificate elsewhere
- Certification Renewal: Your Florida certificate is expiring
- Admin./Principal Certification: You’re moving into school leadership
- Alternative Teaching Certification: You have a bachelor’s degree in a different field
- Substitute Teaching Permit: You want to substitute teach, not hold a full certificate
Initial Florida Teaching Certification Requirements
The Bureau of Educator Certification, part of the Florida Department of Education (800-445-6739), issues two initial credential types: a Temporary Certificate and a Professional Certificate. Both require a bachelor’s degree at minimum and demonstrated content-area expertise in the subject you plan to teach. State-approved Florida teacher preparation programs can help you meet these requirements.
Education Requirements
You need a bachelor’s degree from an institution accredited by an accreditor recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, or from a non-accredited institution that the state has separately approved. If your degree came from outside the U.S., the Department of Education outlines separate requirements for foreign-trained graduates.
Your academic major should match the subject you intend to teach. If it doesn’t, you’ll need to complete required coursework in that content area with at least a 2.5 GPA, then demonstrate subject-area knowledge through the relevant certification exam. Graduating from a state-approved Florida teacher preparation program puts you on the direct path to a Professional Certificate. If you complete your degree elsewhere, you can teach on a Temporary Certificate while finishing the remaining requirements.
Certification Exams (FTCE)
Florida requires the Florida Teacher Certification Examinations (FTCE) for every candidate. The General Knowledge test covers reading, writing, and math. The Professional Education test covers pedagogy and classroom practice. Your Subject Area Examination corresponds to your specific certification field, from elementary education to physics to English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL). The full list of FTCE subject area tests covers more than 30 certification fields. For languages without a matching FTCE exam, Florida accepts the appropriate intermediate-level exam from the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages instead.
Student Teaching Experience
Teacher preparation programs in Florida include a supervised student-teaching placement, with the duration varying by institution. You’ll teach in a classroom aligned with your certification area under a mentor teacher who evaluates your performance and provides ongoing feedback. Expect to write lesson plans and lead instruction directly, not just observe.
Application and Fees
Apply online through the Department of Education if you have a Social Security number; otherwise, you’ll need to request paper materials by mail. Florida charges a $75 application fee per subject for an initial certification application, plus separate FTCE exam fees. Along with your application, mail your official transcripts and copies of any out-of-state certificates to the Bureau of Educator Certification, Room 201, Turlington Building, 325 West Gaines Street, Tallahassee, FL 32399-0400. After review, you’ll receive an Official Statement of Eligibility valid for 3 years, indicating whether you qualify for a Temporary or Professional Certificate and what remains to be completed. A certificate isn’t issued until a Florida school has hired you, so TeachInFlorida.com is worth checking once you’re ready to apply for positions.
Criminal History Background Check
Once you’ve secured a job offer, Florida requires a background check through the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the FBI, processed through fingerprints submitted at your district’s personnel office. After your employing district submits the required fingerprint results and they are cleared by FDLE/FBI, the Bureau of Educator Certification can issue the appropriate certificate once all requirements are met. If your fingerprints reveal a criminal record, your file goes to the Bureau of Professional Practices Services, which will contact you to resolve it before certification.
Florida Teacher Salary and Job Outlook
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Florida elementary school teachers earned a median annual salary of $58,930 as of May 2025, with the middle 50 percent earning between that figure and $62,510. Secondary school teachers in Florida earned a median of $60,410, and kindergarten teachers earned a median of $58,100. The table below breaks down salary and employment figures by grade level.
| Occupation | Median Annual Wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten Teachers | $58,100 | 8,810 |
| Elementary School Teachers | $58,930 | 79,090 |
| Middle School Teachers | $58,940 | 31,370 |
| High School Teachers | $60,410 | 49,810 |
Nationally, the BLS projects a slight decline in teacher employment through 2034 due to enrollment trends, though tens of thousands of openings are still expected each year from retirements and turnover. Florida doesn’t publish its own state-level job growth projections in the current dataset. Still, the state’s ongoing teacher shortage designations in several subject areas suggest that local openings may outpace the national trend.
Frequently Asked Questions
What degree do I need to become a certified teacher in Florida?
You need at least a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university, with your major matching the subject you plan to teach. If your degree is in an unrelated field, you can still qualify by completing required coursework in that content area with a 2.5 GPA and passing the corresponding FTCE Subject Area Examination.
How much does it cost to apply for Florida teacher certification?
Florida charges a $75 application fee per subject for an initial certification application, plus separate FTCE exam registration costs. Check the Department of Education’s online application portal for current fee amounts before you apply, since these are periodically adjusted.
What’s the difference between a Temporary and a Professional Certificate?
A Temporary Certificate allows you to teach for up to 5 school years while you complete outstanding requirements, but it’s nonrenewable. A Professional Certificate is valid for five school years and is renewable. It requires you to have already met all subject-area, professional preparation, and exam requirements—most candidates who complete a Florida-approved teacher preparation program move straight to the Professional Certificate.
Can I teach in Florida with an out-of-state teaching certificate?
Yes. Florida honors certificates from other states through its teacher reciprocity agreements, though you’ll still need to meet any Florida-specific exam or coursework requirements that your original state didn’t require.
How long does it take to get certified to teach in Florida?
Timelines vary by path. Candidates who complete a four-year teacher preparation program with student teaching typically apply for certification right after graduation. At the same time, the review and Statement of Eligibility process itself takes several weeks. Alternative-route candidates and out-of-state applicants should budget additional time to complete any coursework or exams that their original path didn’t cover and that Florida requires.
- Two certificate types cover initial licensure — a nonrenewable Temporary Certificate for candidates still completing requirements, and a renewable five-year Professional Certificate for those who’ve met them all.
- The FTCE covers three testing areas — General Knowledge, Professional Education, and a Subject Area Examination specific to your certification field.
- A bachelor’s degree is the floor, not the ceiling — your major should match your teaching subject, or you’ll need extra coursework and a 2.5 GPA in that content area.
- Background checks happen after you’re hired — Florida processes fingerprints through your school district, not before you apply.
- Florida teacher salaries vary by grade level — median annual wages ranged from $58,100 to $60,410 across grade levels as of May 2025, according to BLS data.
Select your state below to find accredited teacher certification programs, application links, and licensing requirements for your jurisdiction.
2024 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary and job growth figures for Kindergarten and Elementary School Teachers, Middle School Teachers, and High School Teachers reflect state and national data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed July 2026.
