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Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors

Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors: Career Profile

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.

The Daily Work of Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors Do?

The core tasks performed by adult basic education, adult secondary education, and english as a second language instructors cover:

  • 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.

Key Skills and Knowledge

Successful adult basic education, adult secondary education, and english as a second language instructors draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.

Key Skills

These are the skills most important for this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Instructing  4.2 / 5
0
5
Speaking  3.8 / 5
0
5
Active Listening  3.8 / 5
0
5
Learning Strategies  3.8 / 5
0
5
Reading Comprehension  3.8 / 5
0
5
Monitoring  3.6 / 5
0
5

Core Knowledge

English Language  4.4 / 5
0
5
Education and Training  3.9 / 5
0
5
Customer and Personal Service  3.5 / 5
0
5
Administrative  3.2 / 5
0
5
Administration and Management  2.9 / 5
0
5
Mathematics  2.8 / 5
0
5

Other Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors Job Titles

Common job titles for this role include:

  • Academic Specialist
  • Adult Basic Education Instructor (ABE Instructor)
  • Adult Basic Education Teacher (ABE Teacher)
  • Adult Basic Studies Teacher
  • Adult ESL Instructor (Adult English as a Second Language Instructor)
  • Adult ESL Teacher (Adult English as a Second Language Teacher)
  • Adult Education Coordinator
  • Adult Education Instructor

How Many Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors Are There?

The U.S. employs around 215,147 adult basic education, adult secondary education, and english as a second language instructors working in the United States today. This occupation is expected to grow by +0.9% over the projection horizon.

Forecasted number of jobs for Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors

Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors Pay

Statistic Value
Annual median $62,634
Hourly median $30.11
10th percentile $39,583
25th percentile $51,108
75th percentile $74,159
90th percentile $85,684

Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.

Salary ranges for Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors

Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors Salary by State

State Annual median salary
California $97,000
District of Columbia $78,550
New Jersey $75,900
New York $75,080
Delaware $74,110
Missouri $70,020
Connecticut $69,050
Minnesota $68,730
Washington $67,770
Colorado $64,080
Oregon $63,130
Louisiana $63,110
North Dakota $62,740
Ohio $62,680
Virginia $62,400
Maryland $61,420
Wisconsin $61,170
Idaho $61,110
South Carolina $61,060
Arizona $60,250
Massachusetts $59,950
Illinois $59,890
Michigan $59,260
New Hampshire $59,160
Maine $58,820
West Virginia $57,720
Alaska $57,230
Indiana $57,060
Montana $55,700
Rhode Island $55,290
Tennessee $55,270
New Mexico $53,980
Florida $52,900
North Carolina $52,240
Texas $50,820
Pennsylvania $50,770
Mississippi $50,430
Wyoming $50,420
Oklahoma $49,750
Utah $49,060
Alabama $48,790
Arkansas $47,760
Vermont $47,690
Nebraska $47,200
Kansas $46,580
Georgia $45,760
Hawaii $45,720
Nevada $45,540
Iowa $40,240
Kentucky $39,580
South Dakota $35,080

Pay by U.S. Region

Earnings for adult basic education, adult secondary education, and english as a second language instructors differ across the country. The following regions pay the most:

Region Median annual wage Share of U.S. jobs Location quotient
Far Western US $80,018 10.3% 0.96
Middle Atlantic $70,248 17.5% 1.27
Plains States $64,223 11.3% 2.34
New England $61,148 7.1% 1.71
Rocky Mountains $60,091 3.7% 1.03
Great Lakes $60,003 12.1% 1.02
Southwest $52,931 8.4% 0.67
Southeast $52,789 29.5% 1.74

Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors

Metro area State Median annual wage Employment
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA CA $116,330 110
Modesto, CA CA $111,780 120
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA CA $103,080 180
Bakersfield-Delano, CA CA $99,500 50
Salem, OR OR $98,450 40
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA CA $96,900 380
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA CA $96,200 470
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA CA $92,670 40

Which Industries Hire Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors

Most adult basic education, adult secondary education, and english as a second language instructors are found across these industries:

Industry Employment Median annual wage
Educational Services 29,560 $60,460
Health Care and Social Assistance 2,730 $53,370
Other Services (except Public Administration) 450 n/a
Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services 360 $57,240
Information 150 $81,770
Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors sectors

Below are examples of industries where adult basic education, adult secondary education, and english as a second language instructors work:

Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors industries

Tools and Technology

  • Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Photoshop (hot technology)
  • Web page creation and editing software: Facebook (hot technology)
  • Office suite software: Google Workspace software (hot technology)
  • Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
  • Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
  • Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
  • Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
  • Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
  • Enterprise resource planning ERP software: SAP software (hot technology)
  • Video conferencing software: Zoom (hot technology)

Work Environment

Daily working conditions for adult basic education, adult secondary education, and english as a second language instructors reflects the following characteristics:

  • E-Mail
  • Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
  • Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals
  • Coordinate or Lead Others in Accomplishing Work Activities
  • Contact With Others

Getting Started in This Career

Typical adult basic education, adult secondary education, and english as a second language instructors positions require a bachelor’s degree as the typical entry-level education. This career aligns with Considerable Preparation Needed (Job Zone 4), indicating the level of preparation typically expected.

Other Careers to Consider

Similar Occupations

Degree Programs

Students preparing for adult basic education, adult secondary education, and english as a second language instructors often complete programs in:

Education

8 programs across 4 majors

Sources

Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:

  • U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
  • BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
  • O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.

SOC code: 25-3011.00 (Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors).

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