Becoming a high school gym teacher typically takes four to five years, combining a bachelor’s degree in physical education with a state teaching license. The path is straightforward if you plan it well, and alternative routes exist for career changers who already hold a degree in another field.
Earn a Bachelor’s Degree in Physical Education
The foundation for this career is a bachelor’s degree in physical education, kinesiology, or a closely related field with a teaching concentration. Most programs require a minimum of 120 credits and blend general education courses with specialized PE coursework. At Wayne State University, for example, the core physical education teaching requirements alone total 42 credit hours.
Your coursework will go well beyond playing sports. Expect classes in anatomy, physiology, motor learning and development, exercise science, sports psychology, and health education. You’ll also take pedagogy courses that teach you how to design lesson plans, manage a gym full of teenagers, assess student fitness, and adapt activities for students with disabilities. Many programs build in progressive field experiences, placing you in schools as early as your sophomore year so you can observe and assist before you’re responsible for leading a class on your own.
The final stage of your degree is student teaching. This is a full semester (roughly 14 to 16 weeks) spent in an actual high school, planning and delivering PE classes under the guidance of a cooperating teacher. Some programs, like Cal State Fullerton’s, include an initial 10-week observation and assisting period coordinated with methods coursework before you transition into full student teaching in the spring. Student teaching is intense, but it’s the experience that transforms classroom theory into real teaching skill.
Get Your State Teaching License
A degree alone doesn’t qualify you to teach in a public school. Every state requires a teaching license (sometimes called a certificate or credential), and the specific requirements vary. Most states require you to pass a content knowledge exam, a general teaching skills exam, or both. The Praxis Physical Education: Content Knowledge exam (test 5091) is widely used and covers topics like exercise science, student growth and development, fitness assessment, and curriculum design.
You’ll also need to pass a background check and, in many states, complete coursework in areas like special education or English language learners. Your university’s teacher preparation program is designed to guide you through these requirements before graduation, so stay in close contact with your academic advisor to make sure nothing slips through the cracks.
The Alternative Route for Career Changers
If you already have a bachelor’s degree in something other than physical education, you don’t necessarily need to go back for a second four-year degree. Alternative certification programs let you teach while completing the remaining requirements. Texas, for example, has a well-established alternative certification pathway where you enroll in a program, meet screening criteria based on your existing degree and GPA, and then secure a teaching position under a probationary certificate while you finish your training.
A probationary certificate is typically valid for one year, with extensions possible for up to two additional years in some states. During that time, you’ll complete required coursework, pass your certification exams, and work under mentorship at your school. You cannot teach on temporary credentials for more than three school years before earning a standard certificate. The timeline is faster than a traditional degree, but the workload is heavy since you’re teaching full days and studying at night.
Alternative programs vary significantly in quality and cost. Look for programs approved by your state’s education agency, and confirm that the certificate you’ll earn covers physical education at the secondary level specifically.
What the Job Pays
High school gym teachers earn the same salary as other high school teachers in their district. The median annual wage for high school teachers was $64,580 in May 2024, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Your actual pay depends heavily on your district, your state, and how many years you’ve been teaching.
A master’s degree can meaningfully boost your earnings over time. Nationally, teachers with a master’s degree start at about $3,652 more per year than those with only a bachelor’s. The gap widens with experience: at the top of the salary schedule, master’s-holding teachers earn an average of $10,457 more annually. In Atlanta Public Schools, for instance, the top salary for a teacher with a bachelor’s is $90,366, while a teacher with a master’s tops out at $102,570, a difference of more than $12,000 a year.
One thing to note: the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment for high school teachers to decline about 2 percent from 2024 to 2034. That doesn’t mean jobs won’t be available, since retirements and turnover create openings every year, but competition can be stiff in desirable districts.
Coaching and Extra Certifications
Most high school PE teachers also coach at least one sport. Some districts expect it, and coaching stipends add to your base salary. Coaching requirements are separate from your teaching license and vary by state.
In New York, for example, coaches must hold certifications in concussion management, first aid, and CPR before their first day on the job. Within two years, they need to complete coursework in the philosophy and organization of athletics in education. Within five years, they must finish courses in health sciences applied to coaching and sport-specific techniques. An alternative pathway through the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) requires earning a Level 2 coaching credential within two years and a Level 3 credential plus a 30-hour internship within five years.
Even if your state’s requirements are less detailed, getting certified in first aid, CPR, and AED use is essentially non-negotiable for anyone teaching PE. Many districts also value certifications from organizations like the American College of Sports Medicine or the National Strength and Conditioning Association, especially if you want to develop specialized fitness programming.
Keeping Your License Current
Your teaching license isn’t permanent. States require ongoing professional development to renew it, typically on a five-year cycle. In Tennessee, for instance, practitioners must earn 30 professional development points per renewal period, while those holding a professional-level license need 60 points or two years of qualifying teaching experience.
Professional development can include workshops, conferences, graduate coursework, or specialized training in areas like adapted PE or new fitness assessment methods. Many PE teachers use this requirement strategically, pursuing a master’s degree over several renewal cycles to simultaneously satisfy professional development requirements and move up the salary schedule.
What You’ll Actually Teach
High school PE has changed significantly from the dodgeball-and-laps era. SHAPE America released updated National Physical Education Standards in 2024, and most states use these as the framework for their curricula. The focus is on helping students develop the knowledge, skills, and confidence to be physically active for life, not just during a 50-minute class period.
In practice, that means you’ll teach units on team and individual sports, fitness principles, movement skills, and health-related concepts like nutrition and stress management. You’ll assess students on both skill performance and their understanding of why physical activity matters. You’ll also need to differentiate instruction for students across a wide range of abilities, fitness levels, and motivation, which is one of the most challenging and rewarding parts of the job.