Art Teacher Secondary School
Key facts
Art teachers at secondary schools provide education to students, commonly children and young adults, in a secondary school setting. They are usually subject teachers, specialised and instructing in their own field of study, art. They prepare lesson plans and materials, monitor the students' progress, assist individually when necessary, and evaluate the students' knowledge and performance on the subject of art through assignments, tests and examinations.
Art teachers at secondary schools play a vital role in shaping students' artistic development and appreciation. Your days involve designing and delivering art lessons, often specializing in a particular area like painting, sculpture, or digital media. You’ll assess student progress, provide individual support, and create a stimulating learning environment where students can explore their artistic potential. This role requires a blend of artistic expertise, pedagogical skills, and the ability to connect with young learners.
- • Develop and implement engaging lesson plans aligned with curriculum standards.
- • Assess student understanding and progress through assignments, projects, and examinations.
- • Provide individualized support and feedback to students of varying skill levels.
Where this occupation is in demand
Reported labour shortages and surpluses, by year. Published for occupation groups, not for individual job titles.
Figures cover Teaching professionals — 131 jobs including this one.
In shortage: Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Estonia and 8 more.
Longest-running shortage: Belgium, 4 years.
Select a place on the map to see its figures.
About this source›
Source: ELA/EURES labour shortages and surpluses. Readings are published at occupation-group level, and cover Europe. Editions differ in annex layout and country coverage, so a change between years does not always mean the labour market changed. Countries in grey were not reported, which is not the same as being in balance.
What these words mean
The four things this section reports
- Reported demand
- Whether employers report needing people in this job — a judgement published by a national or EU body, not a count.
- Where it is heading
- Which way employment in this job is expected to move over the coming years, from an official projection.
- Openings
- Roughly how many openings arise — from growth and from people leaving the job.
- Typical pay
- What people in this job typically earn where the source publishes it. Blank does not mean unpaid; it means nobody publishes it for that place.
A measure is left out when nobody publishes it for that place, rather than shown as zero.
Which way the market leans for you
- In your favour
- More openings than people looking — employers are competing for candidates.
- Balanced
- Openings and candidates are roughly matched.
- Competitive
- More people looking than openings — expect to compete.
- Mixed evidence
- Sources disagree, or the same occupation group is short in one part and oversupplied in another.
Every source resolves to one of these four, so there is a single vocabulary to learn. What differs is the evidence behind it, which is printed underneath each verdict — a measured ratio of openings to jobseekers, or an assessment published by a national body.
How this job compares with other jobs in the same country
- Strong
- Among the strongest in that country
- Good
- Stronger than most jobs in that country
- Mixed
- About typical for that country
- Weak
- Weaker than most jobs in that country
This is a rank within one country, not a score you can carry across borders — the registers behind two countries count different people, so the same number means different things in each. It is also why a job can be among the strongest in a country and still show as Competitive: it leads the field in a market that is crowded overall.
Where these come from
Every figure is published by a national statistics office, a public employment service or an EU body, and each card names its source and the period it covers. Some places are counted monthly, others assessed once or twice a year, so two places on the same map can be describing different moments — the date is always shown.
None of this predicts one person’s chances. It describes a market.
Reported demand · Typical pay · Where it is heading (United States, Ireland, Australia, Malta, United Kingdom)
| Reported demand | Typical pay | Where it is heading | |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Not reported | $72,040 2025-05 | −1.6% 2024–2034 · BLS 2024-2034 |
| Ireland | Shortage reported ELA/EURES 2025 * | — | −4.4% 2023–2035 · Cedefop 2026 * |
| Australia | Shortage reported Jobs and Skills Australia 2025 * | — | — |
| Malta | Shortage reported ELA/EURES 2024 * | — | +23.2% 2023–2035 · Cedefop 2026 * |
| United Kingdom | Not reported | £44,246 2025-provisional | — |
* Published for occupation groups, not for individual job titles.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS)
Source: Office for National Statistics, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Open Government Licence v3.0
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Future Outlook for art teacher secondary school
The outlook for art teacher secondary school reflects a balanced mix of automation exposure and durable, human-led work.
How are these scores calculated?
The Resilience Score (0–100) estimates how structurally protected this occupation is from automation and AI disruption, based on task-level analysis. Higher scores mean more human-judgment-intensive tasks. AI Exposure shows the estimated percentage of task hours that current AI capabilities could affect. These are model-derived structural indicators, not predictions about individual job security.
How could art teacher secondary school change as AI adoption grows?
This role is likely to change gradually, with AI supporting selected tasks rather than replacing the whole occupation.
Illustrative scenario based on task automatability — not a forecast. Values are rounded the further ahead you look.
This role is likely to change gradually, with AI supporting selected tasks rather than replacing the whole occupation.
Illustrative scenario based on task automatability — not a forecast. Values are rounded the further ahead you look.
Model-based estimate. Use it as a planning signal, not a guarantee.
Compare this to your profile
How AI may change this role
Deterministic, model-based interpretation of current role signals — not a guarantee of replacement.
What still depends on people
- guarantee students' safety
- give constructive feedback
- teach arts principles
Where AI may become a co-pilot
- prepare lesson content
- select artistic materials to create artworks
- define creative components
Tasks most exposed to automation
No single task here is highly automatable yet.
Vital Signs & AI Vectors
AI Exposure Vectors
0-100%Exposure to content generation, creative augmentation, and large language model tools
Exposure to AI-assisted analysis, pattern recognition, and predictive modelling tasks
Exposure to workflow automation, decision-support software, and process digitisation
Exposure to physical automation, robotics, and sensor-driven task displacement
Technical Details
NexFuture v3.0 estimates automation exposure natively from ESCO essential-skill groups, weighted by skill mass and calibrated against expert anchors. Scores are probabilistic estimates, not guarantees. See the NexFuture Methodology White Paper for full details.
Measures automation exposure. It does not measure pay, demand, or how many jobs exist near you.
What people in this role usually do
Education
A typical day as an art teacher secondary school
09 09:00 · Morning assign homework
10 10:30 · Mid-morning supervise craft production
12 12:00 · Midday define creative components
14 14:00 · Afternoon select artistic materials to create artworks
15 15:30 · Late afternoon adapt teaching to student's capabilities
17 17:00 · Wrap-up apply intercultural teaching strategies
Task order is illustrative. Individual days vary.
What you need to do this work
The skills, knowledge and tools this role calls for — and the traits and rewards that come with it.
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monitor student's behaviour
Supervise the student's social behaviour to discover anything unusual. Help solve any issues if necessary.
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maintain students' discipline
Make sure students follow the rules and code of behaviour established in the school and take the appropriate measures in case of violation or misbehaviour.
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assess students
Evaluate the students' (academic) progress, achievements, course knowledge and skills through assignments, tests, and examinations. Diagnose their needs and track their progress, strengths, and weaknesses. Formulate a summative statement of the goals the student achieved.
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perform classroom management
Maintain discipline and engage students during instruction.
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compile course material
Write, select or recommend a syllabus of learning material for the students enrolled in the course.
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apply teaching strategies
Employ various approaches, learning styles, and channels to instruct students, such as communicating content in terms they can understand, organising talking points for clarity, and repeating arguments when necessary. Use a wide range of teaching devices and methodologies appropriate to the class content, the learners' level, goals, and priorities.
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apply intercultural teaching strategies
Ensure that the content, methods, materials and the general learning experience is inclusive for all students and takes into account the expectations and experiences of learners from diverse cultural backgrounds. Explore individual and social stereotypes and develop cross-cultural teaching strategies.
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liaise with educational support staff
Communicate with education management, such as the school principal and board members, and with the education support team such as the teaching assistant, school counsellor or academic advisor on issues relating the students' well-being.
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liaise with educational staff
Communicate with the school staff such as teachers, teaching assistants, academic advisors, and the principal on issues relating to students' well-being. In the context of a university, liaise with the technical and research staff to discuss research projects and courses-related matters.
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adapt teaching to student's capabilities
Identify the learning struggles and successes of students. Select teaching and learning strategies that support students’ individual learning needs and goals.
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assist students in their learning
Support and coach students in their work, give learners practical support and encouragement.
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teach arts principles
Instruct students in the theory and practice of arts and crafts and the fine arts, whether recreationally, as part of their general education, or with the aim of assisting them in pursuing a future career in this field. Offer instruction in courses such as drawing, painting, sculpting and ceramics.
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guarantee students' safety
Ensure all students falling under an instructor or other person’s supervision are safe and accounted for. Follow safety precautions in the learning situation.
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assign homework
Provide additional exercises and assignments that the students will prepare at home, explain them in a clear way, and determine the deadline and evaluation method.
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prepare lesson content
Prepare content to be taught in class in accordance with curriculum objectives by drafting exercises, researching up-to-date examples etc.
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monitor developments in field of expertise
Keep up with new research, regulations, and other significant changes, labour market related or otherwise, occurring within the field of specialisation.
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manage student relationships
Manage the relations between students and between student and teacher. Act as a just authority and create an environment of trust and stability.
instructional strategies
The techniques that instructors use to deliver lessons. The aim of these strategies is to make students become more involved in the learning process.
post-secondary school procedures
The inner workings of a post-secondary school, such as the structure of the relevant education support and management, the policies, and the regulations.
art history
The history of art and artists, the artistic trends throughout centuries and their contemporary evolutions.
- curriculum objectives
- fine arts
- secondary school procedures
- adolescent socialisation behaviour
- copyright legislation
- disability types
- graphic design
- learning difficulties
- types of paint
Path to become an art teacher secondary school
What it typically takes to qualify: education level, where it is a regulated profession, and where to study.
Bachelor's or equivalent level
340 programmes in 23 countries teach the core skills of this job. Plus 188 short courses that build single skills.
A few examples, taught in the language of this page:
Master of Education in Arts Education Practice
Dublin City University · Ireland
Postgraduate Diploma in Education Studies Post-Primary Art and Design
University College Cork · Ireland
Master of Arts in Visual Arts
Artesis Plantijn Hogeschool Antwerpen · Belgium
Creative Arts
Technological University Dublin · Ireland
These are 6 of 528.
Sources
- 1. Source: Europass Qualification Dataset Register (European Commission)
- 2. Source: Study in Korea, National Institute for International Education (NIIED) (studyinkorea.go.kr).
- 3. Source: Hogeronderwijsregister, Flemish government (hogeronderwijsregister.be). Flemish Community of Belgium only.
- 4. Course information from Qualifax (qualifax.ie), Quality and Qualifications Ireland
Growth Pathways & Similar Roles
Explore typical career progression paths, adjacent skills, and similar roles to plan your next transition.
Where does art teacher secondary school fit?
Similarity scores based on skill overlap from ESCO data.
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64% similarityFor organisations
The data on this page, working for your students, clients and staff.
Frequently asked questions
What kind of art specializations are common for secondary school art teachers?
What skills beyond artistic ability are important for this role?
What is the typical work arrangement for an art teacher at a secondary school?
How much does Art Teacher Secondary School pay in the United States?
Sources: ESCO O*NET ELA/EURES Cedefop BLS Data updated October 3, 2026 About our data