Utah Educator License Requirements: A Comprehensive Guide

The state of Utah presents numerous opportunities for aspiring and experienced educators. If you're considering a teaching career in Utah, understanding the certification process is crucial. This guide provides comprehensive information to navigate your path, whether you're just starting, seeking advanced certification, or relocating from another state.

Understanding Utah's Certification Levels

Utah employs a tiered licensing system, progressing from Level 1 to Level 3.

Level 1: This is the initial professional educator license issued by the Utah State Board of Education (USBE). All new teachers, including those from out-of-state, begin at this level.
Level 2: A Level 2 professional educator license is available to those who hold a Level 1 license. To earn this license you must complete the Entry Years Enhancement (E.Y.E.) requirements and have three years of Level 1 experience. You must also take and pass the Praxis II Principals of Learning and Teaching exam in the grade level you teach.
Level 3: To earn a Level 3 Utah professional educator License, you must have a Level 2.

Traditional Path to Teacher Certification

The traditional route involves completing a bachelor's degree at an in-state university. It's essential to ensure your degree aligns with the field of education and the specific subject you intend to teach. Simultaneously, you should enroll in an education/licensure program, which typically integrates seamlessly with your degree path.

Student Teaching Experience

Student teaching is an experience required by the preparation program you are a part of. As a student teacher, you will work with an experienced teacher to learn classroom dynamics. Your college’s preparation program may require that you obtain a student license prior to beginning your teaching experience to ensure student safety. This license will require you complete a background check.

Examination Requirements

USBE requires that all those seeking Level 1 certification take and pass an Early Childhood area exam, Elementary area exam or a Secondary area exam with an endorsement. The endorsement validates what subject area you are trained to teach, while the Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary distinctions show what grade level. Utah utilizes Praxis tests that are administered by Educational Testing Services (ETS) for all examination requirements. The exam you take will vary depending on the grade level and subject you seek to teach. Within three years of gaining college recommendation, have a USBE Fingerprint Background Check cleared.

Read also: Utah Teaching Requirements

Areas of Concentration and Endorsements

Every teacher certification in the state of Utah must be specific to an area of concentration. The concentration will show what grade level and/or what subject area you are qualified to teach. Teachers for younger grade levels, such as the elementary level, may not need to earn a subject area concentration.

Early Childhood Education

The Early Childhood license in Utah covers grades K-3. To earn it you must complete all Level 1 requirements, as mentioned in the beginning of this article. You should also take and pass the Praxis test that corresponds to Early Childhood Education. Early Childhood: Content Knowledge: This exam is taken in one sitting. You should expect to be tested on the five following subject areas: Language and Literacy, Mathematics, Social Studies, Science, and Health and Physical Education; Creative and Performing Arts.

Elementary Education

ORElementary Education: This Praxis exam is composed of four distinct subtests: Reading and Language Arts, Mathematics, Social Studies, and Science. You can take each subtest individually, or collectively. There are two distinct grade level concentrations for elementary school teachers in Utah: Grades K-6 and Grades 1-8. Both grade levels require you pass the Elementary Education Praxis exam. At the grade level 1-8 you can earn additional endorsements. Although endorsements are not required for teaching at this grade level, they are most commonly sought for those seeking to teach the higher grade levels within the elementary level, such as 6-8. Teachers at these levels often teach in subject-specific classrooms and will need a subject endorsement to teach.

Secondary Education

In Utah, secondary school teachers are qualified to teach Grades 6-12. You can become a certified secondary school teacher by completing all Level 1 certification requirements. At the secondary level, you must pass an endorsement exam. This type of exam is completely focused on the subject you seek to teach. It can be a STEM-related subject, such as Math, or even an Arts related subject, such as Sociology.

Special Education

There are six distinct special education areas of specialization for grades K-12. To earn your Utah teachers license in any of these categories you must meet all Level 1 certification requirements, making sure that your education is focused on the special education group that you seek to work with, and complete the appropriate Praxis exam.

English as a Second Language (ESL)

To earn a Utah teacher’s endorsement in English as a Second Language (ESL) you must complete at least 18 semester hours in Language, Culture, Instruction, Assessment, Family and Community Engagement, and Instructional Practice. All coursework must be approved in order to gain the endorsement. If you are unsure if your coursework will be accepted, check with the USBE to make sure you are meeting their standards.

Physical Education

To become a PE teacher in Utah you must earn an educator endorsement in PE. This will require that you take all required steps towards earning your Level 1 educator license in addition to taking the Physical Education Praxis exam.

Alternative Routes to Licensure

If the traditional route to certification doesn’t work for you, alternative teaching certification pathways may.

Academic Pathway to Teaching (APT)

If you have a bachelor’s degree or higher, this could be a great pathway for you. It allows you to take the appropriate content knowledge test in order to apply for a Level 1 APT License. An APT license is limiting in what areas you can be certified in, you can earn the license with an Elementary or Secondary concentration. This license is valid for three years. After earning this certification your LEA will pair you with a teacher leader to prepare you to meet the Utah Effective Teaching Standards.

Alternative Routes to Licensure (ARL)

This pathway is great for those who don’t have a background in education, although you should still have a bachelor’s degree with coursework that relates to the subject you seek to teach. ARL places you in a Utah school teaching the subject you are educated in.

Associate Educator License (AEL)

The USBE offers an Associate Educator License (AEL). This is an opportunity for someone interested in becoming a teacher who did not complete a teacher education program in college. To qualify for an AEL, a candidate must have a bachelor’s degree, complete the content knowledge PRAXIS II exam in the content area desired, and pass a background check. To apply for a temporary Associate Educator License, you only need to be enrolled in a bachelor’s degree in any subject. This type of license expires in three years and can’t be renewed.

Teach For America (TFA)

Teach for America (TFA) is an organization that works across the nation in 53 diverse regions. TFA places those who work in their organization, referred to as corps members, in a high-needs school for a two-year commitment. Throughout this commitment, the corps members work towards earning a teaching license by completing the state requirements. Unfortunately there are not currently any placements within the state of Utah.

Reciprocity for Out-of-State Teachers

Utah supports teacher reciprocity and actively participates in NASDTEC. The National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification (NASDTEC) has created the Interstate Agreement in an effort to help facilitate teacher reciprocity between states. This organized reciprocity helps to ease teacher shortages by aiding the movement of teachers from state to state. Out-of-state teachers must past a Praxis II content test. If the applicant has three or more consecutive years of teaching experience a Level 2 license may be issued after one year of teaching in a Utah school. You must be recommended by the local district. There is no specific reciprocity for advanced credentials.

To obtain a teaching license in another state when you already have a Utah teaching license:Contact the state office of education for the state in which you wish to teach, so that you can review licensure requirements for that state.You may be required to complete an Institutional Verification Form. States requiring this form will provide it.If an Institutional Verification Form is required, you will also need to complete a Release of Information Form and send both to the Education Advisement Center. Utah.

School Administrator Certification

You must hold a Level 2 teacher certification to become a school administrator in Utah. While having a Level 2 certification does make you eligible, you must also meet additional requirements, including having a master’s degree in education and completing an administration preparation program. These requirements are geared towards preparing you for the rigors of leading a school.

Substitute Teaching

A Local Education Agency (LEA) in Utah will always look to hire a substitute teacher who already has a teaching license. However, if they are unable to find a certified candidate to employ, they may also hire an individual who possesses a bachelor’s degree. A substitute teacher may not work in one position for more than eight consecutive weeks within a school year. There is no statewide structure for hiring substitute teachers aside from the fore mentioned stipulations. Every LEA has jurisdiction over the policies they use to hire substitutes.

Maintaining Your Teaching Certification

Once you have finally obtained your Professional Educator License, you’ll need to maintain it. To renew your license, you must have 100 hours of renewal activity. These hours can be learned through professional development activities, collaborating with other educators to improve your instruction methods, and leadership positions. You can complete the renewal process online through the Utah Schools Information Management System (USIMS). You’ll also need to complete an educator ethics review, as well as a USBE Student Data Privacy course. The Utah Professional License is active for five years. Once you have the Utah Professional Educator License, you can obtain additional Associate Educator Licenses to demonstrate competencies in other concentrations and endorsements.

Understanding Certificates and Certifications

A certificate is awarded by an educational institution and signifies that a student has satisfactorily completed a given curriculum. Certification is generally awarded by a trade group after an individual has met certain professional requirements (e.g. Not all programs offered are designed to meet state educator licensing or advancement requirements; however, it may assist candidates in gaining these approvals in their state of residence depending on those requirements.

Salaries for Teachers in Utah

Finances are an important part of every decision you make. Below is a list of median annual teaching salaries across Utah. Keep in mind that the salary may vary depending on where you seek to teach in Utah. You may also be eligible for the Teacher Salary Supplement Program (TSSP) overseen by USBE. This program rewards and assists qualified educators.

While pay varies by education level, subject, location, and years of prior experience, teachers in Utah make an average of just under $67,980, according to 2023 data from the Utah Office of the State Auditor. The average salary for Utah teachers has risen substantially in recent years, up from an average of $58,440 in 2020 and an average of $49,980 in 2017.

Here’s an overview of how much you can expect to make in these common teaching roles in Utah. Teacher salaries vary by school/district and state, and are established by the School Board of the Local Education Agency (LEA), in accordance with state and federal guidelines. Teacher salaries are typically determined through an equation that considers years of full-time documented teaching experience, alongside additional education beyond a bachelor’s degree.

Elementary School Teacher: $64,480
Middle School Teacher: $67,960
High School Teacher: $71,420
Special Education Teacher: $67,810
Career and Technical Education Teacher: $70,720

Advancing Your Career

Teachers can advance in the profession in a myriad of ways: by adding additional endorsements to an existing license, or by pursuing additional roles within schools, districts, state-level public education, or universities. Such roles include but are not limited to serving as instructional coach, school counselor of school psychologist, school or district administrator, state-level administrator, or faculty in a university-based educator preparation program. Most of these roles require full-time teaching experience and a Master’s degree at minimum, and may require a doctor degree (Ed.D.

Additional Information

To view your CACTUS record and obtain your CACTUS number, log into your personal Utah Education Network account.
Have a cleared Utah State Board of Education Fingerprint Background Check after July 1, 2015.
You do not need to submit an official USU transcript showing your degree posted.
You must have completed the Ethics Review within one year of licensure, so it's possible that the Ethics Review that you completed in order to apply for your program will need to be renewed.
You will need to have a background check completed prior to your application for your Educator License. If you hold a current teaching license, you will not have to complete another background check. We cannot accept copies of background checks done for a school district or other employment.
Individuals wishing to obtain a teaching license after receiving a bachelor's degree are encouraged to explore post baccalaureate options by:The USBE offers an Associate Educator License (AEL).
Types of applications include License Equivalency Review (LER), Associate Educator License (AEL) or the Endorsement Only Application (current license holders only).
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