Jobs in Colorado

Colorado teachers enjoy strong salaries and excellent benefits. Between 2019 and 2020, Colorado’s average teacher salary grew by 5.03%—one of the fastest-growing salaries in the nation! (5)

As a teacher, you can also look forward to financial supports outside of your salary. That includes a generous pension program and housing assistance options, so you can live in the community where you teach. 

Benefits for Shortage Area Teachers

Teachers in shortage areas often qualify for extra financial aid, such as the federal Teacher Loan Forgiveness or Perkins Loan Forgiveness programs. These programs mean that if you teach in a shortage area, you don’t have to pay all your student loans back!

Rural educators also qualify for special financial aid programs. These can cover the cost of licensure, as well as any other program-related costs, like textbooks and testing fees.

If you’re a Colorado resident, you already know that Colorado is full of rich history and stunning landscapes. As an educator, you can incorporate that vibrant backdrop into your life and teaching.

Not only will you have abundant adventures at your doorstep during school breaks, you’ll also have ample resources to craft creative, inspiring lessons. In Colorado, you can:

• Dig into archeology with Colorado’s fossil treasure trove and sites like Dinosaur National Monument.
• Honor Colorado’s Indigenous history and present-day culture at landmarks like Mesa Verde National Park or the Ute Indian Museum.
• Uncover the state’s wild west past with a plethora of gold mines and ghost towns. 
• Bring art and culture into your classroom, drawing on Colorado’s vibrant arts communities across the state.

Independence in Rural Education

Coloradans have been following a national trend of moving out of rural areas and into cities. (6) But there are major benefits to becoming a rural educator, including a much lower cost of living than you would have in a large city.

Plus, as a rural educator, you’ll be one of fewer teachers in your school or district. That means you’ll have more independence to shape your curriculum and take the creative helm of your classroom. Learn more at the TEACH Colorado rural education page.

It’s no secret that Colorado is becoming more ethnically and racially diverse, and that trend is expected to continue in the coming decades. In fact, from 2010 to 2020, Colorado’s Black population grew by nearly 18%. In that same time period, the state’s Latino population grew by over 20%. (7)

Currently, those changing numbers aren’t reflected in Colorado’s teacher workforce. In 2018, around 80% of public school teachers were white—but nearly half of Colorado’s public school students were not. (8)

Why does teacher diversity matter? 

Students need teachers who reflect their communities and their identities. Recruiting and retaining more teachers of color is key to making that happen. 

According to the Washington Post, “Researchers have found significant positive results when Black and Hispanic students have teachers who match their race or ethnicity: better attendance, fewer suspensions, more positive attitudes, and higher test scores, graduation rates and college attendance. Teachers of color also have higher expectations for students of color, which may fuel the other gains.” (4) 

How you can help

Paraeducators, tutors and teachers of color are crucial for the success of the next generation of students. If that could be you, an education position means you could help shape Colorado’s future and help Colorado students thrive.

Whatever your background, as a Colorado educator, you can help create more inclusive, culturally responsive classrooms. Students with disabilities, students who are new to the country and students who live in low-income or rural areas especially need strong advocates and imaginative educators.