Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors: Salary, Job Outlook & How to Become One (2026 Parent Guide)
Education, Training, and Library · SOC 25-3011 · O*NET 25-3011.00
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.
Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors fall under the Education, Training, and Library category in the U.S. occupational classification. Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors earn a median salary of $59,950 per year, ranking in the top 49% of all U.S. occupations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects -13.7% job growth through 2034, projected to lose jobs through 2034. Entry into this field typically requires a bachelor's degree, with specific licensing or certification depending on the state and employer. For parents whose teenager is exploring this path, the most actionable step is mapping the education requirements to specific colleges and majors before junior year — not waiting until application season.
What do adult basic education, adult secondary education, and english as a second language instructors earn?
The median annual wage for adult basic education, adult secondary education, and english as a second language instructors is $59,950. That puts adult basic education, adult secondary education, and english as a second language instructors at #395 on the BLS ranked list of all U.S. occupations by median pay. This salary is around or below the U.S. median for individual workers, so career growth often depends on advancement into supervisory roles, specialization, or additional credentials. Actual pay varies meaningfully by state, employer type, and years of experience — entry-level salaries are typically 30–40% below the median, while top-decile earners often exceed it by 50% or more.
| 10th percentile (entry-level) | $39,750 |
| 25th percentile | $47,950 |
| 50th percentile (median) | $59,950 |
| 75th percentile | $76,580 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $95,750 |
| Median hourly wage | $28.82/hr |
Is adult basic education, adult secondary education, and english as a second language instructors a growing career?
The 10-year outlook for adult basic education, adult secondary education, and english as a second language instructors is -13.7%, projected to lose jobs through 2034. Employment is projected to move from approximately 40K positions in 2024 to 35K in 2034, a net change of -5K. A declining outlook does not mean the field is disappearing; it means automation, demographics, or substitution effects are shrinking the pool of openings. Students entering a declining field should plan for adjacent skills that transfer to growing roles.
What do adult basic education, adult secondary education, and english as a second language instructors do every day?
According to O*NET task surveys of working adult basic education, adult secondary education, and english as a second language instructors, these are the core responsibilities most professionals perform. This is what your teen would actually be doing in this role.
- 1.Observe and evaluate students' work to determine progress and make suggestions for improvement.
- 2.Observe students to determine qualifications, limitations, abilities, interests, and other individual characteristics.
- 3.Prepare students for further education by encouraging them to explore learning opportunities and to persevere with challenging tasks.
- 4.Prepare and implement remedial programs for students requiring extra help.
- 5.Use computers, audio-visual aids, and other equipment and materials to supplement presentations.
- 6.Prepare reports on students and activities as required by administration.
- 7.Establish clear objectives for all lessons, units, and projects and communicate those objectives to students.
- 8.Adapt teaching methods and instructional materials to meet students' varying needs, abilities, and interests.
Top skills for adult basic education, adult secondary education, and english as a second language instructors
O*NET ranks these as the most important skills for this occupation, on a 1–5 importance scale derived from worker surveys.
What education does my child need to become adult basic education, adult secondary education, and english as a second language instructor?
The standard path into adult basic education, adult secondary education, and english as a second language instructors begins with a bachelor's degree in a related field, followed by entry-level experience or internships during college. For parents helping a teen prepare, the highest-leverage step before junior year is identifying colleges and programs that feed reliably into this occupation — Solyo's college search lets parents filter by major and admissions data side by side.
Based on O*NET surveys of incumbents — what people in this job actually have, not what employers list as required.
Related careers your child might also consider
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How parents help teens explore careers like this
Solyo helps parents map a teen's interests to specific careers, then back to the colleges and majors that lead there. Salary, outlook, and education data come from BLS and O*NET — the same sources high school counselors use — but presented for the parent's planning lens, not the student's exploration view.
Common questions parents ask about adult basic education, adult secondary education, and english as a second language instructors
What is the median salary for adult basic education, adult secondary education, and english as a second language instructors?
The median annual salary for adult basic education, adult secondary education, and english as a second language instructors is $59,950 according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Is adult basic education, adult secondary education, and english as a second language instructors a growing career?
BLS projects -13.7% growth for adult basic education, adult secondary education, and english as a second language instructors from 2024 through 2034, which is declining growth projected to lose jobs through 2034.
What education does my child need to become adult basic education, adult secondary education, and english as a second language instructor?
The typical entry path requires a bachelor's degree, plus any state licensure or certification specific to the role. Programs that align well with this career can be filtered inside Solyo's college search.
What careers are similar to adult basic education, adult secondary education, and english as a second language instructors?
Related occupations within the Education, Training, and Library category share education paths and skill profiles, so they're a useful starting set when a teen is uncertain. The "Related careers" section below lists nearby options.
Salary data sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics program. Skills, tasks, and education distribution from the O*NET database. Job outlook from the BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 release.