What is the salary of a Visual Arts teacher?

Art professor vs. elem. art teacher?

• I am currently in college (in Virginia) and I was thinking about becoming either an elementary art teacher or fine arts professor. I was wondering what it takes to become an art professor? How difficult are the classes to be become one? Also, what is the job like? How much work goes into it and what kind of work? What kind of things do you do on a daily basis? Is it rewarding and fun? And how is the pay? And I wanted to ask the same questions about becoming an art teacher in elementary school. I know the pay is not amazing (my mom reminds me everyday, and tries to convince me to go into nursing), but is it impossible to live off a teacher's salary without getting a second job? Thanks!

• Answer:

  If you have a masters degree in your field, that is usually sufficient to get hired as a college teacher at many colleges. Some require more education. A bachelors degree is enough to get you hired as an elementary art teacher, but these days, most districts want everyone to at least have a masters. So either way, you really need that, minimally. Beginning public school teachers often do have to get 2nd jobs, although I didn't. It all depends on your standard of living. You can get hired in some poor rural districts, like Indian reservations, that will provide cheap teacher housing, which helps a lot. Also, student loans can sometimes be deferred or partially forgiven in cases like this. The thing is...there is huge demand for the basics, and not much time or budget allotted to the arts, and art teachers are not in high demand. I doubt there will ever be a lower demand for nurses, and they make decent money.