Adult basic education, adult secondary education, and english as a second language instructors
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 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. The role reports a median annual salary of $59,950 in the US and is projected to decline by 14% over the next decade. Entry typically requires a Bachelor's degree, and shows moderate AI exposure (0.47 on a 0-1 scale) — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. The most in-demand skills for the role include Instructing, Speaking, Learning Strategies, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £37,514 a year for Teachers of English as a foreign language (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 2317). ONS rates this estimate acceptable: it rests on a small sample, so treat it as a rough guide. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)
Pay in India (occupation group)
Average monthly earnings of salaried employees in the occupation group “Professionals” in India, from the Government of India's Periodic Labour Force Survey (January–December 2025). It covers everyone in this group, not only Adult basic education, adult secondary education, and english as a second language instructors, and it is not US pay converted to rupees.
Source: MoSPI (Government of India), Periodic Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2025, Table 51 — average wage/salary earnings of regular wage/salaried employees, NCO-2015 division 2. Official India data gives one average per occupation group: there are no official India figures for single careers, experience levels or cities. Read the report
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- English Language
- Education and Training
- Customer and Personal Service
- Administrative
- Administration and Management
- Mathematics
- Psychology
- Sociology and Anthropology
A day in the life
You start the morning preparing an evening class for adults returning to learning: a reading passage, a short writing task and a few practical exercises such as filling in a form. Before class you review notes on each learner, since some cannot read well while others are close to finishing their school certificate. When the group arrives you set a clear goal for the session and start with a quick warm-up to put nervous learners at ease. You split the class, working closely with a beginner on letters and sounds while others practise grammar or arithmetic. You adjust examples to fit their lives, such as reading a bus timetable or a medicine label. Afterwards you check their work, write encouraging comments and plan tomorrow's lesson. Attendance can be patchy because learners juggle jobs and families. But when a grandmother reads a letter by herself for the first time, the room fills with pride.
In India: In India adult literacy and basic education are often delivered through government literacy missions and charitable programmes, frequently in the learner's own language, with classes held in community centres or schools after working hours.
Illustrative: one typical day, written from the O*NET task statements for this occupation. Real days vary by employer and seniority.
What you'd actually do
- Observe and evaluate students' work to determine progress and make suggestions for improvement.
- Observe students to determine qualifications, limitations, abilities, interests, and other individual characteristics.
- Establish clear objectives for all lessons, units, and projects and communicate those objectives to students.
- Adapt teaching methods and instructional materials to meet students' varying needs, abilities, and interests.
- Prepare students for further education by encouraging them to explore learning opportunities and to persevere with challenging tasks.
- Prepare materials and classrooms for class activities.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does Adult basic education, adult secondary education, and english as a second language instructors do?
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.
What does a typical day look like in Adult basic education, adult secondary education, and english as a second language instructors?
You start the morning preparing an evening class for adults returning to learning: a reading passage, a short writing task and a few practical exercises such as filling in a form. Before class you review notes on each learner, since some cannot read well while others are close to finishing their school certificate. When the group arrives you set a clear goal for the session and start with a quick warm-up to put nervous learners at ease.
How much does Adult basic education, adult secondary education, and english as a second language instructors earn?
The median annual salary for Adult basic education, adult secondary education, and english as a second language instructors in the US is $59,950.
What is the job outlook for Adult basic education, adult secondary education, and english as a second language instructors?
The role is projected to decline by 14% over the next decade. Current US employment is approximately 40,900 workers.
How do I become adult basic education, adult secondary education, and english as a second language instructors?
The typical entry education is a Bachelor's degree. Building a foundation in the top skills below will strengthen your application.
What skills does Adult basic education, adult secondary education, and english as a second language instructors need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include Instructing, Speaking, Learning Strategies, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Monitoring. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace Adult basic education, adult secondary education, and english as a second language instructors?
Our AI-durability model gives Adult basic education, adult secondary education, and english as a second language instructors a score of 0.47 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at moderate AI exposure — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. Learning to work with AI tools rather than against them is the path forward.
How hard is it to enter this field?
Adult basic education, adult secondary education, and english as a second language instructors has moderate barrier to entry — moderately gated — a bachelor's degree or equivalent training is typically required.