Education & Training Jobs in Philadelphia, PA

The School District of Philadelphia runs 249 schools from 440 N. Broad Street, and 81 charter schools plus a large Catholic system compete for the same teachers, substitutes and aides. The guides below cover every education and training role in Philadelphia, who is hiring, and what it pays.

Substitute Teacher Jobs Teacher Jobs Teaching Assistant Jobs

Why Education Work Is Different in Philadelphia

Philadelphia is one city and one county with one public school district, but three distinct school systems inside it. The School District of Philadelphia is among the city's largest employers, with district and alternative schools from the Northeast to South Philly, and it employs about 3,000 special education assistants and 1,500 student climate staff alongside its teachers. Charter schools serve a large share of the city's public school students, led by networks such as Mastery, KIPP Philadelphia and Belmont, and neighborhood charters like Esperanza Academy in Hunting Park. The Archdiocese of Philadelphia and the Independence Mission Schools run parish and neighborhood Catholic schools across the city.

Pay and hiring rules are also set differently here. District teachers, aides and support staff are represented by the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers under a 2025-2028 contract with 3% raises each September, while charters set their own scales, some well above the district's starting pay. Substitutes for district schools are hired through ESS rather than by the district itself. The city is also dense with teacher preparation: Temple on North Broad, Penn GSE in University City, Drexel, Saint Joseph's, La Salle and Holy Family all run programs, and the district's own Teacher Residency and Pathways to Teaching programs pay people to train in city classrooms.

Top Education Employers in Philadelphia

These school systems and networks hire teachers, substitutes and classroom aides across the city:

  • School District of Philadelphia - the city's public school system hires teachers from $55,771 (2025-26 scale), special education assistants, early childhood teacher assistants and climate staff.
  • Mastery Schools - the charter network runs 18 Philadelphia schools, pays teachers from $60,900 to $112,700 and hires part-time classroom paraprofessionals.
  • KIPP Philadelphia - the charter network is hiring about 15 teachers and full-time building substitutes for 2026-27.
  • ESS - the School District's substitute partner hires daily and long-term substitute teachers, classroom assistants and climate staff by region of the city.
  • Independence Mission Schools - the Catholic school network is hiring teachers at St. Frances Cabrini, St. Rose of Lima and St. Veronica.
  • Archdiocese of Philadelphia - its Catholic schools post teacher, special education and PreK aide openings school by school.
  • Esperanza Academy Charter School - the Hunting Park K-12 charter recruits per diem and building substitutes.

Education Career Paths in Philadelphia

  • Classroom teaching - Teacher. The certified core of every school, paid on the PFT scale in the district and on each network's own scale in charters.
  • Classroom support - Teaching Assistant, Substitute Teacher. The fastest way into a Philadelphia school, often without a teaching certificate, and the usual first step for career changers.
  • Aide to teacher - Teaching Assistant to Teacher. District support staff can earn a degree and certificate through Pathways to Teaching, and residencies at the district, Drexel, Temple and Mastery pay residents while they train.

How to Start an Education Career in Philadelphia

  • Pennsylvania teaching certificate - issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Education through its TIMS system after a bachelor's degree, an approved preparation program and Praxis or PECT subject tests; the basic skills test was dropped on July 1, 2025.
  • Emergency permits - a school can request a day-to-day substitute permit for a bachelor's degree holder, valid for one school year.
  • Paraprofessional requirements - instructional aides in Title I and special education classrooms need an associate degree, 48 college credits or a passing state or local assessment, set by PDE.
  • Clearances - FBI fingerprints, a PA State Police check and a PA Child Abuse History Clearance for every school job.
  • Temple University College of Education and Human Development - Ritter Hall, 1301 Cecil B. Moore Avenue, including the paid Temple Teacher Residency.
  • Community College of Philadelphia - an Education - Early Childhood (Birth to 4th Grade) associate degree and an Early Childhood Education Proficiency Certificate, with the Main Campus at 1700 Spring Garden Street.

The teaching certificate or an emergency permit, the paraprofessional standard for instructional aides, and the three clearances are legal requirements; the degree level for classroom aides and the choice of preparation program are up to the employer and the candidate.

Education Salaries in Philadelphia

  • Entry - about $26,000 to $36,000 a year for teaching assistants and $151.76 to $185.10 a day for district substitutes through ESS.
  • Mid - about $55,771 to $61,000 a year for new certified teachers at the district and Mastery, rising past $79,000 with experience.
  • Senior - $94,011 to $102,519 at the top of the district's 2025-26 scale with graduate credits, and up to $112,700 at Mastery.

These are estimates from the PFT salary schedule, network pay pages, ESS rates and PA Department of Labor & Industry May 2025 wages, which put the average Philadelphia-area education job at $73,710 a year. District jobs come with PFT representation and the contract's scheduled raises, while charters and Catholic schools set their own pay and benefits.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does the School District of Philadelphia pay new teachers?

The district paid first-year teachers $55,771 with a bachelor's degree and $57,411 with a master's in 2025-26, and the PFT contract adds 3% on September 1, 2026 and again in 2027. Mastery Schools starts teachers at $60,900.

Can I work in a Philadelphia school without a teaching certificate?

Yes. District substitutes need a bachelor's degree, and many teaching assistant jobs list a high school diploma or GED. Instructional aides in some classrooms must also have college credits or pass an assessment.

How do I become a substitute teacher for the School District of Philadelphia?

Apply through ESS, the district's substitute partner. You need a bachelor's degree or a PA certificate, three clearances, a TB test and mandated reporter training, and ESS says most new substitutes start within two to four weeks.

Does the district help aides become teachers?

Yes. Pathways to Teaching pays tuition and books for PFT-represented support staff to earn an education degree and certificate through Community College of Philadelphia, Holy Family, La Salle or Lincoln University, with a two-year teaching commitment.

Is there a basic skills test for Pennsylvania teachers?

Not anymore. Pennsylvania dropped the basic skills test as a certification requirement on July 1, 2025, but teachers still pass Praxis or PECT content tests for their subject and grade level.

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