Years of teaching experience: Percentage distribution of K–12 school teachers based on years of teaching experience, average total years of teaching experience, percentage distribution of teachers based on years teaching at current school, and average years teaching at current school, by school type and selected school characteristics: 2020–21

	Total years of teaching experience				Average years teaching	Years teaching at current school				Average years at current school
School type and selected school characteristic	3 years or less	4–9 years	10–14 years	15 or more years	Average years teaching	3 years or less	4–9 years	10–14 years	15 or more years	Average years at current school
All teachers	12.4	24.5	16.6	46.5	14.5	38.2	27.8	12.6	21.4	8.2

All public school teachers	11.8	24.6	16.7	46.9	14.5	37.9	27.8	12.7	21.6	8.2

School classification
Traditional public	11.1	23.8	16.7	48.4	14.8	36.7	27.6	13.0	22.7	8.5
Charter school	21.1	35.1	17.2	26.6	10.4	55.1	30.3	8.2	6.4	4.7

Community type
City	12.6	27.4	16.4	43.7	13.8	42.0	29.9	11.2	16.9	7.1
Suburban	10.3	23.1	16.9	49.7	14.9	35.2	26.7	13.7	24.4	8.7
Town	12.8	23.4	15.8	48.0	14.9	37.5	27.5	12.5	22.5	8.6
Rural	12.9	24.3	17.2	45.6	14.5	37.8	27.1	12.8	22.2	8.5

School level¹
Elementary	12.0	24.9	16.7	46.4	14.3	38.2	28.0	12.8	20.9	8.1
Middle	12.0	24.4	16.6	46.9	14.3	40.0	27.5	12.0	20.5	7.8
Secondary/high	10.9	23.8	16.8	48.5	14.8	35.5	27.8	13.3	23.4	8.7
Combined/other	12.7	26.1	16.7	44.5	14.3	39.8	26.9	11.5	21.8	8.2

Student enrollment
Less than 100	13.1	23.3	17.7	46.0	14.9	51.4	24.0	10.3	14.3	6.1
100–199	14.8	23.7	14.2	47.3	14.8	43.1	25.3	10.6	21.0	8.1
200–499	12.2	24.7	17.0	46.1	14.4	37.4	28.2	12.7	21.7	8.4
500–749	12.1	25.0	15.8	47.1	14.4	38.9	27.2	12.3	21.6	8.1
750–999	11.8	23.2	17.3	47.7	14.4	37.9	27.9	12.6	21.6	8.1
1,000 or more	10.2	25.0	17.1	47.7	14.6	35.5	28.5	13.7	22.3	8.4

Percent of K–12 students who were approved for free or reduced-price lunches
0–34	9.6	22.7	17.6	50.0	15.1	34.4	26.9	13.9	24.8	8.9
35–49	10.4	23.5	18.0	48.1	14.9	34.5	27.2	14.4	23.9	8.9
50–74	12.4	25.4	16.1	46.1	14.2	39.3	28.5	11.9	20.4	8.0
75 or more	14.0	26.2	15.6	44.1	13.9	41.9	28.5	11.3	18.3	7.4

All private school teachers	17.4	23.6	15.7	43.3	14.5	39.9	28.4	12.0	19.7	8.2

School classification
Catholic	16.3	24.7	14.5	44.5	15.0	39.6	27.5	11.7	21.3	8.6
Other religious	20.7	21.6	14.9	42.8	14.2	42.0	28.2	11.7	18.1	7.7
Nonsectarian	13.9	25.3	18.3	42.5	14.4	37.4	29.6	12.7	20.3	8.5

Community type
City	17.7	23.8	15.6	42.9	14.3	39.6	28.2	12.0	20.3	8.4
Suburban	16.7	23.1	17.2	42.9	14.5	39.7	28.9	12.5	19.0	8.0
Town	16.0	26.4	16.0	41.7	15.2	37.2	32.5	12.4	17.9	8.3
Rural	18.9	23.2	11.6	46.3	15.0	43.4	25.2	10.4	21.0	8.1

School level¹
Elementary/middle	17.9	27.3	13.4	41.4	13.8	41.4	30.8	11.1	16.6	7.5
Secondary/high	17.6	23.7	16.8	41.9	14.5	39.2	29.5	11.1	20.2	8.4
Combined/other	17.2	23.0	15.9	43.9	14.6	39.9	27.7	12.3	20.1	8.3

Student enrollment
Less than 100	23.0	25.9	12.5	38.5	13.4	47.4	26.9	8.4	17.3	7.1
100–199	19.9	24.4	15.9	39.8	13.7	41.6	28.7	11.4	18.3	7.7
200–499	16.5	22.7	16.5	44.3	14.6	39.0	29.0	14.5	17.5	8.0
500–749	14.8	23.3	19.5	42.4	14.6	40.5	26.8	12.6	20.1	8.4
750 or more	7.9	21.3	14.7	56.2	17.6	26.1	30.2	11.2	32.4	11.4

¹Elementary schools offer at least one grade of K to 4, and the number of elementary grades is higher than the number of middle grades. Middle schools offer at least one of grades 5 to 8, and the number of middle grades is greater than the number of elementary or secondary grades. Secondary/high schools are defined as schools that enroll students in more of grades 9 through 12 than in lower grades. Combined/other schools include all other combinations of grades, including K–12 schools. School level categories in the 2020–21 NTPS differ from those in previous survey administrations; caution should be exercised when comparing estimates by level over time.

NOTE: Data are weighted estimates of the population. Teachers include both full-time and part-time teachers. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS), “Public School Teacher and Private School Teacher Data Files,” 2020–21.