Percentage distribution of K–12 public school teachers, by the type of teaching certificate they held in the state where they were teaching and selected teacher characteristics: School years 2015–16, 2017–18, and 2020–21

Selected teacher characteristics	Regular, standard, advanced, or probationary certificate¹	No teaching certificate or only provisional or emergency certificates²
2015–16
All public school teachers	93.9	6.1

Total years of teaching experience
3 years or less	82.2	17.8
4–9 years	94.0	6.0
10–14 years	95.8	4.2
15 or more years	97.1	2.9

Highest degree earned
Bachelor’s degree or less	91.6	8.4
Master’s degree	95.6	4.4
Higher than a master’s degree³	95.7	4.3

2017–18
All public school teachers	93.8	6.2

Total years of teaching experience
3 years or less	79.5	20.5
4–9 years	93.8	6.2
10–14 years	96.3	3.7
15 or more years	97.3	2.7

Highest degree earned
Bachelor’s degree or less	91.3	8.7
Master’s degree	95.7	4.3
Higher than a master’s degree³	95.9	4.1

2020–21
All public school teachers	93.1	6.9

Total years of teaching experience
3 years or less	75.0	25.0
4–9 years	92.8	7.2
10–14 years	95.7	4.3
15 or more years	96.8	3.2

Highest degree earned
Bachelor’s degree or less	89.6	10.4
Master’s degree	95.2	4.8
Higher than a master’s degree³	95.5	4.5

¹Held a regular or standard state certificate or advanced professional certificate or certificate issued after satisfying all requirements except the completion of a probationary period (in some states this is called a probationary certificate).

³Higher than a master’s degree is defined as a teacher who completed any of the following: an educational specialist or professional diploma, a certificate of advanced graduate studies, or a doctorate or first professional degree.

NOTE: Data are weighted estimates of the population. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. Teachers could report up to two current teaching certificates in the state where they were teaching. Teachers who reported two certificates are only counted once in the analysis.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS), “Public School Teacher Data File,” 2015–16, 2017–18, and 2020–21.