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Percentage distribution of teachers, by school type, age category, sex, and selected main teaching assignment: 2011–12

          Age category   Sex  
School type, selected main teaching assignment, and
years of teaching experience
Percent of
teachers
  Average age   Less than
30 years
  30–39
years
  40–49
years
  50–59
years
  60 years
or older
  Male   Female  
  All schools 100.0   42.5   15.6   28.5   24.8   22.8   8.3   24.0   76.0  
                                     
Selected main teaching assignment                                    
General education1 44.0   42.2   16.0   29.3   24.2   23.2   7.4   10.0   90.0  
Humanities2 19.6   42.7   15.2   29.3   24.7   21.0   9.7   24.0   76.0  
Arts and music3 6.4   43.3   15.8   25.4   23.1   27.0   8.7   32.4   67.6  
Behavioral & social sciences4 2.9   42.3   14.7   31.8   26.2   17.4   9.8   51.1   48.9  
Career, technical, & vocational education5 4.2   45.6   10.3   21.7   25.9   30.7   11.4   47.6   52.4  
Mathematics & computer science6 9.1   41.8   18.8   26.1   27.0   20.0   8.1   35.4   64.6  
Natural sciences7 6.9   41.8   15.8   30.0   26.8   20.6   6.7   37.6   62.4  
Other8 6.9   43.2   13.8   28.5   24.0   25.4   8.4   50.9   49.1  
                                     
Public schools 100.0   42.3   15.5   29.1   24.9   23.0   7.5   23.9   76.1  
                                     
Selected main teaching assignment                                    
  General education1 44.9   42.1   15.9   29.6   24.4   23.4   6.8   10.1   89.9  
  Humanities2 19.2   42.6   14.9   30.0   24.6   21.6   9.0   23.7   76.3  
  Arts and music3 6.1   43.0   15.7   26.8   22.7   27.1   7.6   33.9   66.1  
  Behavioral & social sciences4 3.0   42.3   14.0   32.6   26.5   17.7   9.3   50.4   49.6  
  Career, technical, & vocational education5 4.6   45.5   10.3   21.8   26.2   30.4   11.2   47.8   52.2  
  Mathematics & computer science6 8.9   41.2   19.5   27.3   27.3   19.2   6.7   35.0   65.0  
  Natural sciences7 6.8   41.5   15.9   30.7   27.1   20.3   6.1   38.2   61.8  
  Other8 6.6   43.1   13.0   29.0   24.6   25.7   7.7   51.3   48.7  
                                     
Private schools 100.0   43.7   16.8   24.4   23.7   21.4   13.8   24.5   75.5  
                                     
Selected main teaching assignment                                    
  General education1 37.6   43.1   17.3   26.5   22.6   20.5   13.2   9.5   90.5  
  Humanities2 22.7   43.2   17.2   25.4   25.6   17.4   14.5   26.2   73.8  
  Arts and music3 9.2   44.9   16.0   18.5   25.2   26.5   13.7   25.2   74.8  
  Behavioral & social sciences4 2.4   42.7   21.6   25.3 ! 23.7 ! 14.7   14.7 ! 57.4   42.6  
  Career, technical, & vocational education5 1.2   48.7   8.8 ! 18.6 !   39.3   16.0 ! 41.3 ! 58.7  
  Mathematics & computer science6 10.7   45.7   14.4   19.0   25.0   24.9   16.7   38.2   61.8  
  Natural sciences7 7.3   43.7   15.4   25.1   25.2   22.9   11.5   33.3   66.7  
  Other8 8.9   43.4   18.2   25.6   20.2   23.6   12.3   48.6   51.4  
! Interpret data with caution. The coefficient of variation (CV) for this estimate is between 30 percent and 50 percent (i.e., the standard error is at least 30 percent and less than 50 percent of the estimate).
‡ Reporting standards not met. The coefficient of variation (CV) for this estimate is 50 percent or greater (i.e., the standard error is 50 percent or more of the estimate).
1 General education includes: early childhood or pre-K, elementary grades, and special education.
2 Humanities includes: communications, composition, English, language arts, reading, ESL or bilingual education, foreign languages, area or ethnic studies, government or civics, history, Native American studies, and philosophy.
3 Arts and music includes: art or arts and crafts, dance, drama or theatre, and music.
4 Behavioral and social sciences includes: social studies, anthropology, economics, geography, psychology, and sociology.
5 Career, technical, & vocational education includes: agriculture and natural resources, business management, business support, marketing and distribution, healthcare occupations, construction trades, engineering, or science technologies, mechanic and repair, manufacturing or precision production, communications and related technologies, personal and public services, family and consumer sciences education, industrial arts or technology education, and other career or technical education.
6 Mathematics & computer science includes: algebra I, algebra II, algebra III, basic and general mathematics, business and applied math, calculus and pre-calculus, computer science, geometry, pre-algebra, statistics and probability, and trigonometry.
7 Natural sciences includes: sciences, general, biology or life sciences, chemistry, earth science, engineering, integrated science, physical science, and physics.
8 Other includes: journalism, speech, health education, physical education, driver education, library or information science, military science or ROTC, religious studies, and other.
NOTE: Estimates are for regular full-time teachers. Earnings from school related sources include base teaching salary, payment for extracurricular activities, and other services provided to the school or larger school system, such as merit pay bonuses and state supplements. Summer earnings are not included. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding and because some data are not shown.
SOURCE:U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS), "Public School Teacher and Private School Teacher Data Files," 2011–12.