Entry Level

• To become a teacher in a federal prison at an entry level position the applicant must have a Bachelor of Science degree with at least one course in general psychology, human development or philosophy of education and teaching methods, or a combination of education and experience that includes four years of college study with teaching experience, or a state teaching credential. In addition, according to federal law 5 U.S.C. 3307, the maximum age for entering into a Bureau of Prisons position without prior BOP experience is 36 years of age.
  
  

GL-07

• A teacher entering at the GL-07 must meet all the basic requirements of an entry level position and have at least one year of graduate level education or have demonstrated superior academic achievement. Depending upon the applicant's qualifications and experience, the 2011 salary range is from the mid-to-lower end of the 43,964 dollars to 63,259 dollars per year range.
  
  

GL-09

• A teacher at the GL-09 level must meet all the basic requirements and have completed at least two years of progressively higher levels of graduate school in a master's or master's equivalent program. At the GL-09 level, the 2011 starting salary would be in the mid-to-upper range of 43,964 dollars to 63,259 dollars per year.
  
  

GL-11

• The GL-11 classification requires at least three years of graduate school study toward a PhD or PhD equivalent program. For the title of Education Specialist in 2011, the top salary for GL-11 level is 84,146 dollars per year. Education Specialists provide direct classroom instruction and are involved with the planning and coordination of educational programs such as, literacy, general education development, English-as-a-Second-Language, vocational training, adult continuing education, advanced education and release preparation.
  
  

Vocational Teacher

• The federal prison system also employs vocational teachers in culinary arts, construction, carpentry, plumbing, heating and air conditioning, automotive repair and inventory management. The salary range for this type of teacher ranges from 38,619 to 55,605 dollars per year.
  
  

Incentives

• Under some circumstances, teachers for the BOP can qualify for certain incentive programs such as, recruitment incentives, relocation incentives and retention incentives. These lump-sum payments can be up to 25 percent of the annual base salary for the position.