Courses for Alabama Teachers
We have helped thousands of Alabama teachers renew their certificates, increase their salaries and advance their careers.
How Can We Help You?
We've carefully selected Nationally Accredited University Partners so you can earn graduate credits recognized across the country for salary advancement and license recertification.
Moving across the salary schedule is one of the most impactful financial decisions you can make as an educator. With our courses you can maximize your annual and lifetime earnings through salary advancement by completing graduate-level, professional development courses. Whether you are looking to move across the salary schedule or deepen your classroom expertise, our programs are designed to provide the highest return on your educational investment.
Explore Salary Advancement CoursesAdvance your Salary with our Master's Degree Option
Accelerate your career with a Master's Degree. We offer a selection of fully remote, graduate-level courses that can be applied directly toward a Master of Education (M.Ed.) through our partner, Colorado State University Pueblo. Earn high-quality graduate credits toward your Master's degree without stepping out of the classroom.
Note on District Approval: We recommend reviewing your district's master agreement regarding salary advancement credits. Most Alabama districts accept our graduate-level courses for lane changes. Check if your district accepts our credits →
📄 Renew My Alabama Teaching Certificate
The Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE) has various options available for teachers who need to renew their teaching certificates. To renew a Professional Educator Certificate in Alabama, educators must complete one of the approved renewal options within the 5-year validity period. Credits for Teachers and our University Partners can help Alabama educators complete this requirement for renewal.
🕐 Renewal Requirements
- Submit Renewal Request to ALSDE
- Option 1: 50 clock hours of allowable professional development
- Option 2: 3 semester hours of allowable graduate credit (coursework)
For the most up-to-date information or further details regarding Teaching Certificate Renewal in Alabama, please visit the Alabama State Department of Education Website.
Explore Alabama Certificate Renewal CoursesNeed to submit courses to your district or state for approval? Download our free Course Approval Form (PDF) — a fillable form you can send directly to your administrator or certification office.
The Alabama Teacher Salary Schedule: What You Need to Know
Your salary for your Alabama school district is often determined by two factors: your years of experience (steps) and your education level (lanes). Steps advance automatically every year. Lanes only move when you take action — by earning graduate-level credits. The difference in lifetime earnings between a teacher who stays in the BA lane and one who advances to a higher degree lane is significant.
| Years of Experience | Bachelor's (BA) | Master's (MA) | Education Specialist (Ed.S.) | Doctoral (PhD/Ed.D.) | Annual Gain (PhD vs BA) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 years | $43,358 | $49,859 | $53,763 | $57,664 | +$14,306 |
| 3 years | $45,358 | $52,159 | $56,263 | $60,164 | +$14,806 |
| 6 years | $47,689 | $54,842 | $59,134 | $63,433 | +$15,744 |
| 10 years | $51,795 | $59,563 | $64,242 | $68,887 | +$17,092 |
| 15 years | $54,438 | $62,602 | $67,519 | $72,401 | +$17,963 |
| 20 years | $57,214 | $65,795 | $70,963 | $76,094 | +$18,880 |
| 25 years | $60,133 | $69,151 | $74,583 | $79,975 | +$19,842 |
Source: Alabama State Department of Education, State Minimum Salary Schedule. Individual district schedules may vary.
Critical insight most Alabama teachers miss: A teacher who earns a Master's degree can earn over $6,500 more per year than a colleague in the BA lane — at every experience level. Advancing to an Education Specialist or Doctoral degree increases that gap to over $19,800 per year. Over a 25-year career, that adds up to over $495,000 in additional earnings.
Curious what your specific numbers look like? Use our free tool to find your personalized salary roadmap.
📈 Calculate My Salary Potential →Why Starting Early Changes Everything
Salary advancement works like compound interest. The sooner you move across lanes, the more years you earn at the higher rate. Here are illustrative 25-year career totals based on research across real district salary schedules.
Figures are representative ranges based on research across multiple real district salary schedules. Your district's schedule will vary.
The rule of thumb: Every year you delay a lane change is a year of higher salary you can never recover. Teachers who start in years 1–5 consistently find it easier to complete courses than those who wait — and they earn more for every remaining year of their career.
📈 Find Your Personalized Salary Roadmap: Not sure how much you could earn by advancing lanes? Use our free Salary Calculator to see exactly how much more you could earn based on your current lane, district, and years of experience.
Our University Partners
We've carefully selected Nationally Accredited University Partners so you can earn graduate credits recognized across the country for salary advancement and license recertification.
Note on District Approval: We recommend reviewing your district's master agreement regarding salary advancement credits. Most Alabama districts accept our graduate-level courses for lane changes. Check your district →
Invest in Your Career. Maximize Your Earnings.
The investment you make today pays dividends throughout your entire teaching career.
📈 See Your Personalized Numbers: Every teacher's situation is different. Use our free Salary Calculator to discover exactly how much more you could earn based on your current lane, years of experience, and Alabama district.
Three Steps to Advance Your Career
The process is straightforward. Our team is with you at every step.
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Browse and Select Your Courses
Choose from our catalog of graduate-level, self-paced online courses. Select the university partner and credit option that best fits your goals — whether you're pursuing a lane change, certificate renewal, or a full Master's degree.
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Complete Your Coursework Online
All courses are 100% online and self-paced. Complete them on your own schedule — evenings, weekends, or summer break. Most teachers finish a 3-credit course in 4–8 weeks while continuing to teach full-time.
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Submit Credits to Your District or the Alabama DOE
Upon completion, request your official transcript from our university partner. Submit it to your district HR department for a lane change, or submit it to the Alabama State Department of Education for certificate renewal. Our team is available to help guide you through this process.
Everything You Need to Know
Still have questions? Our team is happy to help.
To renew your Alabama Professional Educator Certificate, you must complete one of the approved renewal options within your 5-year validity period: either 50 clock hours of allowable professional development or 3 semester hours of allowable graduate credit. Our courses are designed to meet the 3-credit (semester hour) requirement. Once complete, you submit a renewal application through the ALSDE Educator Certification System.
Yes. Credits for Teachers and our University Partners can help Alabama educators complete the 3 semester hour requirement for renewal. Our courses are offered through regionally accredited universities, and the graduate credits you earn are accepted by the Alabama State Department of Education for certificate renewal purposes.
Most Alabama school districts accept our graduate-level courses for lane changes on the salary schedule. You can use our District Credit Approval Tool to quickly find out if your specific district accepts our credits. We also recommend reviewing your district's master agreement or contacting your HR department to confirm that the credits will apply to your situation. Our team is happy to help you verify district acceptance before you enroll.
Alabama's state minimum salary schedule includes lanes for Bachelor's, Master's, Education Specialist, and Doctoral degrees. The number of credits required to advance depends on which lane you are moving to. A Master's degree typically requires 30–36 graduate credits beyond the bachelor's degree. An Education Specialist (Ed.S.) requires approximately 30 credits beyond the Master's. We recommend checking your specific district's salary schedule or contacting your HR department for the exact requirements.
If your Alabama certificate has expired, you will need to contact the ALSDE Teacher Certification Section to determine the specific requirements for reinstatement. The process may differ depending on how long the certificate has been expired. The ALSDE recommends submitting your renewal documentation before your certificate expires to avoid any lapse in credentials.
Clock hours are typically associated with in-service training, workshops, or professional development activities that do not carry graduate credit. Semester hours are graduate-level credits earned from an accredited college or university — these are what you earn through Credits for Teachers courses. For Alabama certificate renewal, you can satisfy the requirement with either 50 clock hours or 3 semester hours. Our courses provide graduate-level semester hours, which also count toward salary lane changes.
Yes. Through our partnership with Colorado State University Pueblo (CSU Pueblo), you can earn a fully accredited Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Curriculum & Instruction. The total program is 38 credits — 18 of which you complete through Credits for Teachers at just $131/credit, and 20 through CSU Pueblo. The total program cost is $11,764, a fraction of a traditional Master's program. You can also earn salary lane changes from the same courses before you finish the degree.
What Educators Are Saying
Thousands of teachers have used Credits for Teachers to advance their careers and increase their salaries.
"I had no idea lane changes were even a thing until I found Credits for Teachers. I completed two courses over the summer and moved from BA to BA+30. My salary went up $6,200 the following school year. I wish I had done this sooner."
"The courses were genuinely interesting and I could do them on my own schedule. The university credit was accepted by my district without any issues. Highly recommend to any teacher who wants to maximize their salary."
"I was skeptical at first — it seemed too easy. But it's completely legitimate. I've now done three lane changes over five years and I'm earning $14,000 more per year than when I started."
We've partnered with Affirm to offer flexible payment options. Split your course costs into manageable monthly payments that fit your budget. For licenses and disclosures, see affirm.com/licenses.
PLEASE NOTE: The content provided on this page is solely provided for informational purposes and does not exempt users from their responsibility to ensure that our courses meet their state's continuing education requirements. Please check with your state certification agency for up-to-date policies for teacher certification renewal/continuing education.