The aim of this research paper is to assess intrinsic and extrinsic motivational orientations between the public and the private sector for high school teachers toward teaching as a profession. A sample of teachers were chosen from the public and the private school in Jordan (N=204). Four hypotheses were tested using independent-samples T-test, the result shows that private school teachers were more motivated by extrinsic compensation motives and extrinsic outward motives, while public school teachers were more motivated by intrinsic challenge motives and intrinsic enjoyment motives. The authors found out that private school teachers perceived themselves motivated by money and rewards, to be better than their colleagues in doing their job and need to have a recognition for their performance at their work. Public school teachers perceived themselves as enjoying tackling new problems and solving complex and difficult problems and considered their job as very important to them.