Salary/Degree Guides

The Ultimate Education Career Guide: Salary and Degree Info

Written by Grad School Center Team We are a passionate team of experienced educators and advisors at GradSchoolCenter.com, dedicated to guiding students through their graduate education journey. Our experts, with advanced degrees across various disciplines, offer personalized advice, up-to-date program information, and practical insights into application processes.

Reviewed by David Krug David Krug is a seasoned expert with 20 years in educational technology (EdTech). His career spans the pivotal years of technology integration in education, where he has played a key role in advancing student-centric learning solutions. David's expertise lies in marrying technological innovation with pedagogical effectiveness, making him a valuable asset in transforming educational experiences. As an advisor for enrollment startups, David provides strategic guidance, helping these companies navigate the complexities of the education sector. His insights are crucial in developing impactful and sustainable enrollment strategies.

Updated: March 5, 2024, Reading time: 46 minutes

Education Career Guide - featured image

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Teaching is a noble profession. It may not require the same skillsets as other noble professions like being a doctor, but it is a noble vocation. For many educators, they were called into it. But with the pandemic crippling all sense of normalcy all over the world, which includes the closure, both temporarily and permanently, of many schools, the teaching profession has also suffered.

And this is a profession that has long been suffering in terms of retention and attrition. Ironically though, many students are still called to teach.

Those with a degree in undergraduate Education, whether an associate’s or a bachelor’s, have an array of career options aside from classroom educators’ conventional pathways or education aides. Nowadays, teachers have transcended classroom stereotypes and are also employed in various sectors of the economy – real estate, consultancy, social work, and even the corporate world. Some have been known to take on managerial work, corporate consultancy, or corporate training.

Whether you have been inspired by a past teacher or you are just drawn to kids, and find a sense of fulfillment in sharing knowledge with people of all ages or walks of life, a degree in education might be a good fit for you! Plus, this degree has so many transferrable skills that a classroom or a school isn’t your only option. This could be a good springboard for other careers. Read on to find out!


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Education as a Degree

There are several undergraduate options for aspiring teachers depending on which subset of the student demographic they want to teach or other alternative education careers they would like to be in.

An Associate of Arts Degree or Bachelor of Arts Degree in Education are good entry points. However, there are other undergraduate program options available for those who’d like to teach while opening up their doors to other career alternatives like Social Work, School Administration, Curriculum Consultancy, Adult Education, Special Education, and Counseling.

To teach in the elementary, middle school, and high school levels, you must undergo a teacher preparation program on top of their bachelor’s degree. This, along with a state licensure examination, is required by U.S. public schools for those who’d like to teach in such institutions.

It is also worth noting that alternative routes to being an eligible or certified teacher are also available to those who cannot pursue the traditional route of earning a bachelor’s degree in Education. These alternative certification pathways were made available by various states, each with its own set of requirements, because of the teacher shortage in the early 2000s. 

Generally speaking, wherever state you may be in or wish to teach if you’re an undergraduate, the very basic requirement you’ll need to teach is a bachelor’s degree in Education or a related degree like B.S. Special Education, and a license or certification of eligibility to teach. Everyone who intends to teach must also undergo a teacher preparation program.

While alternative pathways to earn a certification exist in every state, the surest way to go is still the traditional route, which you can earn in two ways – the traditional, on-campus, or online.


Types of Education Degrees

An Associate Degree in Education is the perfect degree for teaching aspirants that are still testing the waters or may not have enough budget yet for a full-on, four-year bachelor’s degree. It usually requires around 40 to 60 units for completion, with the areas of focus or major being limited to:

  1. Elementary Education or Early Childhood Development (which may be offered separately in some schools), which involves teaching students from the preschool level until the sixth grade;
  2. Physical Education which, as the name implies, involves teaching students about general health, nutrition, self-care, and of course, physical activity and recreation;
  3. Paraprofessional Education, along with Early Childhood Development, is one of the more popular career pathways for those with an Associate Degree in Education. Those who pursue this specialty after two years in college usually are employed as teaching assistants and are not required to earn their teaching license.

So, what does one learn in those two years of “introductory to teaching”? Well, the basics or introductory concepts of teaching, which include: 

  1. The pedagogy or foundational techniques of teaching;
  2. Some introductory psychology for teaching;
  3. Technologies employed in teaching, which is especially relevant today;
  4. Managing the diverse demographics in a classroom or the school as a whole and other relevant topics.

Graduates of an AA in Education can either find work as any of the above-specialized educators or pursue continuing education and earn a bachelor’s degree, which is a prerequisite to earning a teaching license.

A Bachelor’s in Education is the minimum requirement for those who wish to be certified or licensed to practice the profession. Those who intend to teach secondary or high school or have a tangential role in academia, such as being a guidance counselor, school principal, or curriculum consultant, must have teaching licenses granted by the state.

Those who wish to teach graduate or adult students must not only be licensed but must have their master’s degree as well, with the former a prerequisite for the latter. More on that later.

Contrary to popular notion, though, a four-year degree in education is akin to having a bachelor’s in business management – they are both flexible and can land you a job almost anywhere aside from academia. Should you decide not to pursue teaching fully, there are so many transferrable soft and hard skills such as communication skills, people management, and analytical skills an education graduate can leverage as they shift industries. Plus, a teaching license won’t be necessary.

There are two – but not limited to – common paths to earning a master’s degree in the field at the graduate level. A Master of Arts in Teaching focuses on the mastery of educating young students or those from preschool to senior high school. It teaches the fundamental techniques of teaching in such settings and the various teaching models one can apply. It is more narrowly focused on, well, teaching.

A Master’s Degree in Education has a broader scope in terms of focus and career options. It is ideal for future professionals building a career in academia as a teacher and higher administration, education consultancy, student affairs, and other related careers. With an M.Ed., you can teach and shape academia, whether at the school level, school district level, or local administrative levels.


Education Specializations

The field of education primarily subdivides itself into – but not limited to – Early Childhood Development or Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education, Middle School Education, Secondary Education, or Special Education. But this doesn’t mean that those who hold these specializations are just confined to being teachers. Let’s dig deeper.

Education Career Guide - fact 4

Early Childhood Education

Graduates with this specialization usually enter the field as preschool or kindergarten teachers or daycare facilitators. One of the main objectives of early childhood education is to harness the children’s social and motor skills, and to some extent, sensory skills. Teaching this subsection of students does warrant its specialization as the skillsets required from its teachers are different from other educators.

Teachers of infant, toddler, and preschool students need to be fully equipped to tailor the curriculum and the learning facility itself or the physical environment such as the classroom. Teachers at this level need to engage the young learners through vivid colors, objects, stories, and other universally accepted teaching models.

Graduates equipped with this specialization can also be employed as part of the administration team of preschools or daycare centers, consultants for early childhood curriculum, family support specialists, or even find themselves in sales and marketing, focusing on products and services for children.

Elementary Education

Those who specialize in elementary education are eligible (with certification, of course) to teach students from kindergarten to the 5th grade. They are expected to teach a wide variety of subjects from science to math, English, and the arts. This differentiates them from middle school and secondary education (high school). Teachers are expected to teach only one subject or area of focus, usually the subject they majored in during their undergraduate training.

Middle School Education

Educators who specialize in Middle School Education are primarily bound to teach students from the 5th to 8th grade. A typical curriculum of this specialization includes Training and Studies in Teaching Middle Schoolers and the Philosophy and Psychology of Teaching the said student demographic. It also includes courses in languages, history, cultural studies, sciences, reasoning, composition, and other related subjects. 

Secondary Education

Those who wish to teach high school students should specialize in Secondary Education while pursuing an Education degree.

They can also choose a major, depending on what subject they feel comfortable with or are interested in teaching. Examples of subjects to major in include English, Science, Mathematics, Social Studies, and History. Besides teaching, those who specialize in secondary education can also – with experience – rise the department chairperson, school administrator, or district superintendent.

Special Education

A Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Special Education degree is required of teachers who are engaged in educating students with special needs.

These students are on both ends of the spectrum – they can either have behavioral challenges such as difficulty maintaining attention or comprehension challenges and or physical disabilities or have exceptional learning abilities and skills that require an educator who is adept at tailoring an advanced curriculum to harness their gifts.

The core of a Special Education curriculum revolves around traditional and non-traditional methods because of the student demographic. They are expected to be skillful in developing tailored curricula or Individualized Education Plans (IEP) for the students’ benefit and their parents who are part of the overall learning process for special education students.

Applied Educational Studies

This is a great specialization for education professionals who wish to go beyond the classroom and the academe. Applied Educational Studies take a broader approach to education. It doesn’t only cover the various teaching methods as with other Education degrees, but also the foundational theories and psychology on understanding students of all ages and the practical applications of these concepts.

It highlights relevant concepts such as human development, analytics, and research, which is why graduates of this degree make good policymakers or program directors or even transcend the educational sector into the corporate sector as trainers, strategists, or project managers.

Post-Secondary Teaching or Higher Education

A career in post-secondary teaching will require a graduate degree or a master’s degree at the minimum as it involves teaching undergraduate and graduate students. So, it’s just reasonable that a certain level of master’s, expertise, and experience is required among its faculty. But teaching isn’t the only career option available at this level.

With a master’s or a doctoral degree, the opportunities are almost endless – from the administration, program director at a university or a college, deanship, student affairs, policymaking, and senior consultancy to research – there are just so many avenues for a professional with a background in education.

Counseling

This is a common alternative career option for teachers as they are expected to be empathic, and attentive, and the problem-solving skills they gained as educators are also transferrable in the field of counseling.

It may seem that this profession is all talk and a lot of sitting down in a quiet room, but it takes a lot of skill to have someone, even more so a student – usually of young age who could be tricky and challenging to work with – to have them open up and disclose any personal thoughts or feelings that might be affecting their school work. As such, all states require their school counselors to have obtained a post-graduate degree. A license may be an optional requirement depending on the state.

Coaching and Sports Scouting

This is a thriving business in and of itself, especially in the US where amateur or scholastic sporting events are a thing – think of March Madness.

So, it’s no surprise that educators with a specialization in Physical Education and Health who find themselves in the sporting world either as coaches, trainers, scouts, or even statisticians (you’ll need to have a strong Math background as well for this one) thrive in this specific area, especially those with experience who end up in the big leagues. Aside from a strong background in Phys-Ed, those who delve into this specialization will need a CPR certification as well.

Adult Education

Like Special Education, Adult Education is a degree on its own and can be offered as a Bachelor of Science or a Bachelor of Arts. Why the two tracks? The BS track focuses on the complexity of curriculum design and instruction for adult learners and the proven effective methodologies and principles behind it.

Meanwhile, the BA track is more focused on the art and techniques of teaching adult learners. A teaching license or certification is required for this particular profession or specialization.

English as a Second Language (ESL)

Normally, a master’s degree is not necessary to be an ESL teacher, but it would be advantageous to have one as it preps the educator to deal with students from various ages and cultural backgrounds whose mother tongues aren’t English but are required to learn English to survive life in the US. With the consistently growing migrant population in the US, the demand for ESL is growing proportionately.

Online Education

There is no degree or field of study that focuses on online teaching. Any form of training related to it only appears as part of an education curriculum, usually phrased as “technological advancements” or something similar. Today, it is the only viable pathway (for now) to teach with the pandemic shutting schools down for good or for the time being.

The challenges of online teaching are, of course, different than those of a brick-and-mortar setup, but those who have mastered the art and technology of online teaching can make a good living from it. 


Online vs. Brick and Mortar Education Degrees

With the COVID pandemic forcing all of us to practice social distancing, online degrees have become an indispensable option for students, and those pursuing a degree in education or related fields are no exception.

Online Education Degrees have been around and have helped students earn their degrees remotely even before the pandemic. What’s even greater is that educational institutions are becoming more receptive to these degrees earned online. 

Brick-and-mortar education degrees still exist, and they will never go away. Because it continues to hold one great advantage over online degrees, which is especially relevant to the field of education – the facet of in-person interaction not only with fellow students but more importantly, the chance to do a teaching demonstration – which is the culminating activity of this degree – in front of a live classroom; such an experience will never live up to any Zoom Teaching Demo that is, of course, the only alternative for aspiring teachers as schools have yet to reopen.


Financing Your Degree in Education

A quick search online would reveal that the cost of a degree in Education would be anywhere from $340 per unit to about $2,000 per unit. A typical Bachelor’s in Education program consists of 120 units. While it is tempting to enroll at a school that offers very affordable tuition fees, you run the risk of receiving a subpar education and training, especially in preparation for a career in a service-oriented profession.

A good financial aid, such as that of TEACH or the Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education from the Federal Student Aid (FSA), will help students who are enrolled in teaching degrees that are eligible for the TEACH grant.

Another way to help cut down the hefty tuition cost, especially if you’re enrolling out-of-state, is to check whether the state where you plan to attend college has a reciprocity agreement with your state of residency. That way, you get to pay close to in-state tuition fees even if you’re a non-resident student.

Look at private student loans and other grants from private entities to finance your degree. Another way to stay within your budget – and if you’ve been reading closely, you might have an idea already – is to pursue an Associate degree first in Education at a local community college, which is a more affordable option, plus, you get to earn an employable degree in two years (or even less, depending on the school or if you take it online). That means you get to work with professionals, save up, go back to school for another two years, and finally earn that BA degree.


Education Career Pathways, Information, and Outlook

Alternative career options for education majors (i.e., jobs outside the confines of an educational institution) are not included in this particular list. Also not included in this list are related occupations that require a graduate degree on top of a college degree.

College graduates, whether of a four-year or a two-year degree, armed with a major in education, can be employed not only in the educational sector but in the corporate world as well, as we’ll find out below:


Top 10 Education Occupations

Post-secondary Teachers

College professors play a vital role in shaping the education and career options of undergraduate and graduate students. They are expected to be theoretically knowledgeable in the subject area(s) they teach and be experts, backed with involvement in clinical or actual research and real-world professional experience.

As such, they are also required to have graduate degrees. Whether a master’s or a doctoral degree and a professional certificate (i.e., engineering license, architectural license, doctor’s license, nursing license, etc.) is required or not will depend on the subject’s concentration or discipline.

Salary: $80,840

Entry-level Education: Graduate Degree (Master’s and or Ph.D.)


Archivist, Museum Historian or Curator

Education graduates with a major in arts or history can also consider being an archivist, museum historian, or curator as an alternative to teaching arts or history to a roomful of middle school or high school students. As archivists or historians, they can find employment both in the government and private sectors.

They are usually in charge of collecting or purchasing, storage, preservation, archiving, or record-keeping and even selling artistic, historic, and other memorabilia of great public interest and value. These occupations are foreseen to have positive job growth in the years to come, with a competitive annual median pay of almost $54k a year or an hourly rate of almost $26 per hour.

Salary: $53,420

Entry-level Education: Bachelor’s Degree (though some museums may require a graduate degree)


Community Health Educators 

These professionals engage local communities and educate them on nutrition, health, preventable diseases, and the like. They develop their instructional materials, so they need a mastery of the concepts and exemptional communicational skills, both verbal, written, and illustrative.

This is a good alternative for education graduates with a major in health. The minimum educational requirement is usually a bachelor’s degree in health education and a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) certification. The job growth outlook is forecasted at 7% over the next few years.

Salary: $59,990

Entry-level Education: Bachelor’s Degree


High School or Secondary Teachers

Secondary-level teachers prepare high school students for the rigorous curricula of the collegiate level. They taught specific subjects based on their subject concentration or major when they earned their degrees.

Salary: $62,360

Entry-level Education: Bachelor’s Degree


Preschool Teachers

They educate first-time schoolers that could be anywhere from ages 2 to 5. It takes special skills to handle this student demographic as they might pose behavioral and attention challenges because of their ages.

Salary: $35,330

Entry-level Education: Associate Degree


Kindergarten and Elementary Teachers

Quite similar to preschool teachers, kindergarten and elementary teachers handle very young students who are more into socializing and physical activity than lectures and tests. They teach various subjects and are also expected to have close coordination with the student’s parents. 

Salary: $61,620

Entry-level Education: Bachelor’s Degree


Middle School Teachers

These teachers help students as they gradually transition from elementary to high school, which middle school is for. Middle school teachers also teach a wide variety of subjects.

Salary:  $61,810

Entry-level Education: Bachelor’s Degree


Special Education Teachers

Special Ed teachers must have a degree in Special Education and not just a bachelor’s in education. These teachers are highly specialized in handling students with extreme aptitudes and attention span, learning, and physical disabilities and are on both ends of the behavioral and personality spectrum. 

Salary: $62,950

Entry-level Education: Bachelor’s Degree


ESL Teachers

ESL teachers aren’t only expected to be English majors. They are also expected to possess the skills to communicate with migrant students who may have a different mother tongue other than English. It’s a big plus if they can speak other languages, which makes for a more interactive and effective learning experience for both the student and the teacher.

Salary: $58,590

Entry-level Education: Bachelor’s Degree


Sports Coaches and Scouts

They are responsible for grooming young athletes to learn the game and developing their characters. They are usually Physical Education majors with  CPR and first aid training.

Salary: $44,890

Entry-level Education: Bachelor’s Degree


Other Education Occupational Titles

If you’re considering working in the education sector but are open to other job roles besides teaching, it can help see the breadth of functions available. These are some education-related job titles that you can apply for when you meet an opportunity:

Administration Positions

Staff who belong to the administration department are responsible for recruiting and evaluating newly admitted students. Some of their tasks include giving campus tours, interacting with parents and students, distributing scholarships, and organizing the entrance exams. They also represent the schools when there is a need to participate in school affairs. These are the administrative job positions you can find:

  • Vice Principal
  • Academic Director
  • Assistant Principal
  • Communication Specialist
  • Resource Coordinator
  • Admissions Recruiter
  • Principal
  • School Community Relations Coordinator
  • Director of Equity and Compliance
  • Superintendent
  • Supervisor of STEM Programs
  • Human Resources Assistant
  • Human Resources Director

Music Instructors

If you have a passion for music and teaching, then a music department profession is the right combination for you. Music teachers usually enjoy teaching music history and guiding students to cultivate their skills in playing different instruments.

In big schools, music instructors carry a huge responsibility of maintaining and running the school’s orchestra. There will be planning of concerts while organizing schedules for rehearsals. If you have a forte for music, you may consider the following job opportunities:

Librarian

The roles of a librarian are often incorporated with the maintenance of school libraries. They ensure that the school is stocked with academic books and high-quality novels too. Staff in the library work in managing book circulations and organizing their placement through cataloging.

They also help students with research and collaborate with other school libraries to acquire updated resources. If you’re comfortable with spending your day job in the library setting, here are some jobs to consider:


30 Highest Paying Education Careers

School Principals

The School Principal is the core leader of the school administration department. They are highly trained to oversee the daily operations of preschools, elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools. They help execute educational policies and new implementations to follow a standard of educational success, mandated mainly by the country’s education ministry. School principals are also responsible for hiring school staff and educators. They develop academic curricula, are hands-on with staff training, and monitor students’ progress. 

Salary:  $101,320 to $158,770 


Academic Deans

Among the many roles of an academic dean, they include working within admissions and managing the registrar’s offices at colleges, secondary schools, and universities. They also organize procedures for financial aid. Most academic deans prepare promotional information to make their department more enticing to new students. They organize and implement academic policies, manage budgets, create databases for students and courses, and provide advice for financing educational fees. 

Salary: $99,940 to $196,420


Assistant Principal

Assistant Principals provide administrative and supervisory support to teachers, staff, and students. They develop and monitor students’ performance and contribute suitable instructions and programs. They derive some programs that could benefit the staff’s and teachers’ professional development, devise innovative and practical teaching skills, and source materials for academic teaching. They also assist the Principal in managing budgetary and financial issues. 

Salary: $83,751 to $112,269


Chief Administrator

You can apply as a chief administrator in high school institutions, colleges, and universities. They are often assigned to monitor and manage the daily operations of the school. They provide leadership and guidance to all departments while developing and implementing strategic and visionary plans.

Chief Administrators working in high schools earn less than those working in universities and colleges. However, generally speaking, they are part of the highest-paying educational jobs. Additionally, this job’s employment rate is expected to grow by 9 percent in the years to come.

Salary: $100,090


Superintendent

Superintendents are considered the CEOs of schools. They manage and keep up with all the aspects of a school district. They are focused on improving the quality of education to develop and instill policies and procedures. They also manage all the educators and school staff and maintain the financial budgets of the school. They are responsible for addressing different concerns like complaints, scheduling conflicts, salary issues, and behavioral issues related to students and staff. 

Salary: $98,679


Librarian

The education system can’t survive without librarians. They are as vital as professors and educators. They manage all information and resources found in the library. They also organize programs and systems that contribute to the overall efficacy and success of the facility.

Ease of access among their visitors like researchers and students is their primary concern. So they always select new technology, materials, books, and videos that will contribute to everyone’s needs. They assist students and staff in using cataloged resources and library materials. 

Salary: $61,660


Special Education Teacher

If you have a special heart to teach infants, children, and teens who have some form of disabilities, then you should work as a Special Education Teacher. They do their best to cultivate these students to become independent in any way. Like teaching normal children, it’s an absolute delight to teach special kids too.

You need to expand their knowledge, improve their skills, and correlate their abilities with the specialized program and curriculum. As a Special Education Teacher, you will need to guide the special students as they transition to an advanced form of learning. 

Salary: $62,950


School Counselor

School Counselors usually support students in elementary, middle, and high schools. They also help teachers and administrators in the overall maintenance of school operations. School Counselors provide personal, educational, or vocational counseling to everyone who needs it.

They also focus on mental health education and other areas and issues that need to be addressed. Aside from these sensitive life issues, they guide students with college and career planning. They work alongside other teachers to assist the students’ academic, social, and emotional upbringing. 

Salary: $60,140


Secondary School Teacher

Secondary School Teachers deliver educational teachings that deal with humanities, sciences, history, mathematics, and many other subjects necessary to develop a child’s academic rigor. They also advise students and assess their performance based on lectures, quizzes, activities, and classroom experiences. They use a grading system for evaluation. Most Secondary School Teachers need a master’s degree in education.

Salary: $69,480


College Professor

College Professors teach various majors depending on the department they work in and the courses they specialize in. They are expected to plan out an academic program covering a semester duration for a set of students assigned to them. They also research lines within their field.

Professors are expected to continue studying and contributing to the areas that they teach and specialize in. These contributions include scientific studies, innovative inquiries, and critical reviews of fellow academia’s research. As a professor, the qualifications required will be a master’s degree, a license to teach, and some teaching or research experience.

Salary: $80,840


Instructional Coordinator

Instructional Coordinators are commonly in charge of assessing methods of instruction as they improvise and develop curriculums. They also formulate the right ways of teaching and advise educational organizations. They offer educators training, choose suitable sustainable textbooks, assess educational programs’ efficiency, and measure students’ academic performance and rigor.

Some Instructional Coordinators also implement new classroom technologies and styles of teaching. If you’re interested in this position, you can be accepted if you finish a master’s degree in any field related to instructional design.

Salary: $66,490


Chief Academic Officer

Chief Academic Officers are also referred to as Directors of Education. They are skilled professionals who work in secondary schools and plan and coordinate their educational programs. They conduct research and monitor the advancement of academic courses within colleges and universities.

They are responsible for taking care of and addressing issues within faculty and academic departments. They also find ways to extend and enrich course offerings to grow their department more and more. 

Salary: $192,871


Post-secondary Administrator

A position of becoming the Post-secondary Administrator means you have to run the financial aid or admissions office. You will be working in a secondary school, college, or university. You will also be in charge of managerial tasks like organizing activities for students’ residential lives, admissions, and multicultural affairs. Aside from such job descriptions, you will also perform research and gather data about some policies. All these and more are part of the role of being a Post-secondary Administrator. 

Salary: $99,940


University or College Administrator

College Administrators are responsible for running the school daily. They have to focus on budgeting, public relations, organizing events and programs, and applying reliable disciplinary actions. This position will require you to lead the school and ensure that everything is perfectly done and ordered. It would be best to keep up with the challenges and demands of administration work and leadership roles. 

Salary: $99,940


High School Teacher

Having a job as a high school teacher is one way to advance your career as you acquire a reasonable income. As a high school teacher, you will teach students different subjects and coursework and develop their unique skills. You may have the choice to teach one specific course for all students, and this will depend on your specialty.

Some other tasks involved in your academic position determine the students’ grades and rankings and ensure that they are well-prepared to level up into another stage of their educational journey.

Salary: $62,360


Primary School Teacher

If you love teaching young kids, you can choose to become a Primary School Teacher. This is also one of the high-paying jobs in the field of education. This role is both rewarding and challenging as the responsibilities of creating a foundation for young learners rest on your shoulders.

You will be having a significant impact on their early stage of learning. You will have many chances to teach them multiple subjects, including reading, math, science, and history. You must be patient in responding to your student’s questions and be creative enough to encourage them to stay proactive. 

Salary: $61,620


Middle School Teacher

Being a Middle School Teacher means you need to guide and support your students to move into high school. You may take on specialized classes and require excellent teaching skills in math and science. You must be flexible enough to incorporate the proper teaching methods to help your students transition to a higher educational journey level. 

Salary: $61,820


Library Technician

As a Library Technician, you will be assisting school librarians in managing and organizing the entire library’s operations. You should collect all the resources like library books, documents, and research papers along with the librarian. You will also have to perform multiple administrative tasks. In some instances, you will have a chance to assist visitors and direct them to any sections that they want to look into. Library Technicians also need to register the visitors into the log of the library system.

Salary: $35,280


Health Educator

Health Educators usually teach students about habits and behaviors that can improve their health condition and contribute to their overall vitality. They also administer strategies to improve the health of anyone within the communities. They sometimes work with other local healthcare professionals too.

Salary: $59,990


ESL Teacher

Another high-earning job included in this list is educators who teach English as a second language. Their usual students are non-native English speakers who are yearning to improve their speaking and writing skills.

Some professionals in this industry take job opportunities overseas as there are many openings for ESL educators. There are many companies, online platforms, and other means to land a job as an ESL teacher. Some certifications can add to your credentials, depending on your preference or a company’s requirement.

Salary: $58,590


Learning And Development Coordinator

A Learning and Development Coordinator devises training programs that help students in different areas of education. They also review and assess students’ areas of improvement and progress. Furthermore, they also develop some processes to improve the overall success of classroom learning.

Salary: $63,080


Education Consultant

Education Consultants are found in every educational institution. Their job is to render services to parents, students, and other educational organizations. They answer queries and sustain information about different academic subjects of interest. They also provide strategies to enhance curriculums to make them more effective for both teachers and students. They ensure the right classroom size and teacher-student ratio and develop technologies that can improve a student’s performance.

Salary: $60,140


Director Of Student Services

As a Director Of Student Services, you should create new programs that will boost student development in sports, social activities, and events like concerts. You will have to know what student needs while they attend your college or university. A part of your job also creates policies and procedures that students must follow while living on campus.

Salary: $77,531


Assistant Professor

An Assistant Professor is an entry-level role in an educational institution which is necessary before gaining tenure as a full-time professor. However, the pay is still high, which makes it a profession included in this list. As an Assistant Professor, you must create lesson plans and prepare lectures for students. Your jobs are pretty similar to a regular instructor, where you must administer examinations and make grades for students. You will be following office hours and have your teaching schedule plotted every semester.

Salary: $125,416


Speech Pathologist

A Speech Pathologist is also referred to as a Speech Therapist. You will be working with patients to diagnose and treat communication disorders. Although this job is more in the scientific field, it also requires education skills and requirements, as you will be training students and adults with their speech skills. You may conduct personalized lesson plans and have one-on-one practice sessions with your patients or students.

Salary: $84,140


Training and Development Manager

If you want to work in the education industry, you must use your education degree and teaching experience. Still, you don’t want to become a lecturer; working as a Training and Development Manager is the right profession for you.

This offers excellent pay, and you’ll be required to coordinate programs that will be beneficial for teachers and all educators. You will also need to be trained by the human resources department to guide you on your crucial tasks thoroughly. You will be required to hold a master’s degree to land this position. 

Salary: $120,000


Art, Drama, or Music Teacher

If you are passionate about your craft in arts or music and want to train students and young people to pursue the same interests, you can influence many young learners as art, drama, or music teachers. This career will handle many kinds of classes ranging from painting crafts to working as a music teacher who manages school bands, orchestras, and choirs. You may choose which specific area of art you want to partake in. This profession also pays well.

Salary: $93,440


Human Resources Specialist

Although this profession is not typically an exclusive educational job, it belongs to the education industry’s vital disciplines. A Human Resource Specialist plays a significant role in implementing training for employees, especially instructors. They will have to assist those who are qualified and experienced to teach particular subjects and courses. You must have experience in teaching or working in the HR department for at least a year or so. Experience in customer service or other business positions will also qualify you more for the job.

Salary: $64,240


Childcare Center Director

Working with small kids and toddlers like kindergarten students will be one of your job descriptions as a Childcare Center Director. You will supervise and lead staff, design educational programs, and ensure childcare’s daily operations. The job growth has decreased by 3% and is expected to decrease more as demands for daycare and preschool education also dwindle.

Salary: $49,690


School Nurse

This job is also not dealing with education directly; however, they do work on the school premises. Your job will include foreseeing the health of all students. You can take care of the children’s medical needs if you’re working in a high school or elementary school. You must develop programs that will promote the overall health and well-being of both students and school teachers. Although this is not an educational job directly, it pays a reasonable amount of salary in the field of education.

Salary: $65,048

Education Career Guide - fact 2

Part-time Education Jobs

Tutor

Even when school is out, there will be parents who want to nurture their children’s academic know-how consistently. For some, they hire tutors to help prepare their kids for the next coming school year. You can take up some tutoring tasks and get paid per hour.

You may opt for a one-on-one tutoring style or accept several kids in a remote tutoring session. Many kids will need extra help over the summer, and your educational background as a teacher will land you many prospective clients around your neighborhood or town.

Freelance Writer

Another lucrative sideline for people who finished an Education degree is to work as a freelance writer. This is excellent work that can be combined with your main educational job if your schedule permits. Teachers will use logical thinking and written communication to develop content for companies or blog sites.

You may pick one specific niche to register for or work in a company that is at par with your experience and knowledge. This will help you contribute better and create compelling articles. You may be paid per article, and this side hustle can work in a flexible schedule style.

Camp Counselor

This next job is among the most favorite summer jobs for teachers. When kids are out of school, they usually get enrolled in camps to learn other basic skills. You may work as a camp counselor and apply your education and mentoring skills. Summer camps are generally hiring because of workforce shortages during the peak season. Take advantage of this part-time job whenever you can.

Tour Guide

If you want to pause dealing and spending time with kids and youngsters, why don’t you educate adults in a more diverse age range? As a tour guide, you will be leading tourists to some famous areas in your city. You will have many chances to meet foreign people and enjoy the process of teaching your culture and history to other races. 

Translator

If you know more than one language, you can make decent money from working as a translator. This can be done in the comforts of your home while you accept tasks and get paid on a project basis. With just a computer and a speedy internet connection, you’ll be making money during the school break.

Online Course Instructor

More of an elegant side of teaching is to be an Online Course Instructor. Knowing skills in specific areas that are in demand for many learners right now is an advantage for this job role. You will need to put together presentations and create online courses through Udemy or Coursera, for example. Once your programs become successful and completed, you can enjoy a year-round residual income. This makes it even better than just a part-time job during the break.


10 Unique Education Careers

Textbook Writer Or Editor

In addition to contributing your specialized knowledge to textbook creation, you also have the chance to use your passion for sharing with others. A book could be self-published, or a publisher could hire you to write textbooks and other educational materials. If you love writing and education, this might be an excellent route for you. You might be a contributing author, fact-checker, subject matter expert, or editor.

Curriculum Developer

Education Career Guide - fact 5

There are many ways to affect education, such as participating in curriculum development and creating classrooms. Those with a specific area of expertise would be particularly ideal for this. A variety of curriculum development techniques are employed at all education levels, including professional development programs and training outside the traditional educational system.

Textbook Salesperson

 A career as an educational sales representative might appeal to someone who loves the idea of combining their love for education with the thrill of sales. The academic publishing industry goes beyond simply selling textbooks and has developed a wide variety of learning materials. Sales representatives in the education industry help connect organizations with publishers from early learning through post-secondary education.

Online Teacher

The classroom is virtual, in this case. This allows you much more flexibility than actually being in a school. The flexibility of online teaching has made it a popular option for teachers at various levels, from elementary to post-secondary.

Standardized Test Developer

Teachers who want to change careers may take advantage of becoming standardized test developers. If it’s your job to drive learning outcomes, creating high-quality standardized test questions will help you convey information to students, parents, teachers, and administrators on where they succeed – and where they need additional support. 

If you work in this position, it is very likely you’ll need to not only be knowledgeable in your subject area but it is also expected that you’ll have excellent assessment skills with questions varying in difficulty.

You likely need a master’s or doctoral degree in your particular specialty area if you plan to work as a test creator. 

Child Psychologist

Look for job possibilities in the education field outside of teaching related to student psychology if you are committed to helping students reach their full potential. As a school/child psychologist, you get the chance to work one-on-one with students and develop a deeper relationship than you could when you were working with a classroom full of kids.

You may also work in a school dealing with social or bullying issues and lead group therapy sessions. Typically, you will work in an office within the school, but you may also travel between schools to see students. 

Corporate Trainer

Teachers are skilled at making lessons engaging for students. They understand how to present a class that is appropriate and enjoyable for all audiences. Teachers who are ready to get out of the classroom can use corporate training as a possible career change. You may develop training, help mentor employees, and instruct supervisors on how to best discuss topics and goals with employees at their locations. 

Recreation Director

Would you like to spend time outdoors helping others reach the peak of their potential for physical and psychological well-being? Teachers who enjoy planning social, physical, and entertainment events for others can make a significant career change by becoming a recreation director.

You can find employment as a recreation director in places, including camps, boarding schools, universities, and other settings where students are surrounded by learning and living. 

Life Coach

You have a choice as to how you want to work as a life coach. You can start a business on your own if you’re entrepreneurial. Some individuals who wish to launch their life coaching practice choose to do so while working a full-time job. Others go through a life coaching agency.

Regardless of your chosen career path, you’ll be working closely with clients to motivate them toward their goals. It’s essential to be motivated, enthusiastic, and eager to engage with clients. You’ll need both a positive attitude and the ability to give tough love when your clients need it. 

Education Policy and Research

Working in education policy and research is a rewarding path for passionate educators who want to affect change on a larger scale. Politicians, advocacy groups, non-profits, and more work with education policy and research professionals. There is much variety in work involved in this area, as one might observe teachers in classes in high-need regions to work with legislators to influence educational change. 


Top Travel Education Careers

College Recruiter

The college recruiters frequently attend events across the country to represent their schools. Recruiters look for students who will best suit their institutions. They need to inform potential students about the benefits of attending their institution and about the school itself. The requirements of college recruiters can differ, but typically they hold a master’s.

Conservation Scientist

One aspect of the work conservation scientists do is educate the young about the fragility and importance of our ecosystems, including protecting our national lands and waters. In partnership with local and state governments, they preserve resources and educate the public about locally unknown areas such as certain regions in the United States National Park System or submarine areas. 

Training and Development Manager

They use communication and teaching skills to apply and share best practices with employees. Training and development managers often travel to regional offices to implement new procedures and implement essential workplace curricula. The managers work within a company to help all the employees perform at their best, whether it be government regulations, professional development, or a new business method. 

Archaeologist

By collecting data and doing fieldwork worldwide, archeologists learn about ancient human cultures and their past lives. They often publish their findings and share them with museums, research centers, and charitable foundations. Many archeologists hold affiliations with universities, particularly those with PhDs, to take courses while performing fieldwork. An archeologist spends a considerable amount of time traveling worldwide on a project, sometimes to remote locations. 


Frequently Asked Questions

What other Job Roles can You Have in the Field of Education?

You can do much more in the field of education by making a difference! You can partake in different pathways and experiences to meet the demands of an ever-evolving society and to excel in a variety of roles, such as:

  • school leaders
  • policy advisors
  • academic administrators
  • physical activity programmers
  • health, fitness, and disease-prevention advocates
  • curriculum specialists
  • tutors
  • authors
  • publishers
  • assessment designers
  • educational researchers

Many diverse job opportunities are open for people pursuing an educational career. 

Is Teaching Experience Required to Study Master’s in Education?

Some education graduate degrees do not require teaching experience, regardless of whether the students become teachers. Most candidates for these degrees will often have some sort of education-related work experience. There are teaching opportunities in administration, counseling, and advising. Experience in teaching can be helpful, though.

Over the last decade, many graduate-level degrees have been devised to offer students graduate and certification degrees without earning an additional degree. Graduate students who fall into this category tend to have less teaching experience than other participants pursuing a master’s degree for different reasons.

Other than a School, Where can One Work as a Teacher?

Graduating college with an education degree is a common career choice for young adults, but they wonder about teaching jobs. At some time in their lives, they considered becoming a classroom teacher. 

The school is not the place they would prefer to work in the educational field, however. Where can they find work in a non-school environment? 

Here are your office location options:

What are the Types of Internships Available for Education Majors?

Internships available for education majors are some of the most rewarding opportunities for experiential learning. Work-study options have become standard in many university degree programs. Although education degrees focus on classroom-based theory, most aspiring teachers determine what it takes to become effective educators and apply theoretical principles in real-life scenarios. 

Because community services provide integral support to youth programs, universities’ education departments can assist these efforts by supporting their students’ mentoring, tutoring, and local youths’ instruction. Some of these internship programs can help future teachers hone their skills and focus on teaching and preparation. They develop the confidence to help young people excel on the social and academic fronts.

1.  Freedom Schools Program
2.  Breakthrough Collaborative
3.  College Spring

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