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Elementary Education

Types of Degrees Elementary Education Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Elementary Education can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	147
Associate’s Degree	1,947
Bachelor’s Degree	30,161
Master’s Degree	9,905
Doctor’s Degree	45

What Elementary Education Majors Need to Know

Studies in Elementary Education develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Elementary Education graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Elementary Education emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 5.8 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 6.2 / 7.
• Psychology — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Sociology and Anthropology — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills built by a Elementary Education program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Learning Strategies — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Elementary Education careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Elementary Education graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Training and Teaching Others	4.7 / 7
Getting Information	4.7 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.4 / 7
Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People	4.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.3 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.3 / 7
Coaching and Developing Others	4.2 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.1 / 7
Working with Computers	4.1 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Elementary Education professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Padlet	Computer based training software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Blackboard software	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
Google Docs	Word processing software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Geogebra	Analytical or scientific software	—
Sakai CLE	Computer based training software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Elementary Education graduates include:

• Educator
• Special Education Professor
• Instructor
• Education Teacher
• Adjunct Instructor
• Literacy Education Professor
• Adjunct Education Professor
• Educational Instructor
• Visual Education Teacher
• Physical Education Instructor
• Associate Professor
• Outdoor Education Instructor
• Lecturer
• Adjunct Lecturer
• Music Education Professor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Elementary Education graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	84.9%
Master’s degree	10.1%
Bachelor’s degree	4.8%
Post-master’s certificate	0.1%
Post-doctoral training	0.1%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Elementary Education?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 91.9% of Elementary Education degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	38,777	91.9%
Men	3,428	8.1%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Elementary Education graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	29,308	69.4%
Asian	950	2.3%
Hispanic or Latino	5,251	12.4%
Black or African American	2,733	6.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native	371	0.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	124	0.3%
Two or More Races	1,228	2.9%
Race Unknown	1,725	4.1%
International Students	515	1.2%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Elementary Education Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Elementary Education graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$44,857
4 years	$43,846
5 years	$48,879

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $48,879 — roughly 9% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Elementary Education Programs

Fully online options are documented by IPEDS for Elementary Education. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	42	18
Bachelor’s	72	100
Master’s	91	68
Doctoral (Research)	1	1

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Elementary Education Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Elementary Education graduates earn a median of $43,846 four years after completion — roughly 15% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods	13.12
Adult and Continuing Education and Teaching	13.1201
College/Postsecondary/University Teaching	13.1214
Early Childhood Education and Teaching	13.1210
International Teaching and Learning	13.1212
Junior High/Intermediate/Middle School Education and Teaching	13.1203
Kindergarten/Preschool Education and Teaching	13.1209
Montessori Teacher Education	13.1207
Online Educator/Online Teaching	13.1211
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Educational Methods	13.1213
Secondary Education and Teaching	13.1205
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods, Other	13.1299

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.