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Secondary Education

Types of Degrees Secondary Education Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Secondary Education may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	131
Associate’s Degree	786
Bachelor’s Degree	3,755
Master’s Degree	5,892
Doctor’s Degree	30

What Secondary Education Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Secondary Education emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Education and Training — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 6.0 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.6 / 7.
• Psychology — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Sociology and Anthropology — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Communications and Media — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

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

Skills

Skills emphasized by a Secondary Education program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Learning Strategies — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.

Abilities

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

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.

Common Job Activities

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

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Training and Teaching Others	4.7 / 7
Getting Information	4.5 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.4 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.3 / 7
Coaching and Developing Others	4.3 / 7
Working with Computers	4.1 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.1 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.1 / 7
Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People	4.1 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Secondary Education professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Geogebra	Analytical or scientific software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Blackboard software	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Desmos	Analytical or scientific software	—
Learning management system LMS	Computer based training software	✓
Sakai CLE	Computer based training software	—
DOC Cop	Information retrieval or search software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Secondary Education graduates include:

• Educator
• Education Professor
• Visual Education Teacher
• Assistant Professor
• Education Instructor
• Mathematics Education Professor
• Continuing Education Instructor
• Educational Administration Teacher
• Educational Instructor
• Instructor
• Science Education Professor
• Primary Education Professor
• Adjunct Education Professor
• Professor
• Education Teacher

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	64.2%
Bachelor’s degree	22.4%
Master’s degree	7.7%
Post-master’s certificate	2.3%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	2.2%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	1.1%
Post-doctoral training	0.1%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Secondary Education?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 60.9% of Secondary Education degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	6,450	60.9%
Men	4,144	39.1%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	6,812	64.3%
Asian	269	2.5%
Hispanic or Latino	1,449	13.7%
Black or African American	843	8.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native	52	0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	26	0.2%
Two or More Races	385	3.6%
Race Unknown	657	6.2%
International Students	101	1.0%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Secondary Education Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Secondary Education graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb 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 Secondary Education Programs

Fully online options are documented by IPEDS for Secondary 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	16	10
Bachelor’s	13	20
Master’s	75	52
Doctoral (Research)	1	0

^{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 Secondary Education Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Secondary 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
Elementary Education and Teaching	13.1202
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
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.