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Teacher Education

Types of Degrees Teacher Education Majors Are Earning

Those studying Teacher Education have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	151
Associate’s Degree	1,215
Bachelor’s Degree	2,315
Master’s Degree	4,996
Doctor’s Degree	27

What Teacher Education Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Teacher Education emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Education and Training — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.3 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Psychology — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set emphasized by a Teacher Education program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Learning Strategies — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Teacher Education careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.

Common Job Activities

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

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Training and Teaching Others	4.3 / 7
Getting Information	4.2 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.1 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.1 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.1 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.0 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.0 / 7
Coaching and Developing Others	3.9 / 7
Developing Objectives and Strategies	3.9 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	3.7 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Teacher Education professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
Padlet	Computer based training software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Children’s educational software	Computer based training software	—
Seesaw	Multi-media educational software	—
Blackboard software	Data base user interface and query software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Desmos	Analytical or scientific software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Teacher Education graduates include:

• Educator
• Teacher
• Montessori Teacher
• Instructor
• Art Teacher
• Physical Fitness Teacher
• Classroom Teacher
• Early Childhood Teacher
• After School Teacher
• Bilingual Kindergarten Teacher
• Transitional Kindergarten Teacher
• Long Term Substitute Kindergarten Teacher
• Kindergarten Classroom Teacher
• Kinder Teacher
• Bilingual Education Teacher

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	43.0%
Doctoral degree	24.4%
Master’s degree	9.7%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	8.2%
High school diploma or equivalent	5.5%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	2.7%
Some college courses	2.3%
Postsecondary certificate	2.0%
Less than a high school diploma	1.3%
Post-master’s certificate	0.9%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Teacher Education?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 80.6% of Teacher Education degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	7,034	80.6%
Men	1,698	19.4%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	4,938	56.6%
Asian	275	3.1%
Hispanic or Latino	1,658	19.0%
Black or African American	1,112	12.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native	63	0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	23	0.3%
Two or More Races	244	2.8%
Race Unknown	319	3.7%
International Students	100	1.1%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Teacher Education Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Teacher Education graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow 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 Teacher Education Programs

Fully online options is reported by IPEDS for Teacher 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	26	9
Bachelor’s	5	5
Master’s	41	25
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 Teacher Education Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Teacher 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
Secondary Education and Teaching	13.1205

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.