Kindergarten Teachers
Median wage · national
$62,680
Range: $52K – $80K
Employed
109K
Openings/yr
12K
Typically: bachelor's degree
Education Teachers
Education Teachers earn $75,350 nationally at the median. The middle 50% of workers fall between $53,770 and $97,590. Where you land depends on specialization, employer, and experience.
About Education Teachers
This page sets out what the federal data says about working as a education teachers: what the job pays, how fast it is growing, and what it takes to get in. Most people arrive through a degree in Teacher Education (K-12) and what it leads to, though it is not the only route.
Teach courses pertaining to education, such as counseling, curriculum, guidance, instruction, teacher education, and teaching English as a second language. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
- Median Wage
- $75,350
- Employed Nationally
- 61K
- Openings / Year
- 5,300
- Entry Education
- Doctoral or professional degree
- Job Zone
- Zone 5: Extensive Preparation
Also known as:
Adjunct Instructor
Adult Basic Education Instructor
Assistant Professor
Associate Professor
College Professor
How Much Do Education Teachers Make?
Most education teachers take home around $75,350 a year, above what most college graduates make. Half earn somewhere between $53,770 and $97,590, so where you land depends a lot on employer, specialty and city. A solid living in most parts of the country. Source: BLS.
A wage on its own says nothing about whether the degree behind it pays for itself, which is a question of lifetime earnings set against the total cost of getting there.
$75,350
National Median (Annual)
Above the national median for college graduates.
$54K–$98K
Middle 50% Range
25th to 75th percentile. Most workers earn within this band.
Earnings Range
$53,770
Entry-level
$75,350
Median
$97,590
Experienced
What Do Education Teachers Do?
This is what the job actually looks like on a Tuesday: 5 core activities and 5 skills the work depends on. Read it before the salary, because pay matters less than whether you would want to spend your days doing this. Source: O*NET.
What You'll Do
- Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
- Conduct research in a particular field of knowledge and publish findings in professional journals, books, or electronic media.
- Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
- Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.
- Supervise students' fieldwork, internship, and research work.
Core Skills Employers Look For
Speaking
Reading Comprehension
Learning Strategies
Active Listening
Instructing
Who Thrives Here
S
Social
Working closely with people, teaching, advising, or helping others navigate challenges is a defining feature of this career's daily work.
I
Investigative
This career demands analytical thinking: researching problems, interpreting data, and applying logical reasoning to find practical solutions.
C
Conventional
Success depends on precision and structured processes, where detail-oriented people who work consistently within established systems perform best.
Where Do Education Teachers Work?
What the physical and mental conditions of this job actually look like day to day, based on O*NET Work Context data collected from people working in this occupation.
Work Setting
Mixed
Split between indoor and outdoor or field settings.
Physical Demands
Light
Mix of sitting and movement throughout the day.
Stress Level
Moderate
Moderate pressure. Regular deadlines exist but are generally manageable with experience.
What Is the Job Outlook for Education Teachers?
Through 2035 the BLS expects this field to change by +2.5%, meaning it is growing slowly, a little behind the average job. Around 5,300 roles open up each year, which is the number that matters most if you are starting out. Source: BLS.
Growth rates are only meaningful next to other occupations, and the full list of careers with their projected growth puts this one in context.
↗ +2.5%
10-Year Growth (2025–2035)
Slower than average.
5,300
Annual Openings
New positions plus replacements for retirees and career-changers.
61K
Currently Employed
Total US employment as of BLS May 2025.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2025–2035 and Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025.
Where the Jobs Are
The five states below employ the most Education Teachers professionals nationwide. State-level wages can differ significantly from the $75,350 national median. Research your specific market before committing to a program.
| # | State | Jobs | Median Wage | vs. National |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas | 6,400 | $68,280 | -9.4% |
| 2 | New York | 5,430 | $82,020 | +8.9% |
| 3 | Illinois | 3,930 | $61,560 | -18.3% |
| 4 | Pennsylvania | 3,390 | $74,910 | -0.6% |
| 5 | California | 3,100 | $111,850 | +48.4% |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Employment figures rounded. Read our methodology →
How to Get Here
To get hired here you will usually need a doctoral or professional degree. The 10 programs below are the most common routes in, ordered by how many people actually graduate from each one.
The next most common path is a Teaching Specific Subjects program and the colleges offering it, which suits a different kind of applicant.
Typical Entry Education
Doctoral or professional degree
Job Zone
Zone 5: Extensive Preparation
Extensive education (usually a master's or doctoral degree) plus years of field experience is required to qualify for most positions.
Degree Programs That Lead Here
| # | Program | Graduates/yr | 4yr Median | Colleges |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Teacher Education (K-12) | 106,652 | $47,382 | 1,894 |
| 2 | Teaching Specific Subjects | 40,101 | $51,389 | 1,276 |
| 3 | Special Education | 34,843 | $50,499 | 1,010 |
| 4 | Education, General | 27,845 | $49,808 | 850 |
| 5 | Curriculum & Instruction | 20,472 | $50,452 | 495 |
| 6 | Public Policy | 6,740 | $73,721 | 246 |
| 7 | Health Professions Education | 5,056 | $87,441 | 338 |
| 8 | Education | 4,693 | $49,113 | 315 |
| 9 | Educational Evaluation | 4,249 | $47,700 | 164 |
| 10 | Bilingual Education | 1,654 | $55,140 | 176 |
Top Colleges for Aspiring Education Teachers
Colleges offering the degree programs that lead to this career, ranked by UCD Score. A strong program plus solid outcomes is a good place to begin your search.
| # | College | UCD Score | Net Price | Salary 10yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Princeton University Princeton, NJ | 94 | $6,128 | $110,066 |
| 2 | University of California-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA | 93 | $12,548 | $82,511 |
| 3 | University of California-San Diego La Jolla, CA | 93 | $12,470 | $84,943 |
| 4 | University of California-Berkeley Berkeley, CA | 93 | $13,481 | $92,446 |
| 5 | University of Florida Gainesville, FL | 93 | $6,541 | $71,588 |
| 6 | University of California-Irvine Irvine, CA | 92 | $14,251 | $80,735 |
Plan Your Path
Once you've sized up Education Teachers, these tools turn the numbers into a plan. Estimate the real cost of a degree that leads here, weigh the long-term payoff, compare specific colleges side-by-side, and find programs that match your profile.
College ROI Calculator
See if the degree that leads to Education Teachers pays off. Weighs each college's cost against the earnings graduates see.
College Cost Calculator
Enter a budget and see the colleges whose net price fits, with the out-of-pocket cost and likely loan load for each.
Compare Colleges
Put any 2–4 colleges side-by-side. Admissions, cost, outcomes, and earnings, all on one screen, no tab-hopping.
College Match Quiz
Answer six quick questions and see your best-fit colleges ranked by budget, field of study, and what matters most to you.
Education Teachers Pros & Cons
The data on Education Teachers shows 1 measurable strengths and 4 real trade-offs. All points are drawn from BLS wage data, employment projections, and IPEDS program completions.
PROS
- Above-average pay At $75,350 median annually, this career pays meaningfully more than most college-graduate roles. Financial return on education is typically strong.
CONS
- Slow job growth At +2.5% projected growth, this career lags the national average. Limited expansion means stiffer competition for openings that do appear.
- High education requirement Most employers require a doctoral or professional degree, typically 6 to 10+ years of higher education before earning full wages. Factor tuition costs into your ROI calculation.
- High earnings variance The gap between the 25th ($53,770) and 75th ($97,590) percentile is wide. Where you land depends heavily on employer, location, and specialization.
- Entry-level pay well below the national median The 25th percentile wage of $53,770 is considerably below the $75,350 median. Early-career workers typically spend 5 or more years building toward typical pay. Factor this into any program ROI calculation.
Education Teachers Frequently Asked Questions
How much do Education Teachers professionals earn?
Around $75,350 a year for the typical worker, above the national median for full-time workers. The middle 50% of earners fall between $53,770 and $97,590. Treat the national figure as a starting point rather than a promise: employer size, industry and city all move it.
Is Education Teachers a good career?
Yes, for the right person, but the commitment is significant. The $75,350 median wage reflects years of training most workers invest, and the path to a first career-level role typically spans 8 to 12 or more years. Research salary outcomes at specific programs, not just the national median, before committing to a graduate path.
How long does it take to work as Education Teachers?
Plan on 8 to 12 or more years of combined education and supervised training before qualifying for career-level roles. A doctoral or professional degree is the typical minimum credential. Degree programs like Teacher Education (K-12) are typical entry paths. Early-career pay during this ramp-up period will be meaningfully below the $75,350 national median. Factor that gap into any program ROI calculation.
Is a doctoral or professional degree worth it to become an Education Teachers?
It depends heavily on program cost. At $75,350 median, expensive graduate school debt can take 20 or more years to recover. In-state public schools, employer-sponsored programs, or income-driven repayment make the strongest case. School choice (specifically tuition cost and your expected local job market) matters as much as the credential itself.
What is the job outlook for Education Teachers?
Employment is projected to change by +2.5% through 2035, slower than average compared with other occupations. Around 5,300 roles open each year once you count people retiring and moving on, which matters more to someone starting out than the growth rate does. 61K people do this job nationwide today, so it is an established field rather than a niche one. Source: BLS May 2025.
What skills do Education Teachers professionals need?
Mainly Speaking, Reading Comprehension, Learning Strategies, Active Listening, and Instructing. Notice how many of those are habits rather than facts: they come from doing the work, not from a lecture. That is why programs with an internship or co-op requirement put you ahead of people who only studied the theory. Source: O*NET.
Related Findings
-
10 Six-Figure Careers That Do Not Need a Bachelor's Degree
Air traffic controllers earn more than the typical bachelor's-degree career, with an associate degree. The occupations that pay six figures without four years of college.
- No bachelor degree
- High paying careers
- Associate degree
- Trades
- Median wage
-
Does a Master's Degree Pay Off? Barely, on Average
Group every career by the degree it requires and master's-level jobs pay a median of about $91,000, statistically tied with bachelor's-level work. The premium hides in a few fields.
- Master's degree
- Bachelor's degree
- Median wage
- Graduate school
- Career outcomes
-
Growing and Paying $80K Plus: The Careers That Do Both
Only 106 of 393 federal careers both pay a median above $80,000 and grow faster than the typical job. Here is the rare set that clears both bars.
- Career growth
- Median wage
- High-paying careers
- Job outlook
- Career change
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