Teaching Specific Subjects graduates earn $51,389 four years out. The middle 50% of earners fall between $40,539 and $63,098. Where you land depends on specialization, employer, and how far you advance in the field.
This page covers Teaching Specific Subjects as a course of study: what it costs, where it is taught, and what graduates go on to earn. It sits inside the wider field of Education and how it pays overall, which is the better comparison if you are still choosing between subjects.
Teaching Specific Subjects is a focused area of study within Education. Pick this and you can expect to earn around $51,389 four years out, a solid return for a focused credential. You will not have trouble finding it: 1,276 colleges offer this program, from community colleges to research universities. About 40,101 students complete it each year, most walking away with a bachelor's. Coursework pairs research methods with the applied study of people and institutions.
Median Earnings · 1yr
$43,086
Median Earnings · 4yr
$51,389
Colleges Offering
1,276
Graduates / Year
40,101
Avg Net Price / yr
$17,340
How Much Do Teaching Specific Subjects Graduates Earn?
Four years after finishing Teaching Specific Subjects, a typical graduate earns $51,389, below average for bachelor's degree holders. Half of earners land somewhere between $40,539 and $63,098, so where you end up depends on the job and the employer. Source: College Scorecard.
Earnings in this field tend to be stable early on. Expect the four-year median to closely reflect your long-term starting point.
$51,389
4-Year National Median
Below average for bachelor's degree holders.
$50,800
4-Year Institutional Median
Median of per-school medians. Each reporting college counts equally, regardless of size.
Earnings Range
Not every Teaching Specific Subjects graduate ends up in the same place. Earnings spread out a moderate amount, so know what pushes people to one end or the other. Degree level and sector drive the gap. Graduate-level government and research roles anchor the top; entry-level social services and nonprofit roles anchor the bottom.
$40,53925th pct.
$51,389Median
$63,09875th pct.
A Solid Financial Return
Solid ROI. At median 4-year earnings of $51,389 and an estimated $69,360 four-year net cost, the typical graduate reaches earnings breakeven in roughly 3.2 years.
Based on outcomes from 985 schools.
Colleges with fewer than 30 graduates are excluded from national averages.
Who Studies This? Credential Breakdown
Of the 40,101 students who complete Teaching Specific Subjects programs each year, the majority (48%) earn a bachelor's degree.
The breakdown below shows the full credential distribution.
48%42%
Bachelor's48%
Master's42%
Post-Bacc Cert.4%
What Can You Do With a Teaching Specific Subjects Degree?
This degree does not lock you into one job. Teaching Specific Subjects graduates show up in 8 different occupations, and Health Specialties Teachers pay the most at $107,310/yr median. Expand any card below to see daily responsibilities, in-demand skills, and 10-year growth projections.
Teach courses in health specialties, in fields such as dentistry, laboratory technology, medicine, pharmacy, public health, therapy, and veterinary medicine.
Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.
Evaluate and grade students' class work, assignments, and papers.
Teach courses in the physical sciences, except chemistry and physics. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching, and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
Maintain student attendance records, grades, and other required records.
Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as structural geology, micrometeorology, and atmospheric thermodynamics.
Evaluate and grade students' class work, assignments, and papers.
Teach courses pertaining to the laws of matter and energy. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
Evaluate and grade students' class work, laboratory work, assignments, and papers.
Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
Teach courses in business administration and management, such as accounting, finance, human resources, labor and industrial relations, marketing, and operations research. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as financial accounting, principles of marketing, and operations management.
Evaluate and grade students' class work, assignments, and papers.
Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
Teach courses in the agricultural sciences. Includes teachers of agronomy, dairy sciences, fisheries management, horticultural sciences, poultry sciences, range management, and agricultural soil conservation. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.
Advise students on academic and vocational curricula and on career issues.
Supervise undergraduate or graduate teaching, internship, and research work.
Teach courses in computer science. May specialize in a field of computer science, such as the design and function of computers or operations and research analysis. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
Compile, administer, and grade examinations or assign this work to others.
Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as programming, data structures, and software design.
Teach courses pertaining to the chemical and physical properties and compositional changes of substances. Work may include providing instruction in the methods of qualitative and quantitative chemical analysis. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching, and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as organic chemistry, analytical chemistry, and chemical separation.
Establish, teach, and monitor students' compliance with safety rules for handling chemicals, equipment, and other hazardous materials.
Evaluate and grade students' class work, laboratory performance, assignments, and papers.
Top Colleges for Teaching Specific Subjects
Not sure where to study Teaching Specific Subjects? These 20 colleges graduate the most students in it each year. Scroll right to compare acceptance rate, net price, and median earnings side by side.
Ranked by Teaching Specific Subjects graduate volume. Scroll right to compare key stats.
Read our methodology →
Related Education Programs
Teaching Specific Subjects is not the only path through Education: 14 other specializations sit alongside it. The comparison below ranks them by 4-year median earnings so you can see where this one lands.
Decide with data, not guesswork. These tools turn the numbers on this page
into a personal plan. Estimate the real cost of a Teaching Specific Subjects program, compare colleges side-by-side, weigh the long-term payoff, and find
schools that match your profile.
The data on Teaching Specific Subjects shows 3 measurable strengths and 2 real trade-offs. All points are sourced from College Scorecard earnings, BLS projections, and IPEDS graduate counts.
PROS
Fast-growing fieldRelated careers are projected to grow up to +17.9% over the next decade, with Health Specialties Teachers among the fastest-growing roles.
Strong hiring volumeRelated occupations generate more than 40,700 job openings per year combined, creating consistent demand for graduates.
Wide availabilityOffered at 1,276 colleges nationwide, with options at every price point and institution type.
CONS
Modest median earningsFour-year median of $51,389 lags STEM and business fields, affecting ROI at higher-cost programs.
Advanced degree often expectedTop roles in this field typically expect a master's degree or higher. A bachelor's may be a starting point rather than a terminal credential for the most competitive positions.
Teaching Specific Subjects Degree: Frequently Asked Questions
How much do Teaching Specific Subjects graduates earn?
$51,389 four years after finishing the program. Half of graduates land between $40,539 and $63,098, so employer, role, and location move that number more than the degree itself. Source: College Scorecard.
What is the starting salary for a Teaching Specific Subjects degree?
$43,086 in the first year out. That grows to $51,389 by year four, so do not judge this field on the entry-level number alone. Most of the gain shows up once you clear the first few years and move past entry-level roles. Source: College Scorecard.
What jobs can you get with a Teaching Specific Subjects degree?
Health Specialties Teachers are one path, and it pays a median of $107,310 a year. It is not the only one: the Career Paths section below lists every occupation graduates actually go into, with wages and 10-year growth for each.
How long does a Teaching Specific Subjects program take?
Four years of full-time study for a Teaching Specific Subjects bachelor's degree, the standard timeline for this field. If you want a faster route into the workforce, community colleges offer a two-year associate option instead.
How many colleges offer Teaching Specific Subjects?
1,276 colleges and universities, so you are not short on options. That range runs from community colleges granting certificates and associate degrees to research universities with full doctoral tracks. Source: IPEDS.
Is a Teaching Specific Subjects degree worth it?
$51,389 median earnings four years out against $17,340 a year in average net price. That is a reasonable payback window, best at lower-cost schools and in high-demand roles. Use the Top Colleges section below to compare specific schools before deciding. Source: College Scorecard.
What is the difference between Teaching Specific Subjects and Education?
Teaching Specific Subjects is the narrower of the two: Education covers the full discipline, while this program limits the curriculum to Teaching Specific Subjects-specific courses, skills, and career tracks. Pick the specialization once you already know this is the direction you want; it gets you a more targeted credential, not a broader one.
What skills do employers look for in Teaching Specific Subjects graduates?
Coursework alone will not get you hired. Employers hiring Teaching Specific Subjects graduates consistently look for research methodology, interpersonal communication, and policy understanding. Experience with surveys, qualitative interviews, or statistical tools is often a differentiator in government, nonprofit, and research roles. Build those into your coursework and internships now, and the job search later gets easier.
What is the job outlook for Teaching Specific Subjects graduates?
Outlook is moderate overall: related occupations average +5.2% projected job growth over the next 10 years. Health Specialties Teachers are among the strongest-growth roles at +17.9%. That average hides real differences by role and location, so check the Career Paths section below for the projection on each specific occupation before you count on any single number.
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