Careers In Education: Salaries, Responsibilities and Options to Pursue

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The education field offers literally scores of different job categories. It’s just a matter of finding the right one for you. To help you with your career in education, we’re providing salaries, responsibilities, and options to pursue in a handful of education related occupations, just to get you started in your search.

If you are ready to land a career in education, start your search on ZipRecruiter. ZipRecruiter is free for job seekers and you can apply for jobs with a single click.

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Careers In Education 

1. School Psychologist

Average Salary: $79,510

Minimum Education Requirement: A doctoral degree in psychology, though a Master’s degree may be accepted for some positions; typically requires a state issued license

Psychologists can work in many different environments, including companies, governments, and nonprofit organizations. They can even set up their own practices. But they are commonly employed in elementary and high schools, where they study cognitive, emotional and social processes and behaviors of students.

The work includes observing, interpreting and recording how the students relate to one another and to the school environment. Information is gathered through observation of student behavior, as well as interviews with teachers, parents and the students themselves. A school psychologist may also conduct tests for the students, to better understand and predict behavior.

2. Elementary and Secondary School Teacher

Average Salary: $61,350 for elementary school teachers and $61,820 for high school teachers

Minimum Education Requirement: Bachelor’s degree or higher; state issued license in education

This is the most obvious career in education, as there are nearly 2 ½ million jobs in the field. Elementary and secondary school teachers can be employed in both public and private schools. They teach on a variety of subjects, including math, science, English, history, and other topics.

The pay for teachers at either school level is approximately the same. But salary levels are determined by a number of factors, including your educational level, the state where you’re employed, and the subject you teach. For example, math and science teachers are most in demand, and generally earn higher salaries.

For more information, check out our teacher job description.

3. Librarians and Library Media Specialists

Average Salary: $61,190

Minimum Education Requirement: Master’s of Library Science degree, though some positions are available with a bachelor’s or master’s degree in a related field; a state issued education license is also typically required

Though librarians are most commonly associated with school libraries, they can also work for governments, business entities, and other organizations. They can work either full-time or part-time, depending on the employer.

Typical responsibilities include creating and managing library databases, organizing material, researching new books and materials for the library, maintaining existing collections, and providing assistance to library patrons. A librarian may also teach classes about information resources.

4. English as a Second Language

Average Salary: $59,720

Minimum Education Requirement: Bachelor’s degree, as well as a state issued license or certification to teach English as a second language

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English as a second language (ESOL) teachers commonly work in elementary and high schools, helping students who are foreign-born – or have foreign-born parents – to master English. But they’re often employed by community colleges and community-based organizations for the same purpose. Positions can be either full-time or part-time, depending on employer need.

ESOL teachers also frequently work with adults, providing adult basic education (ABE). That can include teaching the basics of reading, writing and math. The programs are generally to help students obtain employment, or promotions.

5. Health Education Specialist

Average Salary: $48,860

Minimum Education Requirement: Bachelor’s degree in health education, health promotion, though some positions require a master’s or doctoral degree; each also requires a state issued education license.

A career health education specialist is something of a marriage between healthcare and education. The job requires developing programs and materials to instruct people on health topics, including managing specific health conditions. They may also evaluate the effectiveness of programs, and help individuals find specific health services or information.

In some positions, a health education specialist will provide training programs for community health care workers and supervise staff of health education programs.

Where To Find Education Jobs

Here are some of the top places to find education jobs. Before you start applying for jobs, make sure your education resume is polished and ready to go.

 ZipRecruiter

ZipRecruiter is likely the top job search platform in the entire industry. That’s because it connects you with more than 100 of the top job boards available, all from a single platform. You’ll have the ability to create a customized personal profile, to go with posting your resume. It’s the best way to find the most opportunities for the job you’re looking for. And best of all, the platform is completely free for job hunters.

To learn more, read our ZipRecruiter review.

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 Monster

Monster is one of the best-known job boards in the industry. You can upload your resume on the site, and it will be available for consideration by participating employers. Monster also provides a collection of career related articles, including those that will help prepare you for the interview process. They also offer a salary tool to help you learn the compensation in your field.

To learn more, read our Monster review.

 Indeed

Indeed is another very popular job board because they assemble positions from dozens of different job boards, as well as local newspapers. The platform is used by more than 200 million job seekers worldwide. They also offer individual company reviews to help you decide which employers will be the best to work for.

To learn more, read our Indeed review.

If you’re a school, university, government agency, nonprofit, or business organization looking to fill an education job, or any other position, check out our list of the best free job posting sites.

Frequently Asked Questions 

What are 3 careers in education?

When it comes to a field as broad as education, it’s important to consider all the possibilities. That includes those beyond traditional occupations in the field. Examples include school counselors, special education teachers, college administrators, and school paraprofessionals.

What job in education pays the most?

You’ll generally find the jobs in education paying the most are administrative capacities. Those include school superintendents and principals, college presidents, and academic deans.

What are some educational careers?

In addition to the careers we’ve listed in this guide, you can also consider sports coaching, preschool and daycare teachers, music and art teachers, assistant principals and tutors.

What are 5 careers in education and training?

Apart from those listed above, there are also careers in adult education, community college teachers, industry trainers (including trainers for sales, information technology, and finance), college financing administrators, and education consultants.

The Bottom Line

Education is one of the most diversified career categories in the economy. It’s important to choose the career that will be the best fit for you. That will include a mix of responsibilities, schedules, compensation and benefits, and promotion opportunities.

Once you decide what that career will be, you can begin your job search. Start that search at ZipRecruiter for the fastest results.