Education

Education is a wide-ranging field centered on a single essential idea: to pass the knowledge, skills and basic values of a culture from one generation to the next. The goal of the educational process is to provide individuals with the information and skills they require to attain their full potential, while at the same time preserving society and adding value to it.

The field of education includes teachers, administrators, and numerous specialty professions which support, enhance and broaden the range of teaching. Teachers can exercise their skills in formal schooling environments ranging from preschool to primary and secondary school to the college and university level of higher education. Those who choose to teach outside of the traditional spectrum of educational facilities will find numerous opportunities to apply their knowledge in occupations connected with the education industry, from vocational training to special education for challenged students to continuing education for adults. The education field is broad enough to encompass career opportunities in the areas of teaching, management, school counselor, and many more.

Education Degrees

As a service industry, the education field boasts one of the most highly educated populations of any occupational field. Just to qualify as a teacher at the K-12 grade level, for example, requires at minimum of a bachelor's in education, and teachers make up nearly fifty percent of the educational field work force. A full two-thirds of the career opportunities in the field of education are described as professional positions.

The wide range of careers and training opportunities in education implies a wide range of available degrees, and a spectrum of degrees necessary to qualify for the positions at different levels. Requirements for various positions within the field also vary from state to state, and many positions, such as most teaching positions, also require additional licensing or certification beyond the degree.

Find out more in formation on available degree programs in Education.

Career Opportunities in Education

The education field encompasses a range of diverse careers, including school administrator, curriculum designer, and many levels of teacher, from pre-school to post-graduate. There are also a variety of teaching specialties, including continuing education, adult education, distance education, and counseling. In short, if you've ever wondered how to be a teacher, the answer is there are many, many ways.

As an occupational category, the education field is second only to the health care industry in the U.S. in terms of the number of people it employs. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that approximately 13 million people were employed in education in 2004. Because attendance in school is mandatory in all states for everyone under the age of 16, approximately half of these jobs are found in K-12 grades.

Among the most popular fields within education are:

Teaching
Teachers can run the entire spectrum of education, from preschool and early childhood to K-12 instruction to higher education at colleges and universities. This traditional and established ladder of teachers also finds a place for teaching assistants as well as individuals who have earned a degree in a field other than education, and who now wish to teach.

Educational Administration
Every school facility requires managing to operate smoothly and effectively. Administrators are always in demand, as are those individuals who design courses of study and those who help keep schools up-to-date by introducing new teaching and learning technologies.

Teaching Specialties
For those who wish to teach outside of the traditional K-12 ladder, there are numerous instructional specialty careers available, many of which combine other skills and interests with teaching. Adult education, distance education, special ed, physical education and counseling are among these vital occupations.

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Financial Outlook for Careers in Education

The U.S. Department of Labor reports that in general, salaries in the education field are "significantly higher than the average," partly because most of those employed in this field have a higher than average level of education, which is often a requirement for education occupations.

According to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predications, employment opportunities in the educational system during the current decade will range from "about average," compared with all other industries, to "excellent" for certain specialty positions.

Opportunities for teachers at all levels, for example, range from good to excellent, depending on the grade, subject, and location of the school. Average teacher salaries during the 2003-04 school year, as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, ranged from $41,400 to $45,920. The American Federation of Teachers reports the average salary of public K-12 schoolteachers during the same time period as slightly higher—about $46,500.

In other educational career opportunities during the next few years, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that the demand for special education teachers is expected to rise, and those individuals seeking administrator positions are expected to enjoy excellent opportunities. Education administrators employed in K-12 public schools earned an average salary of about $74,000 in 2002.

For detailed information on necessary degrees, training and credentials, salaries and salary ranges, and projected opportunities for specific positions, please visit the page for that position. (See "Explore Careers in Education" below.)

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