Top 5 Career Paths in Education
A career in education can be a fulfilling and rewarding one. It’s also a field that offers the opportunity to work at different levels, from high school to university level, and administration roles that involve law enforcement.
The best news of all is that there are plenty of opportunities for people who want to teach or do something else entirely. It’s never too late!
In this article, we’ll explore some of the most popular options available for those looking into careers in education.
Let’s start with a few general things, and then we’ll look at each of the popular career paths more closely:
What education is like: you spend half your time teaching and the other half doing administrative tasks.
What you need to get started in most educational careers: a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.
Time to get started: at the earliest, in college (if you’re already there) or right after graduating. If you start later, it’s likely going to take longer – but nothing is impossible!
Salary: can vary depending on your location and position; according to the United States Department of Labor, teachers make around $56,000 per year.
These are just rough guidelines, of course – keep reading for more details!
1. Teacher
The first one is self-explanatory – the majority of your time in this career will be spent teaching.
You could teach at a high school or college level (or even both!), and you’ll need to put together lesson plans, grade papers, work with students one on one, and try to ensure they’re staying on track. Teaching can be stressful, but ultimately it’s gratifying and satisfying work. You also get summers off!
After college: If you want to be a teacher right after college and you’ve already graduated, then you should start looking for positions as soon as possible; according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, around 1 million teachers were working in elementary and secondary schools in 2020. The good news is that most public schools hire teachers every year. The bad news is that if you don’t snag a job right after graduation, it could be very hard to get something later in the year… so get your resume ready and start looking! If you’re not from North America, schools might be more flexible, and you can start applying for positions around October or November.
2. Counselor
The second one is probably the best-known – counselors are like teachers, except they work exclusively with older children, either in high school or college.
You’ll be responsible for advising students on their academic progress; this includes helping them pick classes based on what they want to study and talking about career options. Counselors also work with students who are struggling emotionally or have personal problems and may do more than advise.
After college: You can get a college or high school counselor position pretty quickly after you graduate. Just be prepared to work in the public sector for a while – according to indeed.com, counselors make about $45,000 per year.
3. College Professor
The third one is for those who want to teach at a university level. But make no mistake, this is still teaching! Although you’ll be focusing on older students, college professors usually do a lot of the same things like high school teachers – they give lectures and assign homework, grade papers and tests, and work with individual students who need help.
4. School Administrator
The fourth one is a path that can lead to several different jobs. A school administrator oversees the entire school; this includes everything from interviewing and hiring teachers to ensure all the public relations are taken care of.
After college: The good news is that you don’t need a bachelor’s degree or anything special to get started.
5. Educational Researcher
The last one isn’t as well-known – if you want to research in an educational context, this is a good path.
Educational researchers try to figure out the most effective way for students to learn and test new ideas. They use things like surveys and experiments. Their ultimate goal is to improve curriculums so that every student can receive the best education possible.
After college: A bachelor’s degree is required for this job, but it can result in a very high salary; according to indeed.com, educational researchers make around $117,000 per year.
The educational field is a wide-open opportunity for those who want to teach, as well as those who don’t. Many different types of careers combine education and law enforcement which offer excellent pay and benefits packages. Education professionals can make very lucrative salaries with plenty of opportunities available all over North America.
However, you must understand what type of career path you’re looking for before jumping in head first!