Types of Degrees Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many elementary education graduations there were for each degree level during the last year for which data was available.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Bachelor’s Degree	30,778
Master’s Degree	8,905
Associate Degree	2,039
Graduate Certificate	715
Basic Certificate	254
Undergraduate Certificate	107
Doctor’s Degree	64

What Majors Need to Know

People with careers related to elementary teaching were asked what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. They weighted these areas on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest.

Knowledge Areas for Elementary Teaching Majors

This major prepares you for careers in which these knowledge areas are important:

• Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
• Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

Skills for Elementary Teaching Majors

A major in elementary teaching prepares you for careers in which the following skill-sets are crucial:

• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Instructing - Teaching others how to do something.
• Learning Strategies - Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Abilities for Elementary Teaching Majors

As you progress with your elementary teaching degree, there are several abilities you should pick up that will help you in whatever related career you choose. These abilities include:

• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
• Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.

What Can You Do With a Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with elementary teaching:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education	7.4%	$58,230

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in ?

This major is dominated by women with about 93% of recent graduates being female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of elementary teaching majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	625
Black or African American	1,569
Hispanic or Latino	3,453
White	22,937
International Students	171
Other Races/Ethnicities	2,023

Geographic Diversity

Elementary Teaching appeals to people across the globe. About 0.6% of those with this major are international students.

How Much Do Majors Make?

Salaries According to BLS

Elementary Teaching majors often go into careers with median salaries of $62,200. This median refers to all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to

Some careers associated with elementary teaching require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

Find out what the typical degree level is for elementary teaching careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma	1.0%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	1.0%
Some College Courses	1.1%
Bachelor’s Degree	74.2%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.	11.2%
Master’s Degree	11.2%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level.	1.5%

Online Programs

The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	28	4
Certificate (2-4 Years)	3	1
Associate’s Degree	196	30
Bachelor’s Degree	98	23
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	428	81
Post-Master’s	35	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	12	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	1	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	1	1

Is a Degree in Worth It?

The median salary for a elementary teaching grad is $62,200 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 56% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $446,000 after 20 years!

Majors Related to

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to elementary teaching.

Major	Number of Grads
Early Childhood Education	31,937
Secondary Education	11,071
Teacher Education	9,653
Teacher Development & Methodology	6,929
Junior High/Intermediate/Middle School Education & Teaching	3,583
Kindergarten/Preschool Education & Teaching	2,913
Adult & Continuing Education	987
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Educational Methods	286
Montessori Teacher Education	236
Online Educator/Online Teaching	153
College/Postsecondary/University Teaching	127
International Teaching and Learning	33

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By Vgrigas under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.