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Elementary Education

A program that prepares individuals to teach students in the elementary grades, which may include kindergarten through grade eight, depending on the school system or state regulations. Includes preparation to teach all elementary education subject matter.

Types of Degrees Elementary Education Majors Are Earning

Those studying Elementary Education have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	147
Associate’s Degree	1,947
Bachelor’s Degree	30,161
Master’s Degree	9,905
Doctor’s Degree	45

What Elementary Education Majors Need to Know

Programs in Elementary Education emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Elementary Education graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Elementary Education emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 5.8 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 6.2 / 7.
• Psychology — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Sociology and Anthropology — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills emphasized by a Elementary Education program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Learning Strategies — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Elementary Education careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Elementary Education graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Training and Teaching Others	4.7 / 7
Getting Information	4.7 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.4 / 7
Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People	4.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.3 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.3 / 7
Coaching and Developing Others	4.2 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.1 / 7
Working with Computers	4.1 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Elementary Education professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Google Docs	Word processing software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Padlet	Computer based training software	—
Blackboard software	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
Calendar and scheduling software	Calendar and scheduling software	—
SAS	Analytical or scientific software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Elementary Education graduates include:

• Educator
• Visual Education Teacher
• Associate Professor
• Counselor Education Professor
• Special Education Professor
• Instructor
• Literacy Education Professor
• Music Education Professor
• Tenure-Track Professor
• Faculty Member
• Educational Teaching Instructor
• Continuing Education Instructor
• Outdoor Education Instructor
• Lecturer
• Education Teacher

What Can You Do With a Elementary Education Degree?

Graduates with a degree in Elementary Education commonly enter the following occupations:

Occupation	Job Growth	Median Salary	25th–75th Pctile
Education Teachers, Postsecondary	2.4%	$98,329	$80,157–$116,500

^{Job-growth = projected employment change for the parent occupation. Source: ONET / BLS Employment Projections.*}

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Elementary Education graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	84.9%
Master’s degree	10.1%
Bachelor’s degree	4.8%
Post-doctoral training	0.1%
Post-master’s certificate	0.1%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Elementary Education?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 91.9% of Elementary Education degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	38,777	91.9%
Men	3,428	8.1%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Elementary Education graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	29,308	69.4%
Asian	950	2.3%
Hispanic or Latino	5,251	12.4%
Black or African American	2,733	6.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native	371	0.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	124	0.3%
Two or More Races	1,228	2.9%
Race Unknown	1,725	4.1%
International Students	515	1.2%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Elementary Education Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Elementary Education graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$44,857
4 years	$43,846
5 years	$48,879

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $48,879 — roughly 9% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Elementary Education Programs

Distance learning is tracked by IPEDS for Elementary Education. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	42	18
Bachelor’s	72	100
Master’s	91	68
Doctoral (Research)	1	1

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Elementary Education Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Elementary Education graduates earn a median of $43,846 four years after completion — roughly 15% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods	108,054
Secondary Education and Teaching	10,594
Teacher Education, Multiple Levels	8,732
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods, Other	6,573
Junior High/Intermediate/Middle School Education and Teaching	2,976
Kindergarten/Preschool Education and Teaching	2,616
Art Teacher Education	1,860
Agricultural Teacher Education	1,051
Bilingual and Multilingual Education	932
Adult and Continuing Education and Teaching	901
Biology Teacher Education	696
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Educational Methods	399

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.