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Secondary Education Major

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Secondary Education

3,547 Bachelor's Degrees Annually
5,726 Master's Degrees Annually
#6 in Popularity
$64,340 Median Salary

Types of Degrees Secondary Education Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many secondary education graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level Number of Grads
Master’s Degree 5,777
Bachelor’s Degree 3,547
Associate Degree 583
Graduate Certificate 314
Undergraduate Certificate 190
Basic Certificate 121
Doctor’s Degree 15

What Secondary Education Majors Need to Know

O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to secondary teaching and asked them what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. The responses were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.

Knowledge Areas for Secondary Teaching Majors

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

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  • English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Public Safety and Security - Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

Skills for Secondary Teaching Majors

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

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  • Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
  • Instructing - Teaching others how to do something.
  • 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.
  • Learning Strategies - Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
  • Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Abilities for Secondary Teaching Majors

Some of the most crucial abilities to master while a secondary teaching student include the following:

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  • Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
  • Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.

What Can You Do With a Secondary Education Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with secondary teaching:

Job Title Job Growth Rate Median Salary
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education 7.5% $60,320

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Secondary Education?

3,547 Bachelor's Degrees Annually
63% Percent Women
19% Percent Racial-Ethnic Minorities*
The major attracts more women than men. About 63% of the recent graduates in this field are female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

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Race/Ethnicity Number of Grads
Asian 73
Black or African American 108
Hispanic or Latino 346
White 2,789
International Students 19
Other Races/Ethnicities 212

Geographic Diversity

Students from other countries are interested in Secondary Teaching, too. About 0.5% of those with this major are international students.

How Much Do Secondary Education Majors Make?

Salaries According to BLS

The median salary for someone in a career related to secondary teaching is $64,340. This median refers to all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.

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.

Median Salary for a Secondary Education Major  64,340
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250K
Median Salary for a High School Graduate  ( 30000 to 57900 )
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250K
Median Salary for a Bachelor's Degree Holder  ( 45600 to 99000 )
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Median Salary for an Advanced Degree Holder  ( 55600 to 125400 )
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250K

Some degrees associated with secondary teaching may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. 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 secondary teaching careers below.

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Education Level Percentage of Workers
Bachelor’s Degree 52.9%
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. 14.8%
Master’s Degree 24.3%
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. 4.3%
Doctoral Degree 4.3%

Online Secondary Education Programs

In 2020-2021, 682 schools offered a secondary teaching program of some type. 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) 26 2
Certificate (2-4 Years) 5 0
Associate’s Degree 93 10
Bachelor’s Degree 64 16
Post-Baccalaureate 0 0
Master’s Degree 343 63
Post-Master’s 21 0
Doctor’s Degree (Research) 7 0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) 0 0
Doctor’s Degree (Other) 0 0

Is a Degree in Secondary Education Worth It?

The median salary for a secondary teaching grad is $64,340 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 61% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $488,800 after 20 years!

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

Major Number of Grads
Elementary Education 43,003
Early Childhood Education 32,920
Teacher Education 9,949
Teacher Development & Methodology 6,165
Junior High/Intermediate/Middle School Education & Teaching 3,517
Kindergarten/Preschool Education & Teaching 2,450
Adult & Continuing Education 1,074
Montessori Teacher Education 252
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Educational Methods 140
College/Postsecondary/University Teaching 105
Online Educator/Online Teaching 79
International Teaching and Learning 25

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.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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