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Waldorf/Steiner Teacher Education

A program that prepares individuals to teach students at various grade levels according to the pedagogical principles and methods developed by Rudolf Steiner and his followers.

What Waldorf/Steiner Teacher Education Majors Need to Know

Programs in Waldorf/Steiner Teacher Education build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Waldorf/Steiner Teacher Education graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Waldorf/Steiner Teacher Education emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Education and Training — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.3 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Psychology — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set developed in a Waldorf/Steiner Teacher Education program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Learning Strategies — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

Abilities

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

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Waldorf/Steiner Teacher Education graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Training and Teaching Others	4.3 / 7
Getting Information	4.2 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.1 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.1 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.1 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.0 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.0 / 7
Coaching and Developing Others	3.9 / 7
Developing Objectives and Strategies	3.9 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	3.7 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Waldorf/Steiner Teacher Education professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
Padlet	Computer based training software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Seesaw	Multi-media educational software	—
Children’s educational software	Computer based training software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Blackboard software	Data base user interface and query software	—
Desmos	Analytical or scientific software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Waldorf/Steiner Teacher Education graduates include:

• Teacher
• Educator
• Montessori Teacher
• Instructor
• Physical Fitness Teacher
• Art Teacher
• Classroom Teacher
• Lecturer
• Early Childhood Teacher
• Bilingual Instructor
• After School Teacher
• Kindergarten Classroom Teacher
• Transitional Kindergarten Teacher
• Private Kindergarten Teacher
• Kinder Teacher

What Can You Do With a Waldorf/Steiner Teacher Education Degree?

Graduates with a degree in Waldorf/Steiner Teacher 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 Waldorf/Steiner Teacher Education graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	43.0%
Doctoral degree	24.4%
Master’s degree	9.7%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	8.2%
High school diploma or equivalent	5.5%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	2.7%
Some college courses	2.3%
Postsecondary certificate	2.0%
Less than a high school diploma	1.3%
Post-master’s certificate	0.9%

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

How Much Do Waldorf/Steiner Teacher Education Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Waldorf/Steiner Teacher 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.}

Is a Degree in Waldorf/Steiner Teacher Education Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Waldorf/Steiner Teacher 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
Elementary Education and Teaching	42,205
Secondary Education and Teaching	10,594
Teacher Education, Multiple Levels	8,732
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods, Other	6,573
Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language/ESL Language Instructor	5,071
Junior High/Intermediate/Middle School Education and Teaching	2,976
Kindergarten/Preschool Education and Teaching	2,616
Art Teacher Education	1,860
Bilingual and Multilingual Education	932
Adult and Continuing Education and Teaching	901
Biology Teacher Education	696

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.