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Distributive Education

What Distributive Education Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

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

• Education and Training — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.7 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Psychology — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set developed in a Distributive Education program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Learning Strategies — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Distributive Education careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.

Common Job Activities

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

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Training and Teaching Others	4.7 / 7
Getting Information	4.5 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.4 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.3 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.2 / 7
Coaching and Developing Others	4.2 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.2 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.2 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.1 / 7
Working with Computers	4.1 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Distributive Education professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Course management system software	Computer based training software	—
Desire2Learn LMS software	Computer based training software	—
Sakai CLE	Computer based training software	—
DOC Cop	Information retrieval or search software	—
Blackboard Learn	Computer based training software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Calendar and scheduling software	Calendar and scheduling software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
iParadigms Turnitin	Information retrieval or search software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Distributive Education graduates include:

• Instructor
• Educator
• Business Education Teacher
• Teacher
• Vocational Trainer
• Industrial Arts Teacher
• Business Teacher
• Assistant Professor
• Associate Professor
• Professor
• Faculty Member
• Adjunct Instructor
• Industrial Technology Teacher
• Carpentry Teacher
• Family and Consumer Sciences Teacher (FACS Teacher)

What Can You Do With a Distributive Education Degree?

Graduates with a degree in Distributive 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
Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary	0.6%	$86,398	$72,979–$99,816
Business Teachers, Postsecondary	10.6%	$80,576	$67,695–$93,458

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

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	39.7%
Bachelor’s degree	24.8%
Master’s degree	15.8%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	7.2%
Postsecondary certificate	3.9%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	3.7%
High school diploma or equivalent	2.8%
Some college courses	1.9%
First professional degree	0.1%
Post-master’s certificate	0.1%

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

How Much Do Distributive Education Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Distributive Education graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$49,919
4 years	$50,204
5 years	$56,331

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $56,331 — roughly 13% above the 1-year mark.

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

Is a Degree in Distributive Education Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Distributive Education graduates earn a median of $50,204 four years after completion — roughly 32% 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 Subject Areas	39,881
Physical Education Teaching and Coaching	6,964
Reading Teacher Education	5,986
Music Teacher Education	4,544
English/Language Arts Teacher Education	3,018
Mathematics Teacher Education	2,993
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas, Other	2,352
Social Studies Teacher Education	1,963
Art Teacher Education	1,860
Health Teacher Education	1,472
Agricultural Teacher Education	1,051
Science Teacher Education/General Science Teacher Education	1,022

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.