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Earth Science Teacher Education

A program that prepares individuals to teach earth science programs at various educational levels. Examples: [Geosciences Education]

Types of Degrees Earth Science Teacher Education Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Earth Science Teacher Education can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	78
Master’s Degree	102

What Earth Science Teacher Education Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Earth Science Teacher Education emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Education and Training — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 5.9 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.5 / 7.
• Psychology — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.3 / 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 Earth Science Teacher Education program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Learning Strategies — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Earth Science Teacher Education careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Earth Science Teacher Education graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Training and Teaching Others	4.7 / 7
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.3 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.2 / 7
Coaching and Developing Others	4.2 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.2 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.1 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.1 / 7
Working with Computers	4.1 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Earth Science Teacher Education professionals:

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

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Earth Science Teacher Education graduates include:

• Educator
• Lecturer
• Professor
• Instructor
• Associate Professor
• Adjunct Instructor
• College Professor
• Assistant Professor
• Special Education Professor
• Educational Administration Teacher
• Education Adjunct Professor
• Primary Education Professor
• Physical Education Instructor
• Continuing Education Instructor
• Adult Basic Education Instructor

What Can You Do With a Earth Science Teacher Education Degree?

Graduates with a degree in Earth Science 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
Atmospheric, Earth, Marine, and Space Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary	10.3%	$72,801	$59,872–$85,730

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

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	44.1%
Bachelor’s degree	28.2%
Master’s degree	13.2%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	6.9%
Post-doctoral training	2.8%
Less than a high school diploma	2.1%
Post-master’s certificate	2.0%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	0.7%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Earth Science Teacher Education?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 65% of Earth Science Teacher Education degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	117	65.0%
Men	63	35.0%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	142	78.9%
Asian	3	1.7%
Hispanic or Latino	17	9.4%
Black or African American	3	1.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native	3	1.7%
Two or More Races	3	1.7%
Race Unknown	8	4.4%
International Students	1	0.6%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Earth Science Teacher Education Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Earth Science Teacher 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.}

Online Earth Science Teacher Education Programs

Fully online options is tracked by IPEDS for Earth Science Teacher 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
Bachelor’s	1	0
Master’s	3	3

^{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 Earth Science Teacher Education Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Earth Science Teacher 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
Teacher Education, Multiple Levels	8,732
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
Junior High/Intermediate/Middle School Education and Teaching	2,976
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

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.