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Mathematics Education

A program that prepares individuals to teach mathematics programs at various educational levels. Examples: [Elementary Mathematics Teacher Education], [Middle School Mathematics Teacher Education], [Secondary Mathematics Teacher Education]

Types of Degrees Mathematics Education Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Mathematics Education have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Associate’s Degree	15
Bachelor’s Degree	1,154
Master’s Degree	1,785
Doctor’s Degree	39

What Mathematics Education Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Mathematics Education emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Education and Training — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 5.8 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.5 / 7.
• Psychology — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Sociology and Anthropology — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.

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

Skills

Skills built by a Mathematics 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 4.1 / 7.
• Learning Strategies — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Abilities

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

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Mathematics 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	4.3 / 7
Coaching and Developing Others	4.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.2 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.2 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.2 / 7
Working with Computers	4.1 / 7
Developing Objectives and Strategies	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Mathematics Education professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Desmos	Analytical or scientific software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
Blackboard software	Data base user interface and query software	—
Email software	Electronic mail 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 Mathematics Education graduates include:

• Educator
• Lecturer
• Associate Professor
• Instructor
• Professor
• Adjunct Instructor
• Assistant Professor
• Adjunct Lecturer
• College Professor
• Education Professor
• Adjunct Education Professor
• Physical Education Instructor
• Science Education Professor
• Educational Instructor
• Educational Administration Teacher

What Can You Do With a Mathematics Education Degree?

Graduates with a degree in Mathematics 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
Mathematical Science Teachers, Postsecondary	14.0%	$40,564	$32,459–$48,669

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

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	47.0%
Bachelor’s degree	33.3%
Master’s degree	7.4%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	7.0%
Less than a high school diploma	2.4%
Post-master’s certificate	1.6%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	0.8%
Post-doctoral training	0.4%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Mathematics Education?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 70.5% of Mathematics Education degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	2,109	70.5%
Men	884	29.5%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	2,148	71.8%
Asian	127	4.2%
Hispanic or Latino	286	9.6%
Black or African American	131	4.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native	17	0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	6	0.2%
Two or More Races	82	2.7%
Race Unknown	140	4.7%
International Students	56	1.9%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Mathematics Education Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Mathematics Education graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise 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 Mathematics Education Programs

Fully online options is tracked by IPEDS for Mathematics 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	1	1
Bachelor’s	10	10
Master’s	29	18
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 Mathematics Education Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Mathematics 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
Secondary Education and Teaching	10,594
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
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.