Reading Education
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Types of Degrees Reading Education Majors Are Getting
The following table lists how many reading teacher education graduations there were in 2018-2019 for each degree level.
Education Level | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Master’s Degree | 5,552 |
Graduate Certificate | 787 |
Doctor’s Degree | 109 |
Basic Certificate | 60 |
Bachelor’s Degree | 22 |
What Reading Education Majors Need to Know
In an O*NET survey, reading teacher education majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most important.
Knowledge Areas for Reading Teacher Education Majors
This major prepares you for careers in which these knowledge areas are important:

- 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.
- Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
- Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Skills for Reading Teacher Education Majors
When studying reading teacher education, you’ll learn many skills that will help you be successful in a wide range of jobs - even those that do not require a degree in the field. The following is a list of some of the most common skills needed for careers associated with this major:

- Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Instructing - Teaching others how to do something.
- Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
- 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.
Abilities for Reading Teacher Education Majors
A major in reading teacher education will prepare for your careers in which the following abilities are important:

- Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
- Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
- 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.
- Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
What Can You Do With a Reading Education Major?
Below is a list of occupations associated with reading teacher education:
Job Title | Job Growth Rate | Median Salary |
---|---|---|
Education Professors | 10.3% | $64,780 |
Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | 7.5% | $58,600 |
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | 7.5% | $60,320 |
Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Reading Education?
Racial-Ethnic Diversity
At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of reading teacher education majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Asian | 0 |
Black or African American | 0 |
Hispanic or Latino | 2 |
White | 18 |
International Students | 0 |
Other Races/Ethnicities | 2 |
How Much Do Reading Education Majors Make?
Salaries According to BLS
Average salaries range from $62,030 to $73,680 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to reading teacher education. This range includes all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.
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.
Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Reading Education
Some careers associated with reading teacher education require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. 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 reading teacher education careers below.

Education Level | Percentage of Workers |
---|---|
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED) | 0.7% |
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) | 2.2% |
Bachelor’s Degree | 44.8% |
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. | 10.9% |
Master’s Degree | 16.7% |
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. | 2.3% |
Doctoral Degree | 22.6% |
Post-Doctoral Training | 0.0% |
Online Reading Education Programs
In the 2018-2019 academic year, 396 schools offered some type of reading teacher education program. 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) | 4 | 1 |
Certificate (1-2 years) | 0 | 0 |
Certificate (2-4 Years) | 0 | 0 |
Associate’s Degree | 0 | 0 |
Bachelor’s Degree | 84 | 28 |
Post-Baccalaureate | 4 | 1 |
Master’s Degree | 347 | 107 |
Post-Master’s | 73 | 0 |
Doctor’s Degree (Research) | 25 | 5 |
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) | 0 | 0 |
Doctor’s Degree (Other) | 0 | 0 |
Is a Degree in Reading Education Worth It?
The median salary for a reading teacher education 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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Majors Related to Reading Education
You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to reading teacher education.
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.
- College Factual
- College Scorecard
- National Center for Education Statistics
- O*NET Online
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
- Image Credit: By Aparajita Datta under License
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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