Science Education

Types of Degrees Science Education Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many science education graduations there were in 2018-2019 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Master’s Degree	837
Bachelor’s Degree	435
Graduate Certificate	96
Doctor’s Degree	47
Basic Certificate	14
Associate’s Degree	1

What Science Education Majors Need to Know

O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to physical science education and asked them what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. The responses were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.

Knowledge Areas for Physical Science Education Majors

According to O*NET survey takers, a major in physical science education should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:

• 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.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• Biology - Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.

Skills for Physical Science Education Majors

physical science education majors are found most commonly in careers in which the following skills are important:

• 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 Physical Science Education Majors

Physical Science Education majors often go into careers where the following abilities are vital:

• 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 Science Education Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with physical science education:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Agricultural Sciences Professors	7.9%	$84,640
Atmospheric, Earth, Marine, and Space Sciences Professors	9.9%	$90,860
Biological Science Professors	15.1%	$82,550
Chemistry Professors	9.9%	$79,550
Education Professors	10.3%	$64,780
Environmental Science Professors	10.1%	$79,910
Forestry & Conservation Science Professors	4.5%	$86,900
Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education	7.5%	$58,600
Physics Postsecondary Professors	10.2%	$90,800
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education	7.5%	$60,320

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Science Education?

The major attracts more women than men. About 63% of the recent graduates in this field are female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of physical science education majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	8
Black or African American	6
Hispanic or Latino	28
White	360
International Students	3
Other Races/Ethnicities	30

Geographic Diversity

Students from other countries are interested in Physical Science Education, too. About 0.7% of those with this major are international students.

How Much Do Science Education Majors Make?

Salaries According to BLS

Physical Science Education majors often go into careers where salaries can range from $73,680 to $97,340 (25th to 75th percentile). This range includes all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.

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 Science Education

Some careers associated with physical science education require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.

Find out what the typical degree level is for physical science education careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	0.2%
Some College Courses	0.0%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	0.8%
Bachelor’s Degree	12.6%
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.	4.0%
Master’s Degree	20.3%
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.	1.1%
Doctoral Degree	41.3%
Post-Doctoral Training	20.4%

Online Science Education Programs

In 2018-2019, 364 schools offered a physical science education program of some type. 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)	3	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	3	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	0	0
Associate’s Degree	10	3
Bachelor’s Degree	36	5
Post-Baccalaureate	3	0
Master’s Degree	129	23
Post-Master’s	12	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	19	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Science Education Worth It?

The median salary for a physical science education grad is $91,330 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 129% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $1,028,600 after 20 years!

Majors Related to Science Education

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to physical science education.

Major	Number of Grads
Physical Education Teaching & Coaching	8,634
Reading Teacher Education	6,530
Music Education	4,575
English & Language Arts Education	3,287
Mathematics Education	3,164
Other Teacher Education & Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas	2,654
Health Education	1,821
Social Studies Education	1,623
Art Education	1,617
Agricultural Teacher Education	1,130
Trade & Industrial Teacher Education	773
Technology Education	715
History Education	701
Biology Education	689
Social Science Teacher Education	605
Technical Teacher Education	495
Spanish Education	437
School Librarian/School Library Media Specialist	343
Family & Consumer Sciences/Home Economics Teacher Education	341
Health Occupations Teacher Education	318
Modern Language Education	257
Business Education	230
Drama & Dance Education	224
Computer Teacher Education	216
Chemistry Education	185
Earth Science Teacher Education	150
Physics Education	123
Environmental Education	78
Driver & Safety Teacher Education	54
Speech Teacher Education	48
French Language Teacher Education	35
German Language Teacher Education	11
Distributive Education	10
Psychology Teacher Education	6
Latin Teacher Education	5
Geography Teacher Education	2

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.