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1,366 Bachelor's Degrees Annually
498 Master's Degrees Annually
#13 in Popularity
$64,340 Median Salary

Types of Degrees Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many social studies education graduations there were for each degree level during the last year for which data was available.

Education Level Number of Grads
Bachelor’s Degree 1,398
Master’s Degree 509
Graduate Certificate 45
Basic Certificate 25
Associate Degree 13
Doctor’s Degree 4
Undergraduate Certificate 1

What Majors Need to Know

People with careers related to social studies teacher education were asked what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. They weighted these areas on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest.

Knowledge Areas for Social Studies Teacher Education Majors

Social Studies Teacher Education majors often go into careers in which the following knowledge areas are important:

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  • 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.
  • Sociology and Anthropology - Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
  • Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

Skills for Social Studies Teacher Education Majors

social studies teacher education majors are found most commonly in careers in which the following skills are important:

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  • Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
  • Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
  • Instructing - Teaching others how to do something.
  • 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 Social Studies Teacher Education Majors

As a social studies teacher education major, you will find yourself needing the following abilities:

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  • 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 Major?

People with a social studies teacher education degree often go into the following careers:

Job Title Job Growth Rate Median Salary
Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Professors 10.4% $74,440
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 ?

1,398 Bachelor's Degrees Annually
43% Percent Women
14% Percent Racial-Ethnic Minorities*
This major tends to be male dominated. About 57% of recent graduates are men.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of social studies teacher education majors is as follows:

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Race/Ethnicity Number of Grads
Asian 22
Black or African American 44
Hispanic or Latino 91
White 1,161
International Students 8
Other Races/Ethnicities 72

Geographic Diversity

Social Studies Teacher Education appeals to people across the globe. About 0.6% of those with this major are international students.

How Much Do Majors Make?

Salaries According to BLS

Average salaries range from $62,030 to $73,680 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to social studies 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.

Median Salary for a <nil> Major  ( 62030 to 73680 )
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Median Salary for a High School Graduate  ( 30000 to 57900 )
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Median Salary for a Bachelor's Degree Holder  ( 45600 to 99000 )
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250K
Median Salary for an Advanced Degree Holder  ( 55600 to 125400 )
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250K

Some degrees associated with social studies teacher education may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. 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 social studies teacher education careers below.

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Education Level Percentage of Workers
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED) 0.5%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) 1.6%
Bachelor’s Degree 31.6%
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. 7.7%
Master’s Degree 21.1%
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. 2.6%
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession. 0.3%
Doctoral Degree 34.1%
Post-Doctoral Training 1.2%

Online Programs

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) 0 0
Certificate (1-2 years) 3 0
Certificate (2-4 Years) 0 0
Associate’s Degree 4 0
Bachelor’s Degree 23 0
Post-Baccalaureate 0 0
Master’s Degree 83 8
Post-Master’s 10 0
Doctor’s Degree (Research) 3 0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) 0 0
Doctor’s Degree (Other) 0 0

Is a Degree in Worth It?

The median salary for a social studies 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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You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to social studies teacher education.

Major Number of Grads
Physical Education Teaching & Coaching 7,516
Reading Teacher Education 6,010
Music Education 4,909
Mathematics Education 3,269
English & Language Arts Education 3,161
Other Teacher Education & Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas 2,558
Art Education 1,859
Health Education 1,721
Science Education 1,307
Agricultural Teacher Education 1,153
History Education 850
Biology Education 797
Trade & Industrial Teacher Education 757
Social Science Teacher Education 584
Technology Education 545
School Librarian/School Library Media Specialist 408
Spanish Education 406
Technical Teacher Education 353
Modern Language Education 347
Family & Consumer Sciences/Home Economics Teacher Education 268
Business and Innovation/Entrepreneurship Teacher Education 252
Computer Teacher Education 248
Chemistry Education 245
Drama & Dance Education 242
Earth Science Teacher Education 133
Physics Education 105
Environmental Education 91
Health Occupations Teacher Education 89
Speech Teacher Education 52
French Language Teacher Education 39
Driver & Safety Teacher Education 38
Communication Arts and Literature Teacher Education 11
German Language Teacher Education 8
Distributive Education 8
Latin Teacher Education 5
Psychology Teacher Education 4
Geography Teacher Education 0

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.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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