Education is a thriving sector and one of the fastest-growing industries worldwide. Most people pursuing their academic journey in education often feel overwhelmed by the fear of fewer career prospects. Is teaching the only career path available to you?
Most certainly not. While teaching has its perks, such as paid summer vacations and job security, burnout often trumps them all. More and more teachers are quitting their profession and acquiring more skills to switch careers. Professionals in this field need to understand that the education sector is ripe with lucrative opportunities.
However, leadership roles and lucrative careers come to those who prioritize higher education and continual skill advancement. Halting your education will stop your professional growth and career advancement ambitions. Therefore, it’s crucial to expand your academic horizons and add more accolades to your resume for a thriving career in education.
Keep reading to explore some lucrative career paths for professionals with a degree in education.
Table of Contents
1. Administrative Roles
Do you wish to serve as a school principal or perhaps the dean of a prestigious university? Both goals are realistically achievable if you aim big and pursue your dream career with academic advancement. Serving as a dean, principal, or vice-principal offers job security, financial stability, professional autonomy, and leadership opportunities.
It’s an excellent career path for professionals who are passionate about creating inclusive and diverse learning spaces. Administrative roles allow professionals to contribute to student personality and character development. However, they demand extensive, diverse teaching experience, managerial skills, and a master’s or doctoral degree.
Most principals and college deans have doctoral degrees, with a much-celebrated portfolio of dissertations, papers, and books. Aside from the impressive doctorate education salary benefits, a doctoral program allows networking and mentorship in prestigious academic circles. Pursuing a doctorate can open up various lucrative opportunities to serve leadership positions in universities, colleges, and research institutes.
Administrators have to wear many hats to ensure the efficient functioning of a school, college, or university. They design the operations and give birth to an inclusive culture by adopting innovative learning and instructional approaches. A doctoral program will enrich your skillset with advanced teaching approaches, organizational skills, and leadership abilities.
2. School Psychologist/Counselor
Do you enjoy working with children and guiding their impressionable minds with enriching resources and reliable advice? In that case, serving as a school psychologist or counselor will help you carve out a rewarding and fulfilling career.
School psychologists are much like child psychologists, as they provide support, resources, and assistants to students in need. They help students settle within their classroom environments and transition outside when it’s time for college. School psychologists attend to mental health challenges and support the administration in creating safe, inclusive learning spaces.
They conduct group sessions and offer one-on-one sessions to help students actualize their true potential. Demand for school psychologists and counselors has increased dramatically due to rising suicide and crime rates in high school students.
Typically, these professionals have a doctorate in psychology, alongside state licensure and other academic accolades. On average, school psychologists bank an annual income of over $60,000.
3. Curriculum & Instructional Designer
Curriculum design and instruction are two overlapping aspects of the teaching experience. Many professionals serve as curriculum and instructional consultants, while others focus solely on curriculum design. Both career paths are excellent choices for teachers anxious to leave the classroom and contribute their skills elsewhere.
Are you a seasoned professional with extensive teaching experience in a subject? Combining experience with higher education allows teachers to branch out towards designing curriculum and instructional approaches. These professionals examine student needs and research innovations to develop curriculums that facilitate learning outcomes.
As experts in their subjects, these professionals conduct workshops and training sessions, guiding young teachers with their experience. Often, professionals work with administrators and teachers within a school district to design curriculums and offer advice on teaching methodologies.
This career path demands at least a master’s degree, alongside state licensure and extensive classroom experience. On average, these professionals earn over $60,000 a year.
4. Academic Consultant
Do you want to quit teaching and still carve out an active role in helping students overcome learning obstacles? You can work as an academic consultant, using your experience and skills to create innovative and diverse learning environments. These professionals work in school districts, offering their consultation services to multiple schools.
Professionals can also find lucrative opportunities in the private sector, such as educational consultancy businesses. Academic consultants work directly with the school administration and teachers to help schools improve their teaching methodologies. These professionals make an average yearly income of over $62,000.
The academic requirements vary from state to state, but typically, it requires a master’s or doctoral degree. The job requirements also vary, depending on the needs of the school district. Professionals also require extensive classroom experience, state licensure, and teaching certifications.
5. Research & Policymaking
Do you wish to leave a significant mark on your field with a dynamic contribution that impacts students worldwide? Professionals who are passionate about uplifting and empowering students must look towards research and policymaking initiatives. You see, education policy and research open up a plethora of rewarding and lucrative career paths.
It allows professionals to make contributions where it matters the most – advising policymakers and politicians on educational reforms. Researchers can help students from underprivileged and marginalized communities and increase education equality to bring positive change. They can work for non-profits and education advocacy groups, making a powerful impact with their skills.
Most entry-level positions in this domain require a bachelor’s degree. However, leadership and research positions demand a master’s or a doctorate.
6. Authorship
Have you ever considered pouring out your expertise in your subject area in a textbook that would help students overcome complexities? Authorship allows teachers to make their mark outside the classroom and win applause for their teaching experience. As an expert in your area, you can explore lucrative opportunities with research institutions and publishing houses.
If you’re open to writing and embracing authorship, you can become a textbook author in your subject area. However, this career path demands continual learning to stay abreast with research and developments in your subject.
Conclusion
The education sector is brimming with lucrative career advancement opportunities for passionate educators. If you’re zealous about teaching and helping students, you must dedicate yourself to pursue academic and professional growth. Prioritizing higher education will help you climb up the career ladder and enjoy financial stability and job security. Balancing a career and education is hard, but staying stagnant in the same job is even more challenging.