Career Paths

There are a few different career paths that elementary education majors can pursue. The most obvious one is teaching in a traditional school setting. Many elementary education majors are happy to spend upwards of 30 years in the classroom teaching, and influencing countless students along the way. This makes sense since teaching is often ranked as one of the most fulfilling careers. And while the starting pay for teachers can be on the low side, a long career as an educator can pay off in terms of satisfaction, pay, and work-life balance. 

Intuit, the global technology platform best known for TurboTax and QuickBooks, published an article on their MintLife Blog ranking "The 20 Most Fulfilling Jobs." Teachers ranked No. 7 on their list, stating, “Teachers get the pleasure of preparing today’s youth for their future. In addition to helping students become well-rounded members of society, teachers can become mentors—someone that students feel comfortable turning to … Some may also find a love for the work-life balance that can come with the role, as some teachers get the option of taking summers off to rejuvenate their mind for the next school year.”

After several years in the classroom, other teachers decide that they are interested in transitioning to a career outside the classroom. One tried-and-true career path is for classroom teachers to transition into school leadership roles such as a dean or assistant principal, or eventually to a principal role leading an entire school or an administrative role helping lead at the district level. The classroom experience is critical to success in these roles, but note that school leadership roles often require a master’s degree as well as additional teacher certification or licensure in school administration. 

School leadership has a lot to offer in terms of variety, and the ability to make an impact at the school level instead of just a single classroom, not to mention increased pay (according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average elementary, middle and high school principal made over $96,000 in 2019). 

The website Teach.com describes the role of a principal as one with “a lot of power, but that also comes with a lot of responsibility, specifically to state and federal standards… It can be a challenging, highly visible job, but the role of a principal has plenty of task variety and offers the satisfaction of making real change. If lesson plans and lunchtime quiz grading has got you down, the high risk, a high reward of administration might be a good fit for you.”

When people think about the role of the principal, they might think about students being sent to the principal’s office as a consequence of misbehaving at school. But the job offers a lot more than that. Sure, enforcing school rules is a part of it, but according to the BLS, the job also includes:

• Hiring, performance management, and professional development for teachers and other staff members
• Planning and implementing schoolwide events and services
• Parent and community relations
• Budgeting and purchasing
• Planning, creating, and enforcing policy
• Tracking and analysis of data

Education Jobs Outside of Teaching

Elementary education majors are well qualified for many careers outside of the school, including in corporate and not-for-profit settings. As previously mentioned, teachers typically possess several transferable skills that can set them up for success far beyond the classroom, chief among them: communication, collaboration, leadership and management skills. Read on for a few career ideas outside of the school that elementary education majors can transition to if the classroom is not for them. In most cases, it would be helpful for a candidate to have a least a few years of teaching experience to fully prepare for these teaching-adjacent roles.

• Educational consultant: Educational consultants often work at the district level or for private companies that help support, train and build capacity for teachers at a number of different schools.
• After-school program director: If you love working with kids but the classroom isn’t your thing, running an afterschool program might be for you. Afterschool programs can help students with their homework or provide tutoring in different areas. But often, it’s also just plain fun, organizing arts and crafts projects, sports activities, and other games to keep kids active and engaged.
• Corporate trainer: If you’d rather work with adults than the younger set, a corporate trainer might be your speed. Employees at large corporations often undergo training several times throughout the year. This training can include learning the company’s culture, rules and expectations for being a successful employee, brushing up on important business policies, regulations and legal requirements in their industry, especially in areas like finance and marketing. Corporate trainers are typically the ones who help design and administer these trainings or work with supervisors.
• Admissions counselor: A college campus is a special place, and one way to stick around college and at the same time advance your career is as an admissions counselor or recruiter. In this role you get to talk to high school students about their goals and dreams, share your college experiences, and help set them up for future success.

As you can see, there’s a world of career opportunities that await those with an elementary education degree. And while the most common career path is teaching and changing lives in the classroom, an elementary education degree can also provide the foundation for one day running an entire school or transitioning to a fulfilling career outside of the school building in various industries. Learn more about North Central College’s elementary education degree program.

Jeremy Borling is the director of communication at North Central College. He has spent his more-than-15-year career in communications working in the fields of higher education and financial services. He has a BA degree in journalism from North Central College, and a MS degree in communication from Boston University.

Sources:

”The 20 Most Fulfilling Jobs + The Psychology Behind Them.” Intuit MintLife. 

“How to Become a Principal.” Teach.com.