Careers in Education

Is teaching in your blood? If you love helping people learn, here are seven careers that could be perfect for you. So go ahead and share your knowledge.

Elementary or Secondary Education Teacher

Teachers who work in elementary, middle, and high schools help children learn concepts in math, language arts, social studies, art, music, and science and technology. Regardless of where in the United States you want to work, you will need a bachelor's degree, typically from a teaching training program, and a professional license. Teachers working in elementary schools earned a median annual salary of $55,800. Those working in middle schools and high schools made $56,720 and $58,030 respectively.

Librarian

Librarians select and organize materials in school, public, academic, law, medical, and business libraries. They teach people how to use these resources. You will need a Master's Degree in Library Science (M.L.S.) to work in this occupation. Certification and licensing requirements vary by state. Librarians earn a median annual salary of $57,680.

School Principal

As school administrators, principals develop and implement policies and programs, supervise faculty, and perform other tasks to make sure a school achieves its educational goals. To become a principal, you will have to first work as a teacher and then earn a master's degree in either educational administration or educational leadership. Most states also require a school administrator license. Principals earned a median annual salary of $92,510.

Athletic Coach

Combine your experience playing a sport and your love of teaching into a career as an athletic coach. Your job will involve teaching athletes how to improve their performances in individual and team sports. You may also instruct new participants in a sport on the rules. Coaches work with both professional and amateur athletes. Your experience playing a sport, CPR and first aid training, and possibly sports safety and coaching courses can gain you entry into this field. To work in a public high school, you will have to become a teacher. College and professional team coaches usually need a bachelor's degree. Coaches earn a median annual salary of $31,460.

Fitness Trainer

Fitness trainers teach people to perform exercises correctly and motivate them while they are working out. You may be able to get a job with only a high school diploma, but many prefer to hire employees who have an associate or a bachelor's degree in a related field. Before you work with clients, you may have to become certified. You may have to audition if you want to teach group classes. Fitness trainers earn a median annual salary of $38,160.

Health Educator

Health educators teach individuals and communities how to have healthy lifestyles. They also help them learn how to prevent diseases. You must have a bachelor's degree from a health education program work in this field. If you want get a job at a state or federal agency, you must have a master's or doctoral degree. Health educators earn a median annual salary of $53,070.

Animal Trainer

Perhaps you want to work with non-human students. Animal trainers teach dogs, horses, and marine animals to exhibit certain behaviors and not others. Many jobs require just a high school or equivalency diploma while some require a bachelor's degree. You need a bachelor's degree in biology, marine biology, animal science, or a related field to train marine animals, for example. Animal trainers' median salary is $27,690.

Comparing Careers in Education

	Minimum Education	License	Median Salary (2016)
School Teacher	Bachelor's Degree	License required in all states	$55,800 (elementary); $56,720 (middle school); and $58,030 (high school)
Librarian	Master of Library Science (MLS) Degree	Certification required in most states for jobs in public libraries; certification requirements vary for jobs in schools	$57,680
Principal	Master's Degree in Educational Administration or Leadership	School Administrator License required in most states	$92,510
Athletic Coach	Experience playing the sport; College Jobs: Bachelor's Degree	Certification often required to coach public high school athletics	$31,460
Fitness Trainer	HS Diploma/Associate or Bachelor's Degree preferred for some jobs	Personal trainers usually need certification before they can work with clients	$38,160
Health Educator	Bachelor's Degree/Master's Degree to work in state and federal agencies	None Required	$53,070
Animal Trainer	HS Diploma/Bachelor's Degree for some jobs	None Required	$27,690

Sources:

Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2016-17 (visited October 11, 2017).
Employment and Training Administration, US Department of Labor, O*NET Online (visited October 11, 2017).

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