Education (Elementary / Secondary) degree: salary, jobs & colleges
Bachelor's graduates in education (elementary / secondary) earn a median $47,823 four years after finishing, across 671 U.S. colleges. At ages 25-34, people whose degree is in miscellaneous education earn $54,572, $7,477 less than all bachelor's holders. The most common job is secondary school teachers (17%).
Median across 671 colleges; middle half $44,458–$51,865.
College Scorecard field of study (graduates who received federal aid)
Middle half $39,102–$69,265. 488 survey respondents.
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata; field "Miscellaneous Education"; EducationGuide calculation
- All bachelor's, 25-34$62,049
- High school, 25-34$35,638
- This degree vs high school+$18,934/yr
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers not in school
Median across colleges reporting.
College Scorecard field of study
Jobs education (elementary / secondary) graduates hold
What employed 25-34-year-olds whose bachelor's is in miscellaneous education actually do, with U.S. wages and the outlook for each job. The first column comes from the Census survey; wages and growth from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
| Job | Share of graduates | U.S. median wage | Jobs growth 2025-35 | Typical entry | Interests |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Secondary School Teachers | 17% | $70,930 | -0.2% | — | — |
| Elementary And Middle School Teachers | 14% | $64,170 | -0.4% | — | — |
| Farmers, Ranchers, And Other Agricultural Managers | 3% | $89,900 | -3.4% | High school diploma or equivalent | ERC |
| Software Developers | 3% | $135,980 | +10.2% | Bachelor's degree | IC |
| Customer Service Representatives | 2% | $44,770 | -5.3% | High school diploma or equivalent | CES |
| Other Managers | 2% | — | — | — | — |
| Education And Childcare Administrators | 2% | $102,260 | +0.1% | — | — |
| Marketing Managers | 2% | $166,790 | +6.9% | Bachelor's degree | EC |
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata (ages 25-34, bachelor's as highest degree, employed); BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35; O*NET 31.0 interest codes (R realistic, I investigative, A artistic, S social, E enterprising, C conventional).
Education (Elementary / Secondary) earnings by state
Two views of pay: recent graduates of the state's colleges four years out (College Scorecard), and everyone ages 25-34 living in the state with this field of degree (Census). States show a figure only with at least 3 colleges or 100 survey respondents.
| State | Graduates, 4 yrs (colleges) | Ages 25-34 (respondents) |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $48,836 (14) | — |
| Arizona | $50,738 (5) | — |
| Arkansas | $44,361 (12) | — |
| California | $51,445 (19) | — |
| Colorado | $45,008 (5) | — |
| Connecticut | $56,268 (7) | — |
| Delaware | $50,794 (3) | — |
| Florida | $51,824 (26) | — |
| Georgia | $49,864 (25) | — |
| Idaho | $45,863 (6) | — |
| Illinois | $48,127 (35) | — |
| Indiana | $48,156 (26) | — |
| Iowa | $47,640 (23) | — |
| Kansas | $46,079 (15) | — |
| Kentucky | $40,093 (13) | — |
| Louisiana | $50,510 (10) | — |
| Maine | $42,792 (5) | — |
| Maryland | $55,890 (10) | — |
| Massachusetts | $52,570 (15) | — |
| Michigan | $47,341 (17) | — |
| Minnesota | $47,592 (22) | — |
| Mississippi | $41,054 (10) | — |
| Missouri | $38,710 (22) | — |
| Montana | $42,668 (6) | — |
| Nebraska | $45,312 (8) | — |
| Nevada | $55,532 (3) | — |
| New Hampshire | $48,523 (5) | — |
| New Jersey | $60,306 (8) | — |
| New Mexico | $51,075 (5) | — |
| New York | $56,411 (29) | — |
| North Carolina | $48,824 (25) | — |
| North Dakota | $46,986 (6) | — |
| Ohio | $43,308 (47) | — |
| Oklahoma | $44,762 (14) | — |
| Oregon | $53,629 (8) | — |
| Pennsylvania | $51,105 (43) | — |
| Rhode Island | $54,556 (4) | — |
| South Carolina | $43,708 (18) | — |
| South Dakota | $45,496 (8) | — |
| Tennessee | $44,293 (19) | — |
| Texas | $52,041 (12) | — |
| Utah | $54,243 (7) | — |
| Vermont | $45,922 (4) | — |
| Virginia | $40,952 (3) | — |
| Washington | $60,010 (12) | — |
| West Virginia | $44,129 (8) | — |
| Wisconsin | $46,672 (18) | — |
College Scorecard field of study (median of each college's graduates); Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata; EducationGuide calculations.
Colleges where education (elementary / secondary) graduates earn the most
In the states we cover so far (Florida, Virginia, California): 53 in Florida, 27 in Virginia, 31 in California offer this major. Open a college to see cost to finish and payback for your income.
| # | College | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of the PacificCA | $69,342 | $23,562 |
| 2 | Fresno Pacific UniversityCA | $60,338 | $25,000 |
| 3 | San Francisco State UniversityCA | $59,993 | $12,692 |
| 4 | Florida Gulf Coast UniversityFL | $58,115 | $19,489 |
| 5 | Florida SouthWestern State CollegeFL | $57,918 | $12,750 |
| 6 | Point Loma Nazarene UniversityCA | $56,198 | $25,000 |
| 7 | Florida Atlantic UniversityFL | $56,073 | $17,661 |
| 8 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis ObispoCA | $55,543 | $18,090 |
| 9 | Miami Dade CollegeFL | $55,276 | — |
| 10 | The University of TampaFL | $53,942 | $26,000 |
| 11 | Rollins CollegeFL | $53,908 | $27,000 |
| 12 | Florida International UniversityFL | $53,854 | $16,490 |
College Scorecard field of study. Colleges meeting our core-data standard; online campuses left out.
Related degrees
Education (Elementary / Secondary) degree questions
How much do Education (Elementary / Secondary) graduates make?
Education (Elementary / Secondary) graduates earn a median $47,823 four years after finishing, across 671 U.S. colleges that report it (the middle half of colleges: $44,458 to $51,865; College Scorecard, graduates who received federal aid). Among all workers ages 25-34 whose bachelor's degree is in miscellaneous education, the median is $54,572 (Census ACS 2020-2024).
Is a Education (Elementary / Secondary) degree worth it?
At ages 25-34, people with a bachelor's in miscellaneous education earn a median $54,572: $7,477 less than all bachelor's degree holders ($62,049) and $18,934 more than high school graduates ($35,638). EducationGuide calculation from Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers not in school.
What jobs do Education (Elementary / Secondary) graduates get?
Among employed 25-34-year-olds whose bachelor's is in miscellaneous education, the most common jobs are secondary school teachers (17%), elementary and middle school teachers (14%), farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers (3%). Secondary School Teachers earn a U.S. median $70,930.
How much do Education (Elementary / Secondary) graduates earn in Florida?
Across 26 Florida colleges reporting, Education (Elementary / Secondary) graduates earn a median $51,824 four years after graduating.
Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey microdata; Bureau of Labor Statistics; O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0). Method
Data: JSON · Markdown · all degrees
Cite this: “Education (Elementary / Secondary) degree: salary, jobs and colleges,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/degrees/education-elementary-secondary.