Key Takeaways:
- A Master’s in Education does increase teacher salaries, but the increase varies based on factors like location and specialization.
- Special education teachers with a master’s degree earn the same median pay as other teachers on average.
- Online programs offer affordable options for earning a Master’s in Education, costing less than traditional programs.
In this ranking, we explore whether a Master’s in Education increases a teacher’s salary and how it compares to other education degree salary increases. The answer is yes, but the pay boost depends on factors such as location, experience, and the type of school. Public and non-religious private schools often pay more, and wealthier districts provide higher teacher salaries due to better funding.
Specialization also matters—math, science, and high school teachers typically earn more, but the difference is often negligible. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average annual increase is approximately $1,000. Special education teachers, who usually need a master’s degree, earn similar median salaries to others. This article focuses on teacher salaries with a Master’s degree, the benefits of a Master’s in Education, and how online programs offer affordable options for advancing your career.
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Master’s in Education: The Basics
First, while no states require a master’s in education to start teaching, in Ohio, New York, and Massachusetts, all K-12 teachers are required to earn a master’s degree within five years of beginning their careers, marked by the signing of their first teaching contract. Most states require teachers to either earn a master’s degree or pursue professional development in some other way. Since earning a master’s degree is always considered continuing education and adds value to one’s resume, most teachers choose to pursue one. One of the perks of working in one of these states is that they often offer some reimbursement for the tuition cost of your master’s degree. This is a desirable option for many teachers as the average cost of master’s degrees can be pretty high compared to their salaries. Any teachers in any state who teach special education are required to earn their master’s degree. And almost all states have continuing education requirements for teachers. This requirement can be filled by means other than a master’s degree. But since a master’s in education degree is suitable for your career, most teachers opt to fulfill these requirements by earning their master’s. In short, what this means is that it’s not so much a question of whether or not to earn a master’s in education degree if you are a teacher. The question is when to earn yours. The answer requires us to analyse some basic salary information, which we do in the following section.
Master’s in Education: The Fundamental Factors for Choosing When to Earn Yours
The numbers we use in this section are sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics.
Teachers with one year or less of experience and a bachelor’s degree earn an average annual salary of $42,130. Teachers with one year or less of experience and a master’s degree earn an average yearly salary of $49,310. This amounts to about a $7,000 difference (16%). This gap stays roughly the same as pay increases for both the first nine years of a teacher’s career. Once the teacher reaches the middle of their career, at the 10-14 year mark, a teacher without a master’s degree earns $50,000 per year, while a teacher with a master’s degree earns $61,000 per year—a 22% difference.
So, what’s the best strategy for when to earn your master’s? There are two main options. Anything other than these two options results in a loss throughout your career.
The first is to earn your master’s in a dual degree program. Many 4+1 programs allow you to start working on your master’s in your senior year of college and finish in your fifth year of college. This is a year less than earning your bachelor’s degree full-time, followed by your master’s degree full-time (though some master’s in education programs are available online that can be completed in one year; doing things the above way is less intensive).
The second option is to graduate with your bachelor’s in four years and start teaching, while also immediately starting your master’s degree part-time. You can earn your master’s in more general education topics, such as curriculum design. Alternatively, you can earn your master’s in your area of specialty and further specialize. For instance, a family and consumer sciences teacher could earn their online masters in FACS at one of these schools. Doing things this way allows you to start earning a professional salary a year earlier, which will make up for the extra pay you may earn with a master’s degree as long as you complete your degree within five years of starting your career (many part-time master’s in education degrees can be earned in two years). As I said, these are the two best options for maximizing your earnings from your early career, which is somewhat important for teachers, as they unfortunately do not earn as much as many other professions that require a master’s degree.
Which master’s in education degree pays best?
Whether you’re majoring in a specific subject (math, history, any of the given sciences, English), curriculum design, or special education, they all lead to just about the same salary. However, there is one exception. It turns out if you want to earn money with a master’s in education, the best way to do it is not to teach, but to manage. Administration pays way better than teaching. The median annual income for a K-12 principal is $96,000. The top 10% of administrators earn $148,000 per year. So, if you’re not married to teaching but still want to work in education, you can earn a Master’s of Education in Leadership or Administration and become a principal or even eventually a superintendent. A master’s degree and at least five years of teaching experience are required to become a principal. However, it’s more common for teachers to become a vice principal first, and then move into the principal role later. It’s also not uncommon for teachers to earn their master’s degree in education in another subject and then pursue a second master’s or even a doctorate in educational administration before making the transition. Earning a doctorate in education administration also provides you with the opportunity to conduct research that can change the nature of education, or to work in colleges in administrative positions.
Once I earn my master’s degree, will my salary automatically increase to a higher level?
The short answer is, maybe. This will vary from school to school. Some teachers will receive salary increases for completing their master’s degrees. Sometimes this increase will not meet the national average. You also have to consider the average in your geographic location. How much do teachers with master’s degrees make there? Will your new salary be at the same level or lower than your current one? You may have to switch schools or even districts after you complete your master’s to trigger an appropriately sized salary increase.
One thing you can do is get heavily involved with your teachers’ union. You can even consider an additional degree in education policy. If you work with your union, you may, in time, be able to take a job with the union to help with organizing teachers at the local, state, and national levels. We have mentioned here and there that teacher pay is, generally speaking, not great. The unions work to improve the situation of teachers throughout the country. You can work with unions on many levels, from volunteer to paid positions. It’s a good idea to be involved with your union (beyond simple membership), regardless of whether or not you intend to work with them. However, national union representatives can earn salaries of upwards of $83,000 per year. If money is a significant concern, transitioning to working for your union is a great way to utilize your experience and education to benefit teachers across the United States.
Conclusion
Master’s in education degrees open up doors to opportunities for career advancements, increased responsibility, and potential leadership positions, among other benefits that are not available to individuals without an advanced degree. Education is a field where earning an advanced degree is essential for any hope of career advancement. All of the best positions in the most competitive school districts will require a master’s in education. So our advice is to get one as soon as possible. There’s no point in putting it off. Earning your master’s and even eventually a doctorate in education over time is your best path to the best education jobs in the world.