Average Salary with a Masters in Education Administration
You can definitely get started working in education with just a bachelor’s degree, but a master’s degree in this field will open whole new worlds of opportunity. With your masters in education with a concentration in administration, you’ll qualify for more jobs and, more importantly, be offered a higher starting salary, as well as a higher salary throughout your career. Going back to school for your master’s degree takes time, but adding these classes to your schedule is definitely a great way to advance in your career field.
Masters in Education Salary
Teacher salaries range from extremely low for substitutes to extremely high for administrators at private schools. In general, you can expect to earn 5% to 10% more with your master’s degree than you would earn with you bachelor’s degree in the field. Teachers who earn a master’s degree in education earn $60,000 to $100,000 annually (BLS.gov). Keep in mind, however, that this degree will also qualify you to take on administrative positions, and these leadership roles come attached to much higher salaries. For example, as a school principal, you can earn almost $90,000 – or even more in a private school setting. Although many students who graduate with a masters in education administration go on to work in roles as teachers, the administration concentration of this degree prepares you for top-level jobs in this field as well.
How to Earn More Money as an Educator
Getting your masters in education administration is just the first step in earning more money as an educator. You can also consider specializing in special education, where educators and administrators are in hand demand, or moving to a high-need area, where teacher salaries are often higher because they need to attract more workers. Private and religious schools almost always pay teachers higher salaries, since they are funding by student tuition, rather than the government, so you can look into finding a job with one of those employers. In addition, you can also working a public policy role using your education administration degree. Rather than working with students in a school setting, you can work with school districts or even the government to affect education policy. Keep in mind that as a teacher, you’ll also be eligible for a number of students grants and scholarships, which can decrease the money you’ll spend on your education, and in some cases, you can also apply for student loan repayment programs, where your debt is forgiven in exchange for working in a high-need area.