Is Getting a Master's in Education Worth It?

"To me the sole hope of human salvation lies in teaching," said George Bernard Shaw. From pre-k to graduate school, teachers are responsible for educating generation after generation while also balancing the additional pressures from parents, administrators, and government. These educators are dedicated to their students, often taking on multiple roles both in and out of the classroom such as instructors, role model, mentors, and counselors.

Despite this monumental task, teachers are arguably one of the lowest paid professions that require a college degree in the United States, with an average median salary of around $84,000/year. However, for many, the rewards of teaching surpass the financial compensation, and this is one of the reasons many educators continue to pursue a master’s degree in education.

Like many professions that focus on helping others, teaching is a calling. However, as an educator, you want to be afforded the same professional opportunities in education that you try to instill in your students.

A bachelor's degree is required to become a teacher, but many go on to pursue a master's degree in education, and for good reasons. In fact, some states may even require it, and the benefits for educators are numerous, including:

• staying competitive with fellow educators when being considered for promotions
• providing a dynamic work environment
• increasing salary
• gaining leadership skills
• flexible hours
• job stability
• a desire to become an administrator or other non-classroom position
• expanding classroom teaching and subject matter skills

In fact, for the 2021–2022 school year, 151,700 of the 880,200 master's degrees* conferred by postsecondary institutions were in education, making it the second most sought after master's degree after business.

Master's degrees in education are as specialized as school subjects, if not more so. Choosing the right one for you depends on your career goals. There are three types of master's degrees conferred in education: MAT (Master of Arts in Teaching), M.S in Education, M.Ed. or Ed.M. The sub-specialty of those degrees depends on your educational focus.

If you want to pursue a master's degree as a teacher and continue to teach, then a MAT is best suited for you. It's also appropriate for someone whose undergrad degree is in something other than teaching, as this degree can also offer licensure. This degree will advance your knowledge in a specific subject matter and the best ways to teach it, making you an even more effective teacher as well as possibly bumping your salary up a notch or two.

The M.S. in Education is for licensed teachers who want (or are required) to advance their knowledge and teaching skills in their specialty such as social studies, language arts, mathematics, etc. As the title suggests (Master of Science) there is a research component to this degree usually culminating in a topic-related thesis.

If moving from the classroom to the front office as an administrator or onto the Board of Education is your goal, then an Ed.M. or M.Ed. (or even a doctorate such as a Ph.D. or Ed.D.) would be the degree for you. This addresses the educational system itself, including administration and counseling education. Becoming a school principal or superintendent would be examples of professional pursuits requiring a degree like this. Similar to the M.S., this degree (including the Ph.D. or Ed.D.) is heavily research focused and requires in-depth work on a thesis or dissertation.

Whichever advanced degree you choose, it will inform your career and financial opportunities allowing you to find more fulfillment and, most importantly, achieve success in molding the young minds of the future.

*National Center for Education Statistics
https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/ctb/graduate-degree-fields