When considering your future career, one obvious point that you should take into account is professional growth within your chosen field. If you are going to be stuck with a certain salary without the opportunity to reach beyond that mark, you would be wise to look elsewhere.
Unfortunately, the field of education is often seen by the uninformed as a dead end; where "those who can't do, teach." Obviously, teaching isn't just babysitting: there is a lot more to it! Teachers are required to not only know and understand the content, but how to teach it, so that their students can learn effectively. Teaching truly makes a difference! But for those that major in education in one form or another (Special Education, Elementary or Early Childhood Education, Physical Education, etc.), the question remains: once you are a teacher, is there any way to climb the ladder of success (and hopefully positively impact your salary in the process)?
The answer is a resounding YES! Teachers have opportunities to grow in both their realm of influence and in regards to their compensation. Teach.org does a wonderful job of laying out some the possible career paths that teachers can take. Check it out!
Some of these careers do required additional schooling, but not all of them do! If you are interested in graduate programs, check some of ours out at BYU! The McKay School of Education has many advanced degrees that you can pick between! There are Master's in Communication Disorders, Special Education, Educational Leadership, Instructional Psychology and Technology, as well as Teacher Education. Want to study even further? Check out some of our doctorate programs in the McKay School–Doctor of Education, EdS in School Psychology, PhD in Counseling Psychology, and more! Learn more about each of these programs at education.byu.edu.
As always, we would love to hear from you! Set up a casual appointment with us here, or send us an email at mckayambassadors@byu.edu. We wish you well in your educational career path!