Teachers are an important part of a child’s life. They teach them right from wrong, how to add and subtract and what you can accomplish when you work hard. Chances are, you have changed a child’s life in your role as a teacher. But if teaching is no longer as fulfilling as it used to be, it may be time to go back to school. One option is for you to get your doctor of education degree.

A doctor of education degree program will take your skills as the leader of a classroom and develop them to make you the leader of a school or district.

A New Position

There are many roles you can fill in a school district with your doctor of education degree. You can be the principal of a high school, middle school or elementary school; a dean of schools for a high school; or a director at a university. And this is only a small example of the administrative positions you will be qualified for. So, how much can you expect to make once you’ve earned your doctor of education?

Increased Pay

It’s hard to say. Location, experience level and district requirements are all factors that affect salary level of someone holding their doctor of education.

According to learn.org:

• “In the 2007-2008 school year, high school principals made an average of $97,486.”
• “In the 2008-2009 school year, the aveArage salary for a dean of students was $88,280.”
• “Full-time university professors reported average annual earnings of $79,439 from 2008-2009.”

And according to the National Center for Education Statistics, the average U.S. teacher’s salary in 2008-2009 was $54,319.

It’s clear that those holding administrative roles in a district are paid more than teachers, but pay varies state-by-state and district-by-district.

More Than Money

If you are considering your doctor of education, you shouldn’t solely be focused on earning a higher paycheck. Your advanced degree will also open more opportunities than you have with less advanced degrees and give you more power to make decisions in your district.

Many positions you would apply for with your doctor of education have you managing important tasks such as managing school finances, helping to choose new curriculum, testing and working with parents and students to create the best environment for learning. While you won’t be managing a classroom, you will be making big changes in your district that will affect your students in a positive way.

If you’re ready to make positive changes to your district with an administrative role, reach out to one of our graduate admissions counselors to learn more about our doctor of education degree program.

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