Education
The Education Career Cluster spans careers aimed at fostering learning from early childhood to adulthood, including teaching, instructional design, counseling services, community engagement, learner support, and educator training.
What this cluster covers
- Definition
- The Education Career Cluster spans careers aimed at fostering learning from early childhood to adulthood, including teaching, instructional design, counseling services, community engagement, learner support, and educator training. This Cluster emphasizes quality education standards and lifelong learning, preparing individuals for success through all life stages by nurturing knowledge, skills, and critical thinking and encouraging personal and societal growth in a constantly evolving world.
Advance CTE
Education Career ClusterAdvance CTE- Checked
- 20 Oct 2026
Careers in this cluster
Entry education, license and BLS pay and outlook for every career page in this cluster. Each career page shows what the job is and links its step-by-step roadmap.
| Career | Typical entry | License | Median pay, May 2025 | Outlook 2025–35 | Career page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten & Elementary Teacher Teaching, Training & Facilitation |
Bachelor's degree | Required Teaching license |
$63,820 Kindergarten and elementary school teachers |
0% BLSKindergarten and Elementary School Teachers — Summary (Quick Facts)U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH)
|
Open: Kindergarten & Elementary Teacher |
| Professor & Postsecondary Teacher Teaching, Training & Facilitation |
Ph.D. for most 4-year colleges; a master's at some community colleges | None (a field license in some subjects) | $85,330 Postsecondary teachers |
+7% BLSPostsecondary Teachers — Summary (Quick Facts)U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH)
|
Open: Professor & Postsecondary Teacher |
| High School Teacher Teaching, Training & Facilitation |
Bachelor's degree | Required Teaching license |
$72,040 High school teachers |
0% BLSHigh School Teachers — Summary (Quick Facts)U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH)
|
Open: High School Teacher |
| Middle School Teacher Teaching, Training & Facilitation |
Bachelor's degree | Required Teaching license |
$64,370 Middle school teachers |
0% BLSMiddle School Teachers — Summary (Quick Facts)U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH)
|
Open: Middle School Teacher |
| Special Education Teacher Teaching, Training & Facilitation |
Bachelor's degree | Required Teaching license |
$67,170 Special education teachers |
0% BLSSpecial Education Teachers — Summary (Quick Facts)U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH)
|
Open: Special Education Teacher |
| School Counselor Learner Support & Community Engagement |
Master's degree | State credential (public schools) | $64,330 School and career counselors and advisors |
+3% BLSSchool and Career Counselors and Advisors — Summary (Quick Facts)U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH)
|
Open: School Counselor |
| Librarian & Library Media Specialist Learner Support & Community Engagement |
Master's degree | School librarians: teaching certificate | $68,270 Librarians and library media specialists |
+3% BLSLibrarians and Library Media Specialists — Summary (Quick Facts)U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH)
|
Open: Librarian & Library Media Specialist |
Pay is the BLS median for the occupation named under it, for May 2025; half of workers earned more, half less. For comparison, BLS projects all U.S. jobs to grow 3.5% over 2025–35. The career's sub-cluster comes from Advance CTE's SOC crosswalk.
Also in this cluster
Advance CTE places some occupations in more than one cluster. These careers have their page under another cluster, and the crosswalk puts them here too.
- Social Worker Community & Social Services
- Psychology Behavioral & Mental Health
- Business & Management Business Information Management
Sub-clusters and example programs
Major groupings of career areas within a given field that have similar skills as defined by industry area. The programs are Advance CTE's examples of school and college programs of study; what is offered varies by state.
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Early Childhood Development
Careers dedicated to nurturing the holistic growth of children from birth to 8 years old through education, care, and early intervention.
Example programs Early Childhood Education · Developmental Education
-
Education Administration & Leadership
Careers in managing and leading educational institutions, developing policies, curating and organizing knowledge, leading teams, and conducting research to improve education.
Example programs Educational Leadership
-
Learner Support & Community Engagement
Careers focused on offering guidance and support to learners while building collaborative ties with families and communities.
Example programs Professional Support Services · Library Science
-
Teaching, Training & Facilitation
Careers encompassing teaching and instructional design roles across diverse educational levels, from kindergarten through Grade 12 (K-12) to adult learning.
Example programs Principles of Teaching
Closely connected clusters
Advance CTE, from national labor market data: this cluster is most closely connected to these clusters. Advance CTE
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Every cluster with its sub-clusters, and which hubs are open.