Best Education Jobs SitesEducation Administrators Education jobs for administrators are projected to increase 9 to 17 percent through 2014, partly because a large number of education administrators are expected to retire over the next 10 years. Enrollment of students in elementary and secondary schools is expected to grow slowly over the next decade, which will limit the growth of principals and other administrators in these schools. However, education jobs for preschool and childcare center administrators are expected to grow rapidly as enrollments in formal child care programs continue to expand as a result of fewer private households that care for young children. Also, as more States begin implementing public preschool programs, more preschool directors will be needed. The number of postsecondary school students is projected to grow more rapidly than other student populations. This will create significant demand for administrators at that level, especially in the West and South, where the population is growing. Principals and assistant principals should have very favorable job prospects. A sharp increase in responsibilities in recent years has made the job more stressful, and has discouraged some teachers from taking positions in administration. Many teachers feel the higher pay of administrators is not high enough to compensate for the greater responsibilities. Education jobs also are expected to be favorable for college and university administrators, particularly those seeking nonacademic positions. Increasing enrollments will require that institutions replace the large numbers of administrators who retire, and even hire additional administrators Teachers Education jobs for teachers over the next 10 years will vary from good to excellent, depending on the locality, grade level, and subject taught. Most job openings will result from the need to replace the large number of teachers who are expected to retire over the 2004-14 period. Shortages of qualified teachers will likely continue, resulting in competition among some localities. Schools are even luring teachers from other States and districts with bonuses and higher pay. Education jobs for teachers from kindergarten through the secondary grades will experience only average growth through 2014. This is because overall student enrollments in elementary, middle, and secondary schools—a key factor in the demand for teachers—are expected to rise more slowly than in the past as children of the baby boom generation leave the school system. Projected enrollments will vary by region. Fast-growing States in the West—particularly California, Idaho, Hawaii, Alaska, Utah, and New Mexico—will experience the largest enrollment increases. Enrollments in the South will increase at a more modest rate than in recent years, while those in the Northeast and Midwest are expected to hold relatively steady or decline. Job prospects should be better in inner cities and rural areas than in suburban districts. Currently, many school districts have difficulty hiring qualified teachers in some subject areas—most often mathematics, science (especially chemistry and physics), bilingual education, and foreign languages. Specialties that have an adequate number of qualified teachers include general elementary education, physical education, and social studies. Qualified vocational teachers also are currently in demand in a variety of fields at both the middle school and secondary school levels. Education jobs for postsecondary teachers are expected to grow much faster than average through 2014. Projected growth in college and university enrollment over the next decade stems mainly from the expected increase in the population of 18- to 24-year-olds, who constitute the majority of students at postsecondary institutions. Also, adults returning to college to enhance their career prospects or to update their skills will continue to create new opportunities for postsecondary teachers, particularly at community colleges and for-profit institutions that cater to working adults. Many postsecondary teachers were hired in the late 1960s and the 1970s to teach members of the baby boom generation, and they are expected to retire in growing numbers in the years ahead. The best education jobs prospects for postsecondary teachers are likely to be in fields where job growth is expected to be strong over the next decade. These will include fields such as business, health specialties, nursing, and biological sciences. Here are the top five online job sites for education jobs, as measured by the Alexa rating (the lower the rating, the more popular the site. See our Online Job Search page for a detailed explanation of Alexa ratings.
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