What Else Can I Do With a Teaching Degree? 8 Career Alternatives

Teaching is a rewarding career that allows you to help shape the lives of others and prepare them for their next stages, but it often requires you to earn a very specific bachelor's degree in education. At first glance, these types of degrees may seem to limit your professional options for teaching students in a classroom. However, a teaching degree is actually quite versatile. 

You'll discover that with these credentials, you can go on to work in other industries or work your way up within the education field. Whether you're contemplating earning an education degree and wondering what you can do with it, or you're a current teacher ready for a new challenge or career change, this article will answer the question, "What else can I do with a teaching degree?"   

Can you enter other careers with a teaching degree?

Many people who earn a degree in education become classroom teachers in elementary, middle, and high schools. However, you also have other available options with this versatile bachelor's degree. If you enjoy the education field, you may want to continue down that career path and seek a more advanced position, like a school counselor or principal. If you're ready for a new challenge, you might want to completely switch to a different field.

Let’s explore eight examples of careers beyond the classroom that you may be able to get with a teaching degree.  

1. Social worker 

Average annual Salary: $57,925 [1]

Job Outlook: 7 percent job growth between 2023 and 2033 [2]

Brief overview: Just like teachers, social workers help people, particularly those who face unique challenges. Some even work in a school or an educational environment. You may also work with children and young people in this role if you want to stick with a career that focuses on that specific age group, though you can also work with adults and in other settings, like health care facilities. 

Some of a social worker's duties and responsibilities might include: 

• Meeting with clients to better understand their challenges and concerns

• Helping clients create strategies to improve or manage challenging situations

• Researching and advocating for community resources  

• Responding to emergency situations, such as domestic or child abuse 

• Maintaining records and case files on each client

• Continuously monitoring a client’s situation 

• Maintaining a strong code of ethics 

• Assisting clients with defining and meeting certain goals

Who would the job be a good fit for: You're passionate about helping others and working with them one-on-one. You're patient, analytical, organized, and perceptive. 

Additional education or training needed: To become a social worker, you'll need additional education and training. A second bachelor's degree in social work (BSW) can help you get an entry-level position in the field. However, with your education degree, you may consider pursuing a graduate degree. A Master of Social Work (MSW) degree is required to become a licensed clinical social worker. Licensure is a requirement to work in many states. 

2. Corporate trainer 

Average Annual Salary: $52,699 [3]

Job Outlook:  12 percent job growth between 2023 and 2033 [4]

Brief overview: A corporate trainer teaches employees who work for a company rather than students in a classroom. In this role, you might provide in-person training to employees or create training materials for them to use on the job. Ultimately, your job is to support employee development, whether a brand new hire or someone who has worked at a company for years and needs to learn something new, like workplace skills or how to become a better leader. 

Some of your tasks as a corporate trainer might include:  

• Creating a training schedule for employees

• Gaining knowledge about the industry in which you work

• Making sure your training sessions align with company values and missions

• Determining what skills employees need and communicating this info to management

• Creating or locating new educational materials for employees

• Preparing specific training materials for various events

• Surveying employees to determine their needs 

• Keeping up with employee data 

• Teaching and training employees either in person or online 

• Conducting workshops and seminars 

• Monitoring and reviewing employees' training progress and results

• Modifying training materials and presentations based on data and results  

Who would the job be a good fit for: You enjoy teaching but'd rather work with adults or move beyond the traditional classroom. You're a good public speaker who is passionate about teaching, is adaptable to various audiences, and enjoys problem-solving. 

Additional education or training needed: To become a corporate trainer, you'll typically need, at minimum, a bachelor's degree. While you won't usually run into specific degree requirements, many people in this field have a degree in education, communication, or human resources. Some companies may also require you to have a relevant master's degree or certificate in corporate training or a related area. 

3. Librarian 

Average Annual Salary:  $61,091 [5]

Job Outlook: 3 percent job growth between 2023 and 2033 [6]

Brief overview: Librarians can work in schools at all levels, from elementary school to university, though you can also work in museums, hospitals, businesses, public libraries, and anywhere else where people may conduct research. In this role, you'll maintain, protect, and organize various resources and help connect them with those who need them. In the modern world, you'll typically work with both printed and digital material, which means you must understand the technology and be able to teach others how to use it.  

As a librarian, your duties and responsibilities might include: 

• Creating and maintaining databases 

• Choosing new items to add to your library's collections

• Keeping materials organized

• Maintaining a library budget

• Help patrons find the materials they need and conduct research using them

• Teaching patrons how to use various tools and resources 

• Creating specialty programs for your library patrons 

• Troubleshooting technical issues

• Hiring and training new library employees 

Who would the job be a good fit for: You enjoy working in an educational environment but prefer working independently. You enjoy working with people from all backgrounds, you enjoy working with new technology, and you have strong analytical skills. 

Additional education or training needed: To qualify for this position, you typically need a master's degree in library science, information studies, or a similar field. 

4. Admissions administrator (postsecondary)  

Average Annual Salary: $52,277 [7]

Job Outlook: 3 percent job growth between 2023 and 2033 [8]

Brief overview: As an admissions administrator, you oversee the learners’ admission to public and private colleges and universities. You're responsible for making admissions rules for the school, such as how many students to admit or what materials to use for the admissions process.  

Some of your duties and responsibilities as an admissions administrator might include:  

• Determining how many students your school will admit each semester

• Maintaining data about the school's applicants and students

• Developing admissions materials 

• Reviewing prospective students' applications 

• Determining who should attend your school

• Meeting with prospective students 

• Encouraging people to apply to your school 

Who would the job be a good fit for: You want to continue working in education, but you want to work at the postsecondary level and don't want to work inside a classroom. You're organized and have great problem-solving and interpersonal skills. 

Additional education or training needed: A bachelor's degree in education may be enough to help you get a job as an admissions administrator at a small school. However, many schools will require a master's degree in a related field. Some schools may also require you to have years of experience working in an admissions office. 

5. School counselor 

Average Annual Salary: $76,901 [9]

Job Outlook: 4 percent job growth between 2023 and 2033 [10]

Brief overview: As a school counselor, you'll continue working in a school setting to help students reach their academic goals and overcome any behavior, emotional, or other problems that interfere with their path toward success. Tasks can range from helping high school students choose a career path or postsecondary option to dealing with school-wide issues like bullying to helping a learner access mental health resources. 

Some of your duties and responsibilities as a school counselor might involve:  

• Assisting students with overcoming social challenges 

• Reporting suspected neglect or abuse in students

• Keeping records on students

• Helping students with setting goals 

• Advocating for students in academic and other meetings

• Matching students with services for support needed beyond school resources

• Helping students determine professional and academic paths for when they graduate

• Collaborating with teachers and parents to create academic plans for students

• Working with students to develop human skills like time management or organization

• Helping students manage their emotions 

Who would the job be a good fit for: You want to continue working in a school setting, but you want a new challenge or position. You're empathetic, patient, and a good communicator. 

Additional education or training needed: To become a school counselor, you'll typically need to earn a master's degree in counseling, psychology, or a related field. This may require you to participate in an internship or gain clinical experience. You'll then need to meet your state's certification requirements for school counselors, which could involve passing an exam and earning a license.   

6. Museum educator 

Average Annual Salary:  $54,659 [11]

Job Outlook: 11 percent job growth between 2023 and 2033 [12]

Brief overview: Museums—along with zoos, aquariums, and science centers—often have educational programs they offer to the public, and they hire educators to run them. You may interact directly with visitors to the museums or create lesson plans behind the scenes. Ultimately, your goal is to share information about the museum's artifacts and collections with the public, increase the public’s knowledge, and raise awareness on these specialty topics.   

As a museum educator, your duties and responsibilities may include: 

• Developing educational programs and lesson plans for the museum 

• Executing educational programs

• Researching and memorizing information about a museum's exhibits

• Visiting schools and various organizations in the community to share information 

• Hosting school groups and other groups from your community  

• Giving lectures on museum objects and collections

• Keeping records of programs and making changes as needed

• Developing instructional materials  

• Creating and managing a community outreach program 

Who would the job be a good fit for: You want to teach outside the classroom or have a specialty, such as art history or science, that you're interested in making your teaching focus. You're a critical thinker and a good observer who enjoys public speaking, writing, and researching.  

Additional education or training needed: Some museums may only require you to have a bachelor's degree, while others want you to have a master's or doctorate degree. Some schools offer degrees in areas like museum education or curation. Another option might be earning a degree in the area on which the museum is focused, like art history. If you only have a bachelor's degree, consider taking an entry-level position as a tour guide or volunteering to gain some experience. 

7. Event planner 

Average Annual Salary: $60,570 [13]

Job Outlook: 7 percent job growth between 2023 and 2033 [14]

Brief overview: As an event planner, you'll plan, coordinate, and manage events, like weddings, parties, corporate events, meetings, conventions, and more. You can work independently as a freelance event planner, for a particular company that plans many events, or for a venue that hosts events. You'll be responsible for all of the details of these events, ranging from transportation and food to scheduling and decor. 

Some of your duties and responsibilities as an event planner might include: 

• Meeting with clients to understand their wants and needs for an event

• Staying within a budget, paying bills, and approving financial decisions

• Communicating with and hiring venues and vendors

• Visiting venues to ensure they meet the client’s requirements

• Coordinating various services, like lodging, transportation, and food service

• Staying on top of all activities related to the event to ensure client satisfaction 

• Planning a schedule and scope for the event 

Who would the job be a good fit for: You enjoy planning activities, like parties, field trips, and assemblies. You're organized, you're creative, you pay close attention to detail, and you're great at problem-solving. 

Additional education or training needed: A formal education isn't necessarily required for event planning, though having a bachelor's degree can give you a competitive edge when applying for a job. If you've worked as a teacher, the practical experience and human skills you've gained from managing a classroom and planning various school events can also be helpful. Consider taking some college courses in event management or hospitality management. You can also earn various certifications to add to your credentials, such as the Certified Special Events Professional designation from International Live Events. 

8. Principal 

Average Annual Salary: $157,629 [15]

Job Outlook: (-1) percent job growth between 2023 and 2033 [16]

Brief overview: Becoming a principal or other type of school administrator may be one of the most common job changes for you if you have a teaching degree or have worked as a teacher. In this role, you won't usually teach children directly, but you'll still be in charge of their well-being and education at a broader level. You'll be in charge of the school's operations and make sure your students have a safe, healthy environment to gain an education. 

Some of your duties and responsibilities as a principal might include:  

• Acting as a leader for your school, teachers, students, parents, and community

• Managing school budgets 

• Managing teachers and other staff, like custodians and cafeteria workers 

• Observing and evaluating classrooms 

• Attending extracurricular activities, like sports games and club meetings

• Ensuring your school complies with local, state, and federal policies

• Advocating for your students and staff

• Attending PTA and school board meetings and increasing community engagement 

• Potentially filling in for teachers as needed 

• Managing special projects 

• Overseeing school maintenance

• Disciplining students

• Encouraging and organizing professional development for teachers and staff 

• Communicating with parents 

Who would the job be a good fit for: You want to continue working in the school system, but you seek bigger challenges and prefer to move outside the classroom. You have strong leadership, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.  

Additional education or training needed: To become a principal, you typically need some teaching experience, as well as a master's degree in education administration, education leadership, or a similar subject. Your state may also have specific licensing requirements.

Getting started with Coursera 

One way to explore other career options beyond teaching is to take an online class and get a feel for the topic. On Coursera, you'll find thousands of options in various topics offered by some of the top business and educational institutions in the world.

For example, if you're considering becoming a social worker, you might take a course like Social Work Practice: Advocating Social Justice and Change, offered by the University of Michigan. If you're considering a job in a museum, you'll also find courses offered by notable museums across the globe, like Marine Biology, offered by the American Museum of Natural History.