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Why Should You Work in Education?

By Clare Kaufman
Learning & Life Columnist
January 26, 2007

Michael Hoffman, head of the charitable foundation Changing Our World, has a simple explanation for his career choice: "Every night, I've got a great reason to wake up the next morning and go to work." Like Hoffman, one in 12 Americans works for something other than the bottom line. Whether it's supporting education, fighting poverty, or fostering community, a sense of purpose is the ultimate reward of working at a nonprofit.

Maureen Flynn discovered this firsthand when she left a fundraising position at her university for a job in corporate PR. "I really started to enjoy my [PR] job but at the end of the day it was lacking those 'feel good' emotions that I had at my previous work in the [university's] Development Office." She returned to education, taking a job as a program assistant for an educational philanthropy foundation. "Working to help support education is extremely rewarding," Maureen comments. "Education is something I have always been passionate about." So now, she manages funding for K-12 science and math programs nationwide.

Education: Doing Good for Others (and Yourself)

Universities and schools are ground zero for creating a better future. Besides fundraising and philanthropy, opportunities for doing good exist in teaching, administration, and other academic support functions. The qualifications for these nonprofit jobs vary by role.

• K-12 Teaching positions typically require a bachelor's degree and a specialized teacher training program.
• Community College and University Teaching requires a master's degree or Ph.D. in a specialized area.
• Education Administration typically requires a master's or Ph.D. in Education Administration or Educational Leadership.
• Higher Education Development requirements vary, but usually call for an undergraduate degree. An MBA can be an asset in financial management roles.

Doing good feels good, notes Flynn. And when it comes to education, it can also be good for your bank account. University development directors and higher education administrators, for example, command six-figure salaries, a reflection of their importance to the institution. Professors also enjoy salaries in the $60-$70,000 range. Even K-12 teachers, stereotypically seen as low-income, make an average salary of over $43,000 per year, twice the national average.

The most profound compensation, of course, is the satisfaction of seeing students and institutions benefit from your efforts.

Sources:

• Philanthropy.com, "7.2% of Americans Work for Nonprofit, Study Finds"
• Idealist.org, "Introduction to the Nonprofit Sector: The Unbeaten Path"
• Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Occupational Outlook Handbook"
• Future Leaders in Philanthropy, "Meet a Future Leader in Philanthropy"
• Salary.com
• Future Leaders in Philanthropy, "Why Choose the Non-Profit Sector?"

About the Author
Clare Kaufman is a freelance writer who covers education and career-related topics. She has a graduate degree in English.

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