If you are looking for a job right after graduating from your early childhood education program, you will want to know what jobs can you get with an early childhood education degree. That is a good idea because the job market is really competitive at this time. In this post I’m going to tell you about some of the fields that you can obtain jobs in.
As an early childhood education graduate, you have a wide range of career options. You can teach preschool or daycare, work in the childcare department at a hospital or other facility, or even become a nanny.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics says that between 2014 and 2024, there will be a job growth rate of 20% for preschool teachers and assistants. This is much faster than average job growth in other fields.
You might also work as a caregiver in an assisted living facility, or you could find a job at an after-school program or summer camp.
There are many opportunities for people with early childhood education degrees because of the growing demand for childcare workers and teachers in preschools and daycares across the country.
What jobs can you get with an early childhood education degree
Introduction
An early childhood education degree provides a solid foundation for many different types of careers, some of which may surprise you. In fact, most jobs for college graduates are accessible with an ECE degree! You can become a childcare center director or the owner and operator of your own daycare, a babysitter and nanny, or even an elementary school teacher or special education aide. If you’re interested in working with young children after you graduate from school, check out these common career paths:
Childcare center director
You must have a degree in early childhood education to be a childcare center director. You can then work as an administrator or teacher and gain experience by working at different types of preschools, from private religious schools to public daycares. After gaining several years of experience, you may want to consider going back to school for your master’s degree in order to get credentials that will help you land a better position.
Preschool teacher
With an early childhood education degree, you can work as a preschool teacher. Most preschool teachers have an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in early childhood education, but some may also have a minor in education or other disciplines. If you want to become a teacher but don’t want to go all the way through college, it’s possible to get some training at community colleges and then work toward getting your teaching license while working as an assistant preschool teacher.
In order to become certified as a preschool teacher in almost every state, you’ll need at least a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution of higher learning that includes coursework for the proper licensure requirements for your state. Many states require certain courses such as child growth and development; others may include classwork on teaching methods for young children with special needs.
Elementary school teacher
If you want to work with kids and teach them the basics of reading and writing, then this is a good job. An elementary school teacher will use their knowledge of child psychology, pedagogy (the science behind teaching) and literacy to help students learn how to read. They will also help them with math, social studies and more.
As far as qualifications go, you need at least a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education or related field such as education or psychology. Teachers must have a license before they can teach in public schools; if you want to teach in private schools like Montessori or Waldorf schools that don’t require licenses then all you need is some experience working with children ages 5-12 years old
Kindergarten teacher
Kindergarten teachers instruct and educate children in the fundamental skills of reading, writing and arithmetic. They also provide emotional support to students while teaching them to follow directions, develop good social interactions with others and learn to respect authority figures.
The average annual salary for kindergarten teachers was $56,870 in May 2017, according to the BLS. In some states you may be required to have a master’s degree or higher in order to teach kindergarten.
Becoming a teacher is not for everyone, but there are many benefits that come with this job: great work-life balance; flexible hours; summers off (if you want them); no weekend work required; summers off (if you want them); opportunity for travel if you’re interested in working internationally or moving around within the country; low stress levels compared with other jobs—all these things make teaching an excellent career option!
Nanny/babysitter/au pair
A nanny or babysitter takes care of children while their parents are at work, out with friends, or on vacation. The responsibilities include cooking meals, doing laundry and cleaning up after the children. Nannies also supervise children to make sure they are safe and happy while their parents are away.
A babysitter is a teenager who watches other people’s children at night when their parents can’t be there to care for them. Babysitters usually don’t live in the home where they watch kids—they stay over just for an evening or overnight and then go home afterwards.
An au pair is someone who lives with another family so she or he can help with child care and housework in exchange for room and board. Au pairs typically work from 9-5 Monday through Friday but may arrange their schedule so it fits into their school schedule as well
Special education teacher/aide
While you can certainly pursue a career as a special education teacher/aide, there are other types of jobs that may require similar skills. In addition to teaching and assisting in classrooms, other positions in this field include:
- Consultant. A special education consultant helps teachers develop effective lesson plans for students with disabilities. They also provide advice on how to use technology and how best to implement new classroom strategies.
- Instructor/trainer. These roles involve working directly with children or adults who have been diagnosed with an impairment or disability (for example, autism). They teach them the skills they need so they can live independently and engage fully in their communities.
- Researcher/researcher associate (or similar titles). Researcher associates study existing data sets related to mental illness and behavioral issues among children or adults—for example, how these conditions affect learning outcomes at school—and then recommend changes based on what they’ve learned from that research
After-school program counselor or aide
- After-school program counselor or aide. You can work with kids in after-school programs, helping them with homework and arts and crafts projects. You might also be responsible for organizing activities, such as games and sports or learning activities that build the kids’ skills in math, science and reading.
- Day care center teacher or assistant. If you have an associates degree or higher in early childhood education, you can find jobs at day care centers working as teachers or assistants. Teachers teach children basic skills like reading, writing and counting while assistants help out with snacks, arts crafts projects and cleaning up after playtime has ended.
Babysitting at home (on your own)
- Babysitting at home (on your own)
You don’t need a degree to do this, but you will need some training. You can make good money and get paid for just being there with the children. This job is especially good if you have a license and/or CPR certification, but even without those things, it’s still a great way to make some extra cash.
Teach for America Corps member
Teach for America is a program that recruits college graduates to teach in low-income schools for two years. Teach for America recruits teachers from all majors, not just education majors—it accepts applicants from almost every major at any college or university in the country.
If you’re considering applying to Teach for America, keep these things in mind:
- You can apply as early as your junior year of college.
- Teach For America’s application process takes about four months to complete and includes numerous steps, including essay writing and multiple interviews with candidates across the country (the final step is a weeklong program called “Corps Training,” which takes place at their headquarters near Washington D.C.).
Childlife specialist at hospital
A child life specialist is a registered nurse who works in the hospital setting and helps children deal with medical procedures. They are trained to help patients cope with their fears and anxieties, as well as make them more comfortable during their hospital stay by bringing in special items or entertainment. They also work closely with the medical team to provide resources for families regarding patient care, including explaining medications before they’re given to patients so that they can feel at ease knowing what’s going on.
In order to become a child life specialist, you must earn your associate degree in nursing (ASN) first then go on to earn a bachelor’s degree of science in nursing (BSN). You will also have to receive specialized training from an accredited program offered through universities or hospitals that provides education about early childhood development; pediatric nursing; mental health issues; grief counseling techniques; crisis intervention skills; working within the healthcare system; dealing with trauma victims at all levels—including those who have experienced abuse or neglect as well as those living through natural disasters such as hurricanes or earthquakes—and much more!
The average salary for this type of job starts around $52K per year and goes up depending on experience level/position within company/etcetera.”
If you want to work with young children, you should get an ECE degree!
If you’re interested in working with young children, then an ECE degree is the perfect choice! With an ECE degree, you can expect to gain valuable skills that will help prepare you for a career in early childhood education. Some of these skills include:
- Teaching methods and techniques
- Child development theory and practice
- Literacy development
Conclusion
We hope that this article has shown you just how varied your career options can be if you have an ECE degree. With so many possibilities, and with the job market for these positions expected to grow quickly in the coming years, we believe that early childhood education is a great field to explore. Even if you aren’t sure exactly which path you want to take, getting some hands-on experience and earning your degree will give you all sorts of options to choose from later on!
