If you want to work in the education field, getting an Ed.D degree is the first step to set you in the right direction. Generally speaking, a doctor of education is for individuals who want to work day in day out and hands-on in administrative roles.
An Ed.D. degree usually requires that you complete a dissertation and qualitative research. Some might say that an Ed.D. is similar to a Ph.D. in education. However, all differences are only generalizations. Plenty of Ph.D. holders go on to become school administrators while Ed.D degree holders become education professors. Role reversal is common for both degrees. Listed below are a few career paths you can take after obtaining your doctor of education.
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School/College Principal
Although the entire student population thinks of principals as chief disciplinary, school or college principals oversee every aspect of a school or college’s daily operations. Ranging from managing the budget to evaluating the teachers, a school or college principal helps improve student outcomes and education quality diversely.
You can become a principal if you have a doctor of education or a Ph.D. the yearly average pay of principal ranges from 81,000 dollars to 89,000 dollars, depending on the candidate’s experience. Also, according to the BLS, a school principal’s median salary is around 95,000 dollars.
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Education Administrator
For various reasons, an education administrator’s position is one of the best career options you can go for after acquiring a doctor of education. Candidates working in this position oversee daily operations, just like a principal. It includes budgeting, logistics, event planning, curriculum implementation, staff evaluation, PR, and much more. The role focuses on creating a vision for a school’s future and implementing strategies to achieve that vision.
The salary of an EdD degree holder as an education administrator varies from institution to institution. According to PaySclae, an education administrator’s average salary is around 69,000 dollars per year. However, the BLS states that secondary and elementary education administrators can earn an annual salary of 98,000 dollars.
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Chief Learning Officer(CLO)
Every educational institute, non-profit organizations, and businesses have their unique employee, goals, and resources. The chief learning officer’s role is to formulate strategies that direct an educational institution’s policies and objectives. Their duty is similar to that of a development and training manager. They disseminate information and knowledge while keeping everything under budget.
According to PayScale, a chief learning officer’s average annual salary is around 153,000 dollars per year. At the same time, the BLS states that the median wage is approximately 111,000 dollars per year.
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Superintendent
A superintendent or an assistant superintendent usually heads an entire school district. They supervise administrators and principals working inside district offices while also making decisions that affect their district’s health. They also have to represent their entire district when they meet superintendents from other sections, attend community events, conferences, and meetings.
A school can call a superintendent to serve with them anytime it wants. So, a principal who wants to become one has to give up their principal’s seat. However, compared to other educational-based roles, a superintendent’s salary is up there with a CEO’s. They make around 250,00 dollars per year on average—more than any different education-based position. Such a role also comes with a pension plan and attractive benefits.
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Community College President
A community college president’s job is to manage the college campus and faculty members while implementing curricula changes in coordination with other statewide groups. They represent their colleges at both off and on-campus levels, ensuring accreditation with the relevant authorities. They also are in charge of overseeing budgeting, staff recruitment, and public relations. The role of a community college president is an ever-demanding one. However, it can be a rewarding one as well.
A community college president can earn around 82,000 dollars per year on average, about 2 percent more than the national yearly average. However, the top ten percent earners can make as much as 200,000 dollars per year.
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Academic Dean
Doctor of education degree holders not only go into public schools. Many of them also become educational leaders. An academic dean is the chief academic officer of a particular college. Their responsibility is to manage finances, raise funds, deliver instructions to faculty members. They also liaise between university administration and their college.
To get hired as an academic dean, candidates have to undergo a demanding search and selection process. Sometimes this search is related to politics rather than educational qualification itself. It is logical for faculty members to apply for such a position after completing their doctor of education. An academic who does his or her job well can go on to become university presidents or provosts. An academic dean’s average salary is around 77,00 dollars per year.
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Professor
Although most candidates who desire to become college professors go for a Ph.D. degree, some acquire an Ed.D. degree and become teachers in universities and colleges. A professor not only helps students but also guides teachers and principals. Some Ed.D. degree holders begin as professors, both full or part-time, and then shift to administration. While some still work as professors, working on research-based studies and improving education quality. The average salary of a professor is around 102,00 dollars per year.
Conclusion
Although most individuals who obtain an Ed.D. degree work in the education sector, they try their best to make a difference in student’s lives. Consider the career options in the list mentioned above if you have an Ed.D. degree and want to dive headfirst in the education field. These jobs pay well and will allow you to mold the educational leader of tomorrow.