Is a bachelors degree or a masters degree better to have when entering the workforce?

Most entry level teachers start with a bachelors degree and then work on their masters. Unless you are considering a specialized education field, like speech therapy/audiology, some areas of special education, reading intervention specialist, etc., it's not usually required and may actually make it harder for you to find that first education job, surprisingly. That's because budgets often control educational hiring decisions, and the pay scale is keyed to a teacher's educational attainment. This means higher pay for more education, and sometimes having a masters degree will knock you out of job contention due to having a higher initial salary requirement for that qualification. Once you are part of a school system, that is no longer a concern, and some school districts will actually pay all or part of your tuition to complete a masters program while in their employ. Since continuing education credits are also part of keeping up your certification, you'll have plenty of opportunities to work on a masters while fulfilling that expectation. Another thing to consider is that much of a masters program in any educational area assumes career experience as a teacher, which slants the assignments and application of new learning toward those who are currently in a school setting. It's a lot easier to take a concept from your masters program and test it in your own classroom and write a paper about it, than to use hypotheticals or find someone willing to let you try it on their class! I was hired with a bachelors degree, completed my masters, and added over 30 additional graduate credits during my teaching career. I enjoyed keeping myself current by doing it that way, and met great mentors and teachers to network with by doing it that way. Best wishes for a wonderful career. teacher education teaching career

Kaitlin,

Here is my story in brief. I joined the workforce with a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering degree. 3 years later, I used the work experience gained to join a full time MBA program. 6 years after graduating with the MBA, I am making my employer completely sponsor a PhD in Systems & Engineering Management, which I am pursuing currently.

My advice to you would be this - if you can afford to stay on in academia and complete a master's degree, do it. Otherwise, join the workforce with a bachelor's degree and find an employer who will partly or fully cover a master's degree part time. Higher education never goes waste. It is and always will be a differentiator in the workforce when it comes to salaries and promotional opportunities.

I am glad you are thinking about this. All the very best.

My opinion is that it is best to enter the field you want with as little education as possible. This may seem counter intuitive, but it allows you to expand your learning with on-the-job experience rather than sitting behind a desk. Additionally, employers may cover education expenses after you've gained some tenure.

Depending on which field you want to enter, work experience can even help leverage admittance into better schools; this is especially true of MBA programs. Keep in mind that scientific fields, like medicine, will typically require a minimum of 4 years of schooling.

Although there are certainly other pathways to success, I think that many young people today chase a degree thinking that it will guarantee a well-paying job when it oftentimes does not. I opted to take an entree level sales position with AT&T, got promoted, and eventually was promoted to a Chief of Staff technical role shortly after completing my undergrad last year. I am now working toward my MBA.

Kaitlin – 

How exciting that you are looking to major in education?! You've chosen a field that will always be in demand; very wise decision. To be a full-time faculty member your bachelors is required. When looking for a school to obtain your Master’s I would suggest reviewing the program as many institutions will give you discounts if you agree to have student teachers in your own class. You know the pay-it-forward concept. 

Speaking from my own personal experience, I wish I had stayed true to my plan when I was attending college & not dropped out. 20 years after graduating high school I graduated with my bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. Working full-time & trying to balance work, family, & school is very hard. I promise if you take the next 4 years & bang it out it will all be worth it. I also said I would never go back to school. Six months after graduating with my bachelor’s I enrolled in a Master’s program studying I/O Psychology. 

The best advice I can provide is to slow down & trust the process. Trying to force or hurry through your education will only make it seem that much longer. Enjoy your time as a student & be a sponge; soak it all up. You will have plenty of time to adult. Best of luck to you! educationmajor

It depends on the type of career that you want. Some jobs only require a BA degree. Other jobs require a MA degree. Now some science programs like pharmacy and physical therapy require that you get a doctoral degree because the MA has been eliminated.

Therefore, it all boils down to what you want to do. If you don't know what you want to do, but want to start college and figure it out, I would suggest a community college. It is much cheaper and is well suited for helping you discover your best academic fit.

Also, many employers don't pay for you to go back to school to get a MA degree. You have to research the industry and/or employer to see if this incentive is available.

This is a debatable question and there is no right or wrong answer. There are situations where people got the job right after their bachelors and they never did any masters. There are situations where people got the job after bachelors and did their masters while working and some got the job after doing masters. It also depends on type of job you are applying to.  I would look up on job search websites like indeed.com and read through the job requirements/description to get an idea of what companies are looking for.

Again, if there is a job position where there are 2 finalists. Company would obviously prefer a candidate with masters over bachelors.