New York State Department of Labor Labor Statistics

If you enjoy working with people in a stimulating learning environment, educational services may be a promising field for you. This field can be very rewarding as well as very demanding. It requires patience, a love of knowledge, the ability to work well with people and strong speaking, writing, and analytical skills.

Three of every four Central New York education jobs are in the public sector: over 78 percent of these public jobs are in local government and the rest are in state government.

Elementary and secondary schools employ almost 59 percent of the educational services workers in the region. A breakdown of employment by type of employer follows.

The average gross weekly paycheck in the region's educational services industry is $789 a week - $29 above what the average Central New York worker earns. To some extent, the level of wages varies according to the type of employer. For example, out of the largest component industries in educational services, elementary and secondary schools pay the highest wages.

Most education jobs require at least a bachelor's degree, and many require a master's or doctoral degree. Employees often work 10 months a year when school is in session and do not work in July and August. Most occupations in the industry are professional, but there are also many administrative support, managerial, service, and blue-collar occupations. Teachers account for the largest number of workers in the industry. Professionals in this industry spend considerable time outside the classroom preparing lesson plans, conducting research, and furthering their education.

The fastest growing occupations in the region's educational services industry include elementary school teachers, middle school teachers, secondary school teachers, postsecondary teachers, special education teachers, preschool and kindergarten teachers, self-enrichment education teachers, instructional coordinators, education administrators, and teacher assistants. Hot teaching specialties include bilingual, math, science, English as a second language, and special education.

Many job openings are created just by turnover (someone retiring, being promoted or moving out of the area). With many teachers reaching retirement age over the next few years, demand for teachers will increase. Other openings come from growth in the industry. Today's emphasis on lifelong learning spurs demand for educational services workers. For instance, workers must constantly learn new technologies and skills in order to remain competitive in a rapidly changing economy. However, cuts in funding could dampen the demand for educational services workers.

Further sources of information about jobs in the education field include the following:

• Current job listings and other career resources can be found on the New York State Department of Labor web page (http://www.labor.ny.gov/)
• Local New York State Department of Labor offices and One-Stop Centers - look in the Blue Pages of the phone book under State Government - Labor Department
• The Yellow Pages in the phone book list specific educational institutions - look under these headings: Schools, Educational Consultants, Child Care Centers, and Nursery Schools & Kindergartens
• Local school districts
• Daily newspapers
• People working in the education field