Education jobs on the rise in Texas
Anyone seeking a career in education may find jobs in Texas.
Texas teacher jobs and other education-related jobs are on the rise. The Texas Workforce Informer states the educational services sector employed 1,043,500 people in 2004, and is expected to employ 1,389,650 by 2014, an increase of 33.2 percent.
According to the Texas Industry Profiles Web site, industries in the education services sector provide instruction and training in a variety of subjects. The instruction and training is provided by specialized establishments, such as schools, colleges, universities and training centers.
The industry is structured according to the level and type of educational services, for example, elementary and secondary schools, junior colleges and colleges, universities and professional schools provide individuals with diplomas, associate degrees and degrees. The other industry groups are based on the type of instruction or training offered, and the levels are usually not as formal. The establishments are often specialized, and may offer instruction for a limited subject matter.
In the third quarter of 2005, those involved with educational services received an average weekly salary of $507. That amount increased to $516 in the third quarter of 2006. In 2007, the average instructor salary was $38,130 per year, lower than the national average.
Of those involved with educational services:
In 2007, the American Legislative Exchange Council ranked Texas 26th among the 50 states for education. Texas students ranked higher than average in mathematics and lower in reading. Between 2005 and 2006, Texas spent $7,584 per student, below the national average of $9,295. In 2007, 10.8 percent of educational funding came from the government, while 89.22 percent came from the state.
Texas’s public schools system is administered by the Texas Education Agency, and the state has more than 1,000 school districts. The Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills serves as a standardized test in primary and secondary schools.
Texas is home to 181 colleges and universities. The four largest include the University of Texas at Austin, Texas A&M University, the University of Houston and the University of North Texas. Rice University was ranked the 17th best university in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, and Baylor University is the oldest in the state.
According to the United States Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics, in June 2008 the education and health services industry employed 18,380,000 people nationwide. In May 2008 there were 687,000 job openings in the industry and 496,000 people were hired.
As of 2007, 8.8 percent of those employed in the industry throughout the country were members of unions and 10 percent were represented by unions. As of June 2008, the nationwide average hourly earnings for those in the industry was $18.75 at an average of 32.6 hours per week. In 2007, full-time workers received a median weekly salary of $671, members of unions received $779, those represented by unions received $781 and non-union members received $657.