by our College Data Analytics TeamA major in Speech Teacher Education involves the study of Speech Teacher Education. A Program That Prepares Individuals To Teach Speech And Language Arts Programs At Various Educational Levels. Continue reading for the key facts every speech teacher education student should know — including career paths, salary data, the skills you will develop, and the best colleges offering speech teacher education programs.
Across the country, speech teacher education is a popular field of study, with 78 degrees awarded annually.
Our 2026 Best Speech Teacher Education Schools ranking analyzes these 8 schools to determine the best overall colleges for speech teacher education students. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of speech teacher education programs later in this article.
Studies in Speech Teacher Education emphasize a specific mix of skills, knowledge, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in the occupations speech teacher education graduates commonly enter.
The skill set developed in a speech teacher education program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:
Per O*NET surveys, a speech teacher education major emphasizes the following knowledge areas:
There are several speech teacher education degree levels. The table below shows the typical length of the most common levels, and how many graduates earn each one.
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Associate Degree | 2 years | 7 |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 4 years | 3 |
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 25 |
| Doctorate | At least 4 years | 43 |
People currently working in careers related to speech teacher education tend to have obtained the following education levels.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Doctoral degree | 47.3% |
| Bachelor’s degree | 34.1% |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 7.2% |
| Master’s degree | 6.3% |
| Less than a high school diploma | 2.5% |
| Post-master’s certificate | 1.7% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 0.8% |
| Post-doctoral training | 0.1% |
View the chart below to get an idea of what level of education most of those in speech teacher education careers hold.
Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*
Majoring in speech teacher education prepares you for many career paths. These are some of the most common occupations related to speech teacher education.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to speech teacher education.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Education Teachers, Postsecondary | 1,441,246 | 2.4% |
| Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | 692,039 | -1.4% |
| Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | 571,954 | 1.8% |
College Scorecard reports median earnings of speech teacher education graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise as graduates gain experience.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $49,919 |
| 4 years | $50,204 |
| 5 years | $56,331 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.
Salaries for speech teacher education graduates vary widely by occupation. The following table shows the top highest-paying careers speech teacher education grads often go into.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Education Teachers, Postsecondary | $98,329 |
| Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | $83,105 |
| Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | $77,927 |
With 8 different speech teacher education programs to choose from, finding the best fit can be a challenge. We have analyzed these schools to produce unbiased speech teacher education school rankings to help you.
Those considering speech teacher education, you may also want to explore other closely related fields of study within the same broad area.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Physical Education Teaching and Coaching | 6,964 |
| Reading Teacher Education | 5,986 |
| Music Teacher Education | 4,544 |
| English/Language Arts Teacher Education | 3,018 |
| Mathematics Teacher Education | 2,993 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas, Other | 2,352 |
| Social Studies Teacher Education | 1,963 |
| Art Teacher Education | 1,860 |
| Health Teacher Education | 1,472 |
| Agricultural Teacher Education | 1,051 |
More about our data sources and methodologies.
