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Job outlook for adult educators in the United States
Adult educator job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected adult educator job growth rate is -6% from 2018-2028.
About -2,800 new jobs for adult educators are projected over the next decade.
Adult educator salaries have increased 9% for adult educators in the last 5 years.
There are over 6,687 adult educators currently employed in the United States.
There are 8,373 active adult educator job openings in the US.
The average adult educator salary is $49,952.
Are adult educator jobs in demand?
Adult educator job and salary trends over time
Adult educator jobs over time
Adult educator job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 6,687 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 7,500 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 9,080 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 10,093 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 10,604 | 0.00% |
Average adult educator salary over time
Adult educator salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $49,952 | $24.02 | +1.8% |
| 2025 | $49,050 | $23.58 | +1.3% |
| 2024 | $48,400 | $23.27 | +2.9% |
| 2023 | $47,019 | $22.61 | +2.9% |
| 2022 | $45,711 | $21.98 | +0.7% |
Adult educator jobs by state
Most common states for adult educators
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 71 | 5% |
| 2 | Vermont | 623,657 | 25 | 4% |
| 3 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 22 | 4% |
| 4 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 43 | 3% |
| 5 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 41 | 3% |
| 6 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 34 | 3% |
| 7 | Alaska | 739,795 | 21 | 3% |
| 8 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 20 | 3% |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 205 | 2% |
| 10 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 167 | 2% |
| 11 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 145 | 2% |
| 12 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 126 | 2% |
| 13 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 110 | 2% |
| 14 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 104 | 2% |
| 15 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 86 | 2% |
| 16 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 54 | 2% |
| 17 | Nevada | 2,998,039 | 50 | 2% |
| 18 | Delaware | 961,939 | 21 | 2% |
| 19 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 18 | 2% |
| 20 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 14 | 2% |
Most common cities for adult educators
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bowling Green | 1 | 2% | $42,156 |
Adult Educator job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of adult educator experts
University of Maine
Texas Tech University
University of California - San Diego
Georgia College and State University
Auburn University Main Campus
University of Guam
Aultman College
Arizona State University
Dr. William Nichols Ph.D.
Professor, Literacy, Language and CultureUniversity of Maine
Education
What general advice would you give to an Adult Educator?
Dr. William Nichols Ph.D.: As these new graduates begin to feel included in the culture of the school, as they become more comfortable with the curriculum, as they gain a better understanding of their learners' strengths and weaknesses, as they develop a management plan that works for them, and as they get better at their pacing and time management, they will transition into a master teacher and an excellent professional in the field of education.
What Adult Educator skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. William Nichols Ph.D.: Hi William. Just following up. Would you, or can you recommend a professor from University of Maine, to provide answers for our expert panel on starting a career with a degree in Education? We need someone who can give insights into what it's like entering the workforce this year.
What will help Adult Educators increase their earning potential?
Dr. William Nichols Ph.D.: Future graduating education majors can expect to immediately enter the 'survival phase of teaching.' Up to this point, they have had university faculty, university mentors, collaborating teacher mentors, and their peer candidates all supporting their development into excellent professionals in the field of education. However, upon the first minute of the first day of teaching, they will enter the survival phase and, in many cases, they will fight for personal and professional existence.
What general advice would you give to an Adult Educator?
Dr. Valerie Paton Ph.D.: Leaders who know how to lead others to higher levels of understanding and performance tend to enjoy the satisfaction of being generative and investing in the next generation of learners and leaders. But leadership has a cost in every sector and those who want to take on these roles invest deeply of themselves in others, so healthy life balance is always important.
What Adult Educator skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Valerie Paton Ph.D.: Education is always a great profession to pursue because we have a 'learning society'. Individuals who know how to teach diverse learners are invaluable in all sectors of our society. As more corporations integrate learning goals as essential components to achieve their strategic goals, more opportunities are available for those who are expert educators, trainers, and facilitators. So education programs are transferrable across many types of leadership roles and are generating higher levels of compensation.
What will help Adult Educators increase their earning potential?
Dr. Valerie Paton Ph.D.: There are many different types of learning leadership roles across the business sectors in the U.S. and globally. Depending upon the nature of the role, different types of skill sets are needed. If the employee is leading the learning enterprise in a global corporation and the students are employees who need specific training and professional development to achieve their goals, then the 'educator' is using teaching, facilitation, and collaboration skills to support the delivery and application of specific skills, knowledge, and attitudes. While we most often think of 'Educators' as serving as K-12 teachers, the learning leadership needs of all economic sectors are creating increased numbers of employment opportunities for education of adult learners.
What will help Adult Educators increase their earning potential?
Chris Halter: Professional mobility and compensation in education is largely based on education, professional learning, and experience. This makes being a lifelong learner an advantage in education. If someone is curious, enjoys learning new skills, likes to explore new ideas then they will succeed in this field.
What general advice would you give to an Adult Educator?
Bailey McAlister PhD: Maximizing salary potential is a valuable point that I unfortunately don't have much positive experience in as a college teacher. I always ask for salary increase whenever I can. When I start a job, when I've been at a job a year, when I get another job offer, etc. It doesn't hurt to ask. I guess I'd advise new graduates to note quantities of money, sales, funding, etc. on their resumes. Showing in numbers how much you've grown is important.
What will help Adult Educators increase their earning potential?
Bailey McAlister PhD: I think that any skills rooted in confident experimentation will be increasingly valuable in the near future. For example, you don’t need to be an AI expert, but you should be curious about AI innovations and open to experimenting with AI in your work. Technical knowledge can be learned. But there's real value in being confident to experiment, make mistakes, learn, practice, reflect.
Andrew Pendola Ph.D.
Associate Professor | Program CoordinatorAuburn University Main Campus
Education
What Adult Educator skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Andrew Pendola Ph.D.: Hi Alex, I’d be happy to chat with you — my area is in labor markets for educators—so recruitment, hiring, retention, etc.
Matthew Limtiaco
Assistant Professor of Elementary EducationUniversity of Guam
School of Education
What skills stand out on Adult Educator resumes?
Matthew Limtiaco: An appreciation for the diversity in any given classroom is critical, along with the skills and commitment toward meeting the needs of students who come from a myriad of family backgrounds, social settings, belief systems, economic statuses', and histories of access and familiarity with our education system.
Each student brings with them a completely different set of skills, interests, fears, and struggles. Our capacity for empathy, honesty, and resourcefulness directly translates to student and classroom experience. Teachers reach students when they have the tools to connect with each student, show them that they are caring adults, and help each student realize their potential through measurable development in content areas as well as soft skills.
This is true online or in face-to-face settings. Online classrooms teachers are maximizing the reduced window of interaction with students by streamlining the delivery and assessment of content. No doubt, this priority is influenced by a culture of results-oriented teaching based on narrow measures. This compromise is made with a cost. Efforts toward social-emotional support should be increased in online classes, while content expectations should be relaxed during perhaps the most stressful time our young ones and their families have faced in their lives. Any absence of empathy and soft skill development in online settings is a product of decades-old priorities placed on high-stakes tests based on national standards.
Teachers entering the field should have a strong understanding of the need for social-emotional support and an ability to meet the needs of diverse students.
What skills stand out on Adult Educator resumes?
Jo Ann Donnenwirth: When reviewing resumes, it is always important to view clinical experiences, specialty areas, technical skills (including educational platforms), online teaching, and various course content delivery methods.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Adult Educators?
Beverly Johnson: Organization skills, lesson planning, and presentation skills.