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Job outlook for consumer science teachers in the United States
Are consumer science teacher jobs in demand?
Consumer science teacher job and salary trends over time
Consumer science teacher jobs over time
Consumer science teacher job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 160 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 156 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 163 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 165 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 161 | 0.00% |
Average consumer science teacher salary over time
Consumer science teacher salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $47,616 | $22.89 | +2.0% |
| 2025 | $46,700 | $22.45 | +2.2% |
| 2024 | $45,685 | $21.96 | +1.9% |
| 2023 | $44,814 | $21.55 | +2.0% |
| 2022 | $43,951 | $21.13 | +1.5% |
Consumer science teacher jobs by state
Most common states for consumer science teachers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 159 | 23% |
| 2 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 206 | 15% |
| 3 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 939 | 14% |
| 4 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 820 | 14% |
| 5 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 152 | 14% |
| 6 | Delaware | 961,939 | 135 | 14% |
| 7 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 732 | 13% |
| 8 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 1,555 | 12% |
| 9 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 1,073 | 12% |
| 10 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 673 | 12% |
| 11 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 242 | 12% |
| 12 | Vermont | 623,657 | 74 | 12% |
| 13 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 61 | 11% |
| 14 | Kansas | 2,913,123 | 293 | 10% |
| 15 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 200 | 10% |
| 16 | Georgia | 10,429,379 | 898 | 9% |
| 17 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 780 | 9% |
| 18 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 618 | 9% |
| 19 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 293 | 9% |
| 20 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 88 | 8% |
Consumer Science Teacher job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of consumer science teacher experts
University of Central Arkansas
University of Central Arkansas
Brigham Young University
Dr. Nina Roofe Ph.D.
Associate Professor & ChairUniversity of Central Arkansas
Department of Nutrition & Family Sciences
What skills stand out on Consumer Science Teacher resumes?
Dr. Nina Roofe Ph.D.: The impact of your teaching on students is what employers are looking for in a resume. Provide examples of student learning outcomes, how you targeted areas that needed improvement, how you used research to determine the best intervention for the situation, and the results of your intervention. The process you used is just as important as the results. Your ability to identify gaps in the curriculum and develop new courses or teaching units shows initiative and high-level skills. Include metrics such as the number of lesson plans developed each term, number of individualized education plans (IEP) per academic year, and committees you serve on or chair.
What soft skills should all Consumer Science Teachers possess?
Dr. Nina Roofe Ph.D.: Collegiality is the most important soft skill an educator can possess. This is seen in how educators interact with each other and conduct themselves in their schools. Participating in peer teaching consultations objectively and willingly sharing ideas to support new educators shows your dedication to the teaching profession and commitment to mentoring new professionals. Demonstrating flexibility with scheduling and room assignments, sharing materials and space, assisting colleagues, and team teaching when appropriate are examples of collegiality in action. Attending meetings and participating positively and professionally communicates respect for others and the value you place on your peers and supervisor. Leadership skills are essential for navigating parent-teacher conferences and earning the respect of parents. Demonstrating leadership also demonstrates to administration your FCS skills in conflict resolution and financial management. Good communication skills are critical for effective teaching. This relates to our ability to deliver the lesson's content and provide feedback to our students. Teamwork and collaborative problem solving are essential to a functional campus. With collaboration and respectful dialogue, a school can be innovative in resolving challenges. Social and emotional intelligence ensures safety for students and colleagues, promotes a positive learning environment, and provides the foundation for a growth mindset. Finally, cultural awareness is a critical soft skill all educators must achieve. We are required to understand our students to relate to them and effectively educate them across cultures and demographics.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Consumer Science Teachers?
Dr. Nina Roofe Ph.D.: FCS Educators utilize technology in the classroom in a variety of ways. To teach investing, Chromebooks can be used to track changes in the stock market. In the Interior Design area, computer-assisted drawing (CAD) software is used to produce renderings of the built environment. Simulation software is used in teaching family relations, nutrition, and housing. Knowledge of business case development and implementation is needed for those who run catering, culinary, and retail programs in their schools. The food science lab and the apparel/interiors construction lab require knowledge of operating the cooking and sewing equipment and teaching those skills.
What skills will help Consumer Science Teachers earn the most?
Dr. Nina Roofe Ph.D.: There are things you can do to earn more money as an FCS Educator. The two main things that help FCS Educators earn more money are earning the graduate degree and becoming National Board Certified. Look for Master of Science in FCS programs that are fully online and offer a large selection of courses in the summer. This allows you to take one class in the fall and spring and up to four classes in the summer so you can progress at a good pace while still working. The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards requirements includes a bachelor's degree, valid state teaching license, and three years of classroom experience. FCS Educators can also earn additional certifications to increase their income, e.g., dyslexia specialist/Ceri certification for dyslexia, career/guidance counseling, or educational technology.
Dr. Nina Roofe Ph.D.
Associate Professor & ChairUniversity of Central Arkansas
Department of Nutrition & Family Sciences
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Consumer Science Teachers?
Dr. Nina Roofe Ph.D.: Family and consumer sciences focus on research, experiential education, and technology to help people improve their lives, prepare for careers, build strong families, and make meaningful contributions to their communities. The coronavirus pandemic impacted every aspect of family life, so FCS professionals will have an enduring impact. The culinary arts, hospitality, and tourism industry were negatively impacted during the height of the COVID pandemic. Some of these businesses, unfortunately, did not survive the pandemic. Education and training programs saw both increases and decreases. FCS educators at the secondary level saw an increase in interest in their courses as students wanted to learn to sew their own masks and learn to cook at home. These same desires fueled increases in participation in 4-H and Cooperative Extension Education programs, especially in food preservation, sewing, and survival training. Unfortunately, due to budget constraints at the higher education level, some FCS programs closed. This led to the expansion of other programs.
The pandemic fueled interest in food science and nutrition. Some started picking up their groceries instead of going into the store. Research and education on healthy eating to maintain a strong immune system increased and continues to be prevalent. The pandemic exacerbated the issue of hunger and food insecurity, which is an area that FCS professionals address. With the number of hospitalizations from the pandemic, FCS's health management and wellness professions saw a huge increase in employment demand. These practice settings include traditional hospitals and nursing homes and health and human services, private business, and freestanding physician clinic sites. Patient care coordination and contact tracing are just two examples of health management and wellness areas that grew out of the pandemic.
The pandemic spotlighted the issue of homelessness, so housing and interior design professionals were able to collaborate with non-profit agencies to provide resources for the unhoused population. As people spent more time at home and worked from home, renovations were needed to redesign their home workplaces for efficient use that accommodated the lives of everyone in the home. FCS professionals are integral in human/child development and family relations research and programs. The pandemic forced many people to spend more time at home together in confined spaces. While this may have been enjoyable for some people or for a little while for some, it also became stressful for some families. FCS professionals provided resources, virtual counseling, and virtual support groups to help with these issues. The financial impact of the pandemic came from increased medical costs, loss of employment, change in employment, increased responsibility for additional family members, and other issues. The demand for personal and family finance education programming, including budgeting, grocery shopping, navigating health insurance, income taxes, investing, and estate planning, increased during the pandemic and remains high today. Overall, the textiles, apparel, and retailing industry shifted from brick and mortar to online sales. This trend was already in progress, but the pandemic closed stores, and when stores did reopen, dressing rooms were closed initially. A resurgence in learning to sew was seen, first for masks and then for clothing. Knowledge of apparel, quality of materials and textiles, and how to properly care for materials for long life are topics high in demand since the start of the pandemic.
What type of skills will young Consumer Science Teachers need?
Dr. Nina Roofe Ph.D.: Employers expect young FCS professionals to be proficient with technology, leadership, and communication. For example:
-Technology skills including Microsoft Office software programs, professional emails (attachments, forward with attachments), protecting against spyware/viruses/malware, text, access professional databases, using a PC or MAC, creating and maintaining a professional LinkedIn page, and establishing privacy settings on all social media accounts.
-Leadership skills include dealing with conflicts and disagreements quickly and kindly, asking open-ended questions to draw out information, active listening, recognizing the contributions and ideas of others-giving credit, achieving goals and objectives within budget and on time, keeping your word, developing and implement action plans, establish goals, make decisions under pressure and/or with limited information, update your skills and knowledge regularly-be a life-long learner.
-Communication skills, including speaking, body language, reading, writing, and listening, are important. Often young professionals feel they know everything, and they do know a lot, but need to realize they still have much to learn. It is important to keep their audience and the purpose of their communication in mind.
What experience really stands out on Consumer Science Teacher resumes?
Dr. Nina Roofe Ph.D.: Examples of problem-solving show recognizing and defining problems, analyzing data, developing and implementing solutions, and evaluating outcomes. A project to provide mentoring for students or employees depending on your setting is one example of problem-solving to address student dropout rates or employee turnover. Evidence of critical thinking shows your ability to question logically and distinguish the relevant from the irrelevant. Examples include scheduling of employees, layout and design projects, menu projects, and lesson plans. Sustainability, consumerism, and leadership are the foundation of the FCS profession, so examples of this on your resume are important to showcase, e.g., chairing a committee, efforts to control costs in your workplace, or recycling/repurposing projects.
What general advice would you give to a Consumer Science Teacher?
Dr. Nina Roofe Ph.D.: Develop a commitment to learning and self-awareness. Continually seek new knowledge and understanding. Take any chance you have for hands-on service learning. Interpersonal skills are crucial regardless of the practice setting, so seek opportunities while in school to work in the community through service-learning. The more experience you get while you have faculty to guide you in dealing with cultural and ethnic diversity issues, the better. Take constructive feedback well and use it to grow and improve your skills. Develop healthy stress management skills now so you can identify sources of stress and effectively cope. Soak it all in-this is your time to learn as much as you can from different professors. Ask them about their research and let them talk. You will learn not just about their research topic but about the FCS profession. You might just learn about a niche area that will become your future area of practice.
What Consumer Science Teacher skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Nina Roofe Ph.D.: Have a focused purpose and path for advancement. Always be ready to share your "why" regarding your vision for that next logical step in your career. The ability to exhibit appropriate and consistent professional conduct and represent the FCS profession effectively should be how you are known. So, when you advance in your career, it is not a surprise, and no one questions the decision. More importantly, it is the right fit for you, and you will have no internal struggle with the decision.
Natalie Hancock
Assistant Teaching Professor, Director Family and Consumer Sciences EducationBrigham Young University
School of Family Life
What skills stand out on Consumer Science Teacher resumes?
Natalie Hancock: A few skills that stand out on Family and Consumer Sciences Teacher resumes are curating a student-focused curriculum. Lesson plans are guided by the strands and standards of either the state, district, or school. Ensuring students are engaged from the beginning to the end of the class time with varied hands-on experiences.
What soft skills should all Consumer Science Teachers possess?
Natalie Hancock: The most important soft skills or critical workplace skills for a Family and Consumer Sciences teacher include collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, communication, organization, and classroom management.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Consumer Science Teachers?
Natalie Hancock: Some of the hard/technical skills needed to succeed as a Family and Consumer Sciences Teacher include fixing and properly maintaining sewing machines and sergers. In addition, maintain proper upkeep of the culinary/ foods area. This might include being able to troubleshoot, and problem solves short-term fixes for kitchen appliances. Also, FCS teachers need to have computer skills, typing capabilities, and an understanding of integrating technology into the classroom utilizing apps, add-ons, and web 2.0 tools.
What skills will help Consumer Science Teachers earn the most?
Natalie Hancock: The skills that will help a Family and Consumer Sciences teacher bring in additional income include being an FCCLA Advisor. This means that you need to be organized, have good leadership, and not be afraid to volunteer to oversee an additional school responsibility.