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What is an education consultant and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted expert
Dr. Bernard Badiali Ph.D.
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An education consultant provides guidance and advice to students, parents, and educational institutions. They help schools and colleges develop and implement teaching strategies, policies, and curricula. Education consultants help students choose the right academic programs, prepare for standardized tests, and apply to colleges and universities. They work with families to identify student strengths, weaknesses, and interests in order to develop a custom education plan to meet their unique needs.

What general advice would you give to an education consultant?

Dr. Bernard Badiali Ph.D.Dr. Bernard Badiali Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

Associate Professor of Education, Program Coordinator, Pennsylvania State University

Curriculum and instruction in our college take in a wide variety of majors. If you are talking about BS degree graduates in teacher education, I would advise them to be hopeful about the job market. Many teachers have retired this year; some forced out by their school districts and others finding less satisfaction with the job. We already have a teacher shortage in the US; the pandemic will create even more significant deficiencies as teachers become more discouraged and exhausted from the demands of teaching on-line and managing the rest of their lives.

Despite what some people believe, teaching is a demanding and challenging profession. The pandemic has made it even more so. Still, the students with whom I work, have a desire to teach, especially in public schools. They are idealists who believe they can make a difference in the lives of children. Our graduates bring that desire to their studies and complement it with acquiring the knowledge and skills necessary to be successful in the classroom.

There will always be jobs for young people determined to serve children, families, and society as a whole. Teaching is a calling, not just a vocation. There are 3.2 million teachers in the US; most of them came from college preparation programs. My advice, follow your dream; be persistent; thrive on your successes with children, and try not to let all of the stress eat you alive. Know in your heart that you are the lifeblood of a healthy democracy.
ScoreEducation ConsultantUS Average
Salary
6.2

Avg. Salary $79,608

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
9.0

Growth rate 10%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
6.0
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.62%

Asian 3.74%

Black or African American 10.64%

Hispanic or Latino 14.20%

Unknown 3.76%

White 67.03%

Gender

female 66.56%

male 33.44%

Age - 41
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 41
Stress level
9.0

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
9.7

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance
5.7

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being an education consultant?

Pros

  • Helping schools and organizations improve their educational programs

  • Opportunity to travel to different locations for work

  • Flexibility in scheduling, workload, and possibility for remote work

  • Potential for high earnings and career growth

  • Opportunity to collaborate with other professionals in the field

Cons

  • Limited job security, as contracts may be short-term or project-based

  • Time-consuming and demanding work, including long hours and frequent travel

  • May require working outside of traditional business hours, such as evenings or weekends

  • May encounter pushback from clients who are resistant to change

  • Emotional pressure from working with schools facing extreme challenges

Education consultant career paths

Key steps to become an education consultant

  1. Explore education consultant education requirements

    Most common education consultant degrees

    Bachelor's

    58.2 %

    Master's

    26.6 %

    Associate

    6.1 %
  2. Start to develop specific education consultant skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Excellent Interpersonal11.92%
    PowerPoint5.81%
    Classroom Management5.78%
    Curriculum Development5.50%
    Mathematics5.27%
  3. Complete relevant education consultant training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New education consultants learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an education consultant based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real education consultant resumes.
  4. Research education consultant duties and responsibilities

    • Lead initiative to promote early childhood literacy.
    • Prepare at-risk students for successful completion of their GED exam
    • Provide (ELA) support through writing and grammar instruction.
    • Provide on-boarding and in-service training to staff assign within unit.
  5. Prepare your education consultant resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your education consultant resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an education consultant resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable education consultant resume templates

    Build a professional education consultant resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your education consultant resume.
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  6. Apply for education consultant jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for an education consultant job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first education consultant job

Shelly Counsell

Education Consultant

As an educator, my career goal has been to ensure that the full range of diverse young children
have access to high quality learning opportunities and experiences, particularly those related to
science. I worked with low income and minoritized children and their families as well as children
with disabilities and dual language learners in California, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Florida. As
much as I enjoyed teaching young children in classroom settings and partnering with their
parents to meet their children’s needs, I always felt that the extent of my impact on education as
a system was limited to the confines of the classroom and school in which I taught. While
teaching in a public PreK classroom in Orlando, FL, I witnessed firsthand the dire consequences
of Governor Jeb Bush’s A+ Plan for School Reform that resulted in high-stakes testing that
ranked schools A through F and forced third graders to be retained based on low test scores. This
compelled me to leave the classroom setting and to earn my doctorate in education at the
University of Northern Iowa where I had the good fortune to study Piagetian constructivism with
a leading constructivist scholar and researcher, Dr. Rheta DeVries. I later worked as a Research
Fellow in the Iowa Regents’ Center for Early Developmental Education at the University of
Northern Iowa where I helped develop early physical science modules designed to improve
STEM teaching practices and learner outcomes in early childhood education (ages 0-8).
I taught early childhood undergraduate and graduate methods courses at Idaho State University
and the University of Memphis, providing national and international presentations and
publishing in multiple peer-reviewed journals. I have co-authored three books with Teachers
College Press, including Drawing Out Learning with Thinking Maps - A Guide for Teaching &
Assessment in PreK-2 (2023). I am also a contributor on two of the four, STEM for Our Youngest
Learners book series with Teachers College Press. Additionally, I am one of two Early Years
Columnists for the National Science Teachers Association’s journal, Science and Children since
2021. Although retired from academia since 2022, I feel it is very important to continue to
contribute and support the field of early childhood education and STEM with young children
specifically. I now serve as an independent Early Childhood STEM Consultant, providing STEM

Average education consultant salary

The average education consultant salary in the United States is $79,608 per year or $38 per hour. Education consultant salaries range between $37,000 and $169,000 per year.

Average education consultant salary
$79,608 Yearly
$38.27 hourly

What am I worth?

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How do education consultants rate their job?

-/5

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Education consultant reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2020
Cons

It needs more patience to apply the true solution and satisfy your client


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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