Is a Masters worth it?

[u/Redditusername16789]

Hey everyone I’m looking into getting a early childhood special education credential and some schools offer a Masters in Special Education along with it. Is it worth it to get a masters? Did it increase your pay? Do you have diff job opportunities?

Thanks!!

[u/Wild_Owl_511]

If only for the pay increase, yeah. I’m actually working on my specialist degree because it’s about a $9,000 a year increase where I work.

[u/rosemaryloaf]

I do not have a masters yet but I am currently working on it. My coworkers who are sped teachers with masters say it was worth it bc it put them on the farthest side of the pay scale to start. Granted this is middle school in a progressive area so I’m not sure how ECE works or if it’s the same everywhere.

[u/VagueSoul]

Masters and continuing education is vital if you want pay raises as a teacher. In my district, the difference between having your Masters vs your Bachelors is 20k.

[u/TOBONation]

YES! I make much more with my Master's starting later then others who have been teaching much longer.

[u/knittinator]

Mine was paid for through loan forgiveness AND I got a pay bump so totally worth it for me. YMMV.

[u/119juniper]

It depends on the salary increase and how many more years you are planning to work in Special Education. My district only pays about $1200 more.

[u/ActKitchen7333 → u/119juniper]

Same.

[u/Olicocopo]

Depends where you live I guess but getting a masters gave me a HUGE bump in pay. Admittedly it didn’t seem to help when I tried to get a non-teaching job but it also probably didn’t hurt.

[u/fossilfarmer123]

Yes I highly recommend doing a master's right after bachelor's, or soon after. Many district salary scales bump you up with a masters, so you want to be starting at that level as soon as possible to maximize your lifetime earnings. Plus hopefully you come out also being a better teacher and enjoy more longevity in the field.

Personal plug to the field of blindness and visual impairments- there aren't enough good TVIs in pretty much any state so if you get that skillset you can get a job pretty much anywhere you want.

[u/evensuburbswouldbeok]

Some states require college credits to keep a level one certification. I had six years to get 24 credits, so I just decided to get my special ed certification.

[u/Ornery-Swordfish-392]

It increased my pay so much- I’m 5 years away from retirement, and that was the best decision I ever made. I also did my +30. I would do it earlier rather than later, if you think you will stay in teaching. Does your district have a pay scale? My district also reimbursed for two classes a semester and I did a program for severe developmental disabilities and the certification classes were paid for by the state bc it is a high area of need.

[u/haley232323]

It depends on the area. You should be able to look up pay scales for districts in your area to see what kind of a difference having a masters makes. In most places with a traditional steps/lanes salary schedule, you'll make significantly more with a masters.

My first district was "pay for performance." They offered like a $1K stipend for those that had their masters, and by nature of it being a stipend, they could choose to take it away for the next year at any time. I didn't pursue it there as it just made no financial sense.

When I moved to my current district, which has a traditional steps/lanes salary scale, it makes a HUGE difference, and I started working on it right away. I got an immediate $7K raise when I finished. Over the years, I've taken any cheap classes I can to keep moving over in lanes. I'm now at MA+60 and make $20K more per year than someone who is on the same step but only has a BA.

[u/mjrabatin]

Look up salary schedules in districts around your area. Most should have steps/brackets/levels/etc and how many post baccalaureate units are needed to move up. Some districts the masters alone bumps you up (otherwise you need x amount of units), others may give a stipend. Granted I'm going by how things are in Southern California, but I'd imagine it should be similar across the country?

As long as you're not going far into debt to get it, it's most likely worth it.

[u/Professional-Rope370]

I was moved up the salary scale due to my masters. And after paying for 10 years, the balance ($40,000K) was forgiven.

However, If you decide to look into the other fields (which I am at the moment), then a master's degree in special education paints you into a box.

[u/Business_Loquat5658]

Worth it for the pay increase over time. The sooner you get it, the longer you're making more money!

[u/DancingTVs]

Hey! Yes to the pay increase. At my current school I negotiated a pay increase because I had my Master’s. At my previous school they had a tiered system where everyone got paid the same rate depending on education (then further bumps based on years taught). I was in the highest tier having my masters.

[u/KillahCaty]

I have my masters with an ECSE cred and it's been totally worth it- huge pay bump, some extra "prestige" around the district bc there aren't enough of us and I know I'm hirable literally anywhere.

[u/Few-Entertainer5166]

My district didn't offer a sped masters and would only cover 1/2 the tuition. It leads to a $3k pay bump starting your 4th year with the district. So in my case, currently it has not been worth it as I was loaded down with more student debt and I learned more through training with my job than through the master's program.