Adult Education Instructors: How to Become One
If you were to ask a group of adult education instructors about how they arrived at their current job, there's a good chance you would get several different answers about the paths and steps that each person took.
That said, there are still ways that you can develop a baseline understanding of the preparation that is necessary to become one.
The Best Adult Colleges and Careers Guide has gathered data to provide you with insight into the type of education that's commonly required for adult education instructors to land a job. This page contains information, sourced from real job postings, that describes the experience levels and specific skills that employers of adult education instructors expect candidates to have. In the end, this information will help you create an education or professional development plan that aligns with your career aspirations.
Keep reading to learn more about career steps for adult education instructors.
What Education & Experience is Needed for Adult Education Instructors?
Do adult education instructors need a degree? What kind of experience do adult education instructors typically need? Thanks to data sourced from Lightcast™ from real job postings, we can get some clarity on those questions, as well as the level of education that is commonly required for adult education instructors to secure jobs.
Education Level Required in Job Postings for Adult Education Instructors
Jobs Postings for Adult Education Instructors By Education
- Master's degree: 19,807 (32%)
- Bachelor's degree: 13,734 (23%)
- Ph.D. or professional degree: 13,092 (21%)
- No Education Listed: 10,240 (17%)
- High School or GED: 4,138 (7%)
A master's degree is the level of education sought the most by employers of adult education instructors. According to job data, a master's degree was required for 32% of positions. In 23% of job listings a bachelor's degree was required and in 21% of postings a ph.d. or professional degree was required.
Experience Level Required in Job Postings for Adult Education Instructors
Jobs Postings for Adult Education Instructors By Experience
- 0-1 Years: 3,485 (28%)
- 2-3 Years: 5,989 (48%)
- 4-6 Years: 2,323 (19%)
- 7-9 Years: 292 (2%)
- 10+ Years: 423 (3%)
While the amount of required experience will vary based on the responsibility and seniority of the position, an aggregate view of job posting data can help paint a picture of the experience level sought for most job openings for adult education instructors. In 48% of job postings for Adult Education Instructors, employers were looking for candidates with 2-3 years of experience. In 28% of listings employers were looking for candidates with 0-1 years of experience, while 4-6 years of experience was sought in 19% of job postings for adult education instructors.
What Kind of Degree Do Adult Education Instructors Need?
So far this page has provided detail into the level of education and the amount of experience required in job openings for adult education instructors, but what type of education or degree will help prepare you for a career in the field?
According to occupational data obtained through Lightcast,™ there are 15 key academic programs that can help prepare prospective adult education instructors, and in 2021 a total of 556,133 of those programs were completed at institutions in the United States.
Check out the information below to learn more about the specific programs that should be considered by prospective adult education instructors.
Top Degree Programs for Adult Education Instructors
Top 5 Degree Programs for Adult Education Instructors (2021)
Program | Completions |
---|---|
Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies. | 366,667 |
General Studies. | 129,753 |
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities, Other. | 37,634 |
Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General. | 9,051 |
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods, Other. | 6,141 |
Program | Completions |
---|---|
Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies. | 366,667 |
General Studies. | 129,753 |
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities, Other. | 37,634 |
Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General. | 9,051 |
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods, Other. | 6,141 |
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas, Other. | 2,323 |
Teacher Assistant/Aide. | 1,740 |
Bilingual and Multilingual Education. | 1,302 |
Teaching Assistants/Aides, Other. | 728 |
Multicultural Education. | 354 |
Montessori Teacher Education. | 252 |
Online Educator/Online Teaching. | 79 |
Driver and Safety Teacher Education. | 55 |
Indian/Native American Education. | 34 |
Adult Literacy Tutor/Instructor. | 20 |
What Skills Do Adult Education Instructors Need?
Education and experience have been covered, so what are the specific skills and traits needed by adult education instructors to secure a job?
A good way to understand this is to examine actual job postings for skills commonly sought by employers. Continue reading for a breakdown of specialized skills found in job postings for adult education instructors, as well as common skills that can help you thrive in the workplace.
In-Demand Skills for Today's Adult Education Instructors
Based on 43,553 job postings
Top 5 Specialized Skills for Adult Education Instructors
Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
---|---|---|
Curriculum Development | 3,397 | 8% |
Lesson Planning | 3,034 | 7% |
Pedagogy | 2,843 | 7% |
Physical Education | 2,183 | 5% |
Social Sciences | 2,107 | 5% |
Top 5 Common Skills for Adult Education Instructors
Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
---|---|---|
Teaching | 28,974 | 67% |
Communications | 13,057 | 30% |
Multilingualism | 7,948 | 18% |
Research | 7,832 | 18% |
Writing | 6,581 | 15% |
Based on 43,553 job postings related to adult education instructors, curriculum development was the top specialized skill sought by employers, with 8% of all postings looking for that skillset. Skills for lesson planning, pedagogy, physical education, social sciences and bilingual (spanish/english) were also highly sought.
As for common skills, teaching was the most desired skill found in job postings for adult education instructors, followed by communications, multilingualism, research, writing and english language.
Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
---|---|---|
Curriculum Development | 3,397 | 8% |
Lesson Planning | 3,034 | 7% |
Pedagogy | 2,843 | 7% |
Physical Education | 2,183 | 5% |
Social Sciences | 2,107 | 5% |
Bilingual (Spanish/English) | 2,018 | 5% |
Learning Management Systems | 1,969 | 5% |
Online Teaching | 1,871 | 4% |
Student Engagement | 1,867 | 4% |
Merchandising | 1,762 | 4% |
Classroom Management | 1,751 | 4% |
Nursing | 1,668 | 4% |
Powertrain | 1,632 | 4% |
Biology | 1,587 | 4% |
Special Education | 1,554 | 4% |
Syllabus Development | 1,530 | 4% |
Psychology | 1,524 | 3% |
Colocation | 1,513 | 3% |
Computer Science | 1,440 | 3% |
Lecturing | 1,413 | 3% |
Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
---|---|---|
Teaching | 28,974 | 67% |
Communications | 13,057 | 30% |
Multilingualism | 7,948 | 18% |
Research | 7,832 | 18% |
Writing | 6,581 | 15% |
English Language | 5,344 | 12% |
Management | 4,514 | 10% |
Leadership | 4,422 | 10% |
Planning | 4,339 | 10% |
Innovation | 3,716 | 9% |
Mentorship | 3,498 | 8% |
Interpersonal Communications | 3,367 | 8% |
Spanish Language | 3,159 | 7% |
Mathematics | 3,155 | 7% |
Advising | 3,082 | 7% |
Customer Service | 2,698 | 6% |
Sales | 2,427 | 6% |
Ethical Standards And Conduct | 2,323 | 5% |
Problem Solving | 2,156 | 5% |
Coordinating | 1,850 | 4% |
Additional Links
Ready to dig deeper into career information about adult education instructors? Visit our other pages focused on salary and education for adult education instructors.
What do adult education instructors do?
How much do adult education instructors make?
All Occupations
The Best Adult Colleges and Careers Guide has compiled data for dozens of in-demand jobs. Explore our full catalog of occupation data by visiting the link below.