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Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood Education: Career Outlook

Prepare for Teaching and Administrative Roles

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Top-Ranking

  • Top 25 ECE programs nationwide1
  • Top 4 Most Affordable ECE Online Programs2
  • Open doors to ECE licensure preparation programs

Eastern Oregon University’s early childhood education degree prepares you to work as an early childhood educator in the public and private sectors, although some positions require licensure. After completing your degree, you can pursue your teacher licensure at EOU through the Master of Arts in Teaching licensure preparation program.

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Support, Educate and Advocate for Young Children

Preschool Teacher3 $37,120 2024 median wage

Child Day Care Services Director4 $53,500 2024 median wage

Preschool and Childcare Center Directors4 $56,270 2024 median wage

Child Advocate and Educator5 $51,234 Average base salary

Early Childhood Education Career Landscape

Careers in early childhood education are growing fast. According to NPR, more early childhood education professionals are needed to plan for a possible boost in pre-K and kindergarten enrollment nationwide, especially in areas of the country such as Portland, Oregon.6

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics affirms NPR by projecting that, across the nation, jobs for early childhood education careers will see above-average growth from 2023 to 2033.7

  • The employment of preschool teachers is projected to grow 4 percent from 2023 to 2033, in line with the average for all occupations.3
  • Projections show there will be an average of 5,100 job openings for preschool and childcare center directors each year from 2023 to 2033.4
  • Education and childcare administrators working in preschool and day care centers made an average wage of $61,320 in 2023.7

Program Outcomes and Skills Acquired

What You’ll Learn

  • Explore the early childhood education field
  • Confidently work with young children
  • Support and advocate for young children
  • Prepare for licensure programs
  • Create high-quality educational materials and programs
  • Develop appropriate learning experiences

Skills You’ll Gain

  • Evidence-based teaching methods
  • Curriculum development
  • Play-based learning
  • Classroom and behavior management
  • Developing an inclusive classroom
  • How to work with diverse families

Career Support

Prepare for the role you want with the career support services offered by Eastern Oregon University. As a student and a graduate, you’ll benefit from a variety of services designed to help you stand out among employers and succeed professionally in your field.

Career Services

Eastern Oregon University Career Services offers in-person coaching and online resources to help students broaden their career choices and understand the value of their education in relation to employment. This includes outreach to all students in all academic programs, on and off campus, coupled with outreach to employers, service providers and government agencies.

Fieldwork/Practicum through EOU’s Career Services

EOU offers diverse fieldwork and practicum opportunities each term that allow students the mechanism to earn college credit tied directly to their current employment.

Career Readiness: Resume and Cover Letter Assistance

EOU Career Services has a robust collection of tutorials available to students, including information on resumes, cover letters, interview skills and soft skills.

Sources

  1. EOU’s online Early Childhood Education program ranked best in Oregon, 16th in the nation. Retrieved August 29, 2022, from https://www.eou.edu/news-press/eous-online-early-childhood-education-program-ranked-best-in-oregon-16th-in-the-nation/.
  2. Top 30 Affordable Early Childhood Education Degree Online Programs (Bachelor’s). Retrieved August 29, 2022, from https://www.greatvaluecolleges.net/affordable/online-early-childhood-education-degree-programs/.
  3. Preschool Teachers. April 18, 2025. Retrieved August 15, 2025, from https://www.bls.gov/ooh/Education-Training-and-Library/Preschool-teachers.htm#tab-1.
  4. Preschool and Childcare Center Directors. April 18, 2025. Retrieved August 15, 2025, from https://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/preschool-and-childcare-center-directors.htm#tab-5.
  5. Average Child Advocate and Educator Hourly Pay. October 26, 2024. Retrieved August 15, 2025, from https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Child_Advocate_and_Educator/Hourly_Rate.
  6. Kindergarten Enrollment Fell Last Year. Now Schools Wonder How Many Kids Are Coming. July 26, 2021. Retrieved August 3, 2022, from https://www.npr.org/2021/07/26/1017879933/kindergarten-enrollment-numbers-back-to-school.
  7. Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2024: Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare. July 23, 2025. Retrieved August 15, 2025, from https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes119031.htm#(2).