May 01, 2014

School psychology and teaching on list of best jobs in 2014

In their annual rankings for “best jobs”, U.S. News has included school psychology, teaching, and school counseling as top careers to consider in 2014. Rankings are based on hiring demand and other factors.

For the second year in a row in 2014 school psychology was named the #1 social services career (ranked #14 out of 100 overall) by U.S. News. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates job growth of 11.3 percent between 2012 and 2022. The expansion “comes from the increasing demands from students with learning disabilities, special needs and behavioral issues,” says the report.

Each year, U.S. News compiles and analyzes data from the BLS to rank occupations based on hiring demand, as well as factors including salary, future growth potential, stress, and work-life balance.

School job outlook very strong

Also high on the list were high school teacher (#4), middle school teacher (#6), and elementary school teacher (#10), and school counselor (#17). For all of these jobs combined, the BLS predicts that over one million positions will need to be filled by 2020.

Lewis & Clark offers advanced training in teacher education and school counseling.

Mental health jobs also highly ranked

Many mental health care positions were highly ranked based on job growth projections that are “growing at a faster clip than many other occupations.”

On the list of best health care careers was substance abuse counselor (#22), which has a projected 31 percent employment growth rate. Marriage and family therapist (#33) are expected to increase by 30.6 percent by 2022, and mental health counselor (#38) positions are expected to grow by 28.5 percent.

Lewis & Clark offers two master’s degrees for those interested in professional counseling: Professional Mental Health Counseling and Professional Mental Health Counseling—Addictions. Both offer in-depth, well-rounded mental health counseling preparation, while the latter includes specialized focus on addiction and dual diagnosis. Lewis & Clark also offers degrees in Marriage, Couple, and Family Therapy.