Learning about educational services employment for American Education Week

Schools, colleges, universities, and training centers are among the types of educational services establishments that provide instruction and training. These establishments employed around 13 million workers, such as teachers, bus drivers, and administrative and cafeteria staff, in 2023. Around three-fourths of educational services workers were employed in the public sector.

In 2023, elementary and secondary schools operated by local governments employed a total of 7,290,432 workers. An additional 934,096 workers were employed in privately owned elementary and secondary schools, while 61,816 worked for elementary and secondary schools operated by state governments and 5,381 in schools operated by the federal government.

At the postsecondary level, 1,721,855 workers were employed in colleges, universities, and professional schools operated by state governments, while 1,260,085 worked at privately owned schools. Colleges, universities, and professional schools operated by local government employed 69,936 workers, while those in federal government employed 5,278.

In contrast to elementary, secondary, and postsecondary schools, most workers in technical and trade schools and in other schools and instruction were in private industry. Privately owned technical and trade schools (which offer apprenticeships in various trades, or training in nursing, cosmetology, truck driving or other vocational subjects) employed 122,351. Privately owned establishments in the other schools and instruction industry (which provide instruction not included in the other educational services industries, such as firearm training, first-aid and life-guard training, personal development, etc.) employed 502,405 in 2023.

In 2023, employment in elementary and secondary schools operated by local governments was 7 percent higher than its 2001 level. In contrast, employment in privately owned elementary and secondary schools increased by 82 percent over this period. Employment at colleges, universities, and professional schools owned by state governments was up 20 percent from 2001 to 2023, while employment at their privately owned counterparts increased 40 percent.

These data are from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) program. QCEW data are calculated with data in quarterly reports from establishments covered by the unemployment insurance program. Employment that is not covered by unemployment insurance (for example, the self-employed) is not included in QCEW data. Secondary schools are defined as junior high schools, middle schools, and high schools, which offer education between the elementary or primary level and college, university, technical, or trade school level.