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Child Development & Family Studies Major

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Child Development & Family Studies

1,281 Master's Degrees Annually
129 Doctor's Degrees Annually
#98 in Popularity (Master's)
$35,830 Median Salary

Types of Degrees Child Development & Family Studies Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many human development and family studies graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level Number of Grads
Master’s Degree 1,281
Graduate Certificate 179
Doctor’s Degree 129

What Child Development & Family Studies Majors Need to Know

In an O*NET survey, human development majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most important.

Knowledge Areas for Human Development Majors

This major prepares you for careers in which these knowledge areas are important:

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  • English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
  • Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
  • Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
  • Public Safety and Security - Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

Skills for Human Development Majors

human development majors are found most commonly in careers in which the following skills are important:

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  • Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  • Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
  • Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
  • Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
  • Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.

Abilities for Human Development Majors

Some of the most crucial abilities to master while a human development student include the following:

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  • Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
  • Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
  • Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.

What Can You Do With a Child Development & Family Studies Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with human development:

Job Title Job Growth Rate Median Salary
Community and Social Service Specialists 13.2% $42,620
Farm and Home Management Advisors 7.7% $49,840
Home Economics Professors 8.6% $71,380
Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education 10.5% $29,780
Social and Human Service Assistants 16.4% $33,750

Who Is Getting a Master’s Degree in Child Development & Family Studies?

1,281 Master's Degrees Annually
91% Percent Women
33% Percent Racial-Ethnic Minorities*
The major attracts more women than men. About 91% of the recent graduates in this field are female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of human development majors is as follows:

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Race/Ethnicity Number of Grads
Asian 42
Black or African American 175
Hispanic or Latino 160
White 772
International Students 49
Other Races/Ethnicities 83

Geographic Diversity

Students from other countries are interested in Human Development, too. About 3.8% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:

  • China
  • South Korea
  • Canada
  • Japan
  • Saudi Arabia

How Much Do Child Development & Family Studies Majors Make?

Master’s Degree Starting Salary

The median starting salary of students who graduated in 2017-2019 with a master’s degree in human development was $42,470 per year. These stats come from the U.S. Department of Education. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $39,811 (25th percentile) and $44,384 (75th percentile).

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It is possible that some of these people may have taken positions that were not related to human development.

Salaries According to BLS

Human Development majors often go into careers where salaries can range from $34,410 to $52,700 (25th to 75th percentile). This range includes all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Median Salary for a Child Development & Family Studies Major  ( 34410 to 52700 )
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Median Salary for a High School Graduate  ( 30000 to 57900 )
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Median Salary for a Bachelor's Degree Holder  ( 45600 to 99000 )
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Median Salary for an Advanced Degree Holder  ( 55600 to 125400 )
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Some careers associated with human development require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

Find out what the typical degree level is for human development careers below.

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Education Level Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma 5.6%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED) 25.4%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production) 4.1%
Some College Courses 6.8%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) 11.0%
Bachelor’s Degree 14.1%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master. 3.1%
Master’s Degree 18.5%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level. 2.9%
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession. 0.1%
Doctoral Degree 9.1%
Post-Doctoral Training 0.1%

Online Child Development & Family Studies Programs

In 2020-2021, 1,058 schools offered a human development program of some type. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level Colleges Offering Programs Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year) 0 0
Certificate (1-2 years) 458 42
Certificate (2-4 Years) 16 1
Associate’s Degree 608 77
Bachelor’s Degree 52 11
Post-Baccalaureate 0 0
Master’s Degree 131 30
Post-Master’s 6 0
Doctor’s Degree (Research) 40 1
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) 0 0
Doctor’s Degree (Other) 0 0

Is a Degree in Child Development & Family Studies Worth It?

The median salary for a human development grad is $35,830 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

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You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to human development.

Major Number of Grads
Food, Nutrition & Related Services 1,214
General Family & Consumer Sciences 368
Family & Consumer Economics 251
Textile & Apparel Studies 150
Human Sciences Business Services 58
Housing 54
Family, Consumer & Human Sciences (Other) 8

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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