Soliant Survey Reveals One-Third of Education Professionals Plan to Change Careers Amid Feelings of Burnout and Lack of Support

With more than half of the 2023-2024 school year in the rear-view mirror, many students and educational professionals are setting their sights on the summer break. As a new survey shows, a significant number of teachers, special education teachers, school-based counselors, speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists and more, are thinking about much more than summer.

In fact, more than 20% of respondents plan to switch to a related field and more than 30% look to change careers altogether. Furthermore, 68% of respondents report burnout, nearly 10% more than professionals in other industries^[1].

The survey, conducted by Soliant to help the industry better understand and address staffing challenges and opportunities facing U.S. schools, draws from the insight and sentiment of more than 400 educational professionals.

The survey found that most education professionals feel they make meaningful contributions, yet 68% struggle with burnout. More than half plan to make a career change, with 22% planning to switch to a related field and more than 30% planning to switch to a different career altogether.

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[1] https://www.aflac.com/docs/awr/pdf/2022-trends-and-topics/2022-aflac-awr-employee-well-being-and-mental-health.pdf

Respondents provided further insight into factors contributing to burnout and potential career changes. Factors included long hours, mental health/stress, heavy caseloads and being asked to do tasks outside their duties. As one respondent noted, “I feel that too much is required of educators today and there is a lack of support that is needed. The pandemic just propelled some things. I think that education has been headed in the wrong direction for quite some time because of the lack of support and the increase in workload.”

Most respondents felt the same, with 75% of stating that their workload has been impacted by staffing shortages and 70% state the industry’s workforce has yet to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Based on input from respondents and Soliant’s experience, these issues may be mitigated by addressing areas such as compensation and benefits, providing professionals with more supportive work environments, greater autonomy and continuing education opportunities.

“In U.S. schools, workforce challenges are a widespread and enduring issue that is taking its toll on educational professionals,” said Lesley Slaughter, senior vice president at Soliant. “However, through a proactive and innovative approach to staffing, I am confident we can keep these professionals in the roles where they have reported finding fulfillment in their work.” 

About Soliant Health
Soliant is a leader in healthcare and education staffing with offices in Georgia, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, California, and Texas. The company identifies and recruits highly skilled healthcare professionals across a wide range of specialties and connects them with healthcare providers in the education, nursing, pharmacy, and life sciences segments, primarily on a temporary basis. Visit https://www.soliant.com to learn more.