Education administrators, postsecondary salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $64,560 | $31.04 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $104,590 | $50.29 |
| Mean (average) | $126,540 | $60.84 |
| 90th percentile | $215,620 | $103.66 |
These wages describe everyone employed in the occupation, from new entrants to experienced workers. They are not starting salaries and not earnings of graduates from any particular program. Verified data
Education administrators, postsecondary pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 53 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $100,030 | $62,570 | $211,370 | 3,760 | 1.53 |
| Alaska | $103,080 | $74,820 | $155,670 | 80 | 0.21 |
| Arizona | $103,280 | $65,300 | $213,610 | 5,140 | 1.37 |
| Arkansas | $78,240 | $51,910 | $166,240 | 1,970 | 1.3 |
| California | $125,460 | $76,700 | $216,480 | 14,870 | 0.7 |
| Colorado | $118,440 | $80,740 | $239,370 | 1,770 | 0.53 |
| Connecticut | $123,190 | $75,050 | $220,570 | 2,100 | 1.07 |
| Delaware | $128,570 | $82,640 | $331,850 | 360 | 0.65 |
| District of Columbia | $107,390 | $77,260 | $246,220 | 1,880 | 2.31 |
| Florida | $83,840 | $63,240 | $153,610 | ||
| Georgia | $110,200 | $72,910 | $230,780 | 2,890 | 0.51 |
| Guam | $79,080 | $50,400 | $124,410 | 40 | 0.48 |
| Hawaii | $81,020 | $37,340 | $133,560 | 570 | 0.78 |
| Idaho | $101,200 | $62,260 | $169,370 | 870 | 0.88 |
| Illinois | $99,770 | $62,270 | $172,540 | 9,530 | 1.35 |
| Indiana | $98,000 | $61,030 | $213,580 | 3,370 | 0.91 |
| Iowa | $89,320 | $59,960 | $174,270 | 2,510 | 1.39 |
| Kansas | $110,020 | $62,750 | $227,000 | 1,760 | 1.05 |
| Kentucky | $114,310 | $77,630 | $230,220 | 890 | 0.38 |
| Louisiana | $98,840 | $61,880 | $214,270 | 3,670 | 1.64 |
| Maine | $88,180 | $63,360 | $178,200 | 860 | 1.16 |
| Maryland | $118,550 | $67,750 | $228,880 | ||
| Massachusetts | $128,970 | $79,040 | $228,410 | 9,120 | 2.16 |
| Michigan | $108,500 | $62,420 | $236,640 | 5,110 | 1 |
| Minnesota | $104,740 | $78,140 | $176,270 | 2,110 | 0.62 |
| Mississippi | $86,590 | $50,590 | $219,180 | 2,230 | 1.65 |
| Missouri | $104,560 | $63,110 | $213,740 | 2,830 | 0.83 |
| Montana | $102,980 | $66,940 | $174,190 | 300 | 0.5 |
| Nebraska | $96,030 | $61,520 | $215,130 | 1,560 | 1.31 |
| Nevada | $88,810 | $60,950 | $176,730 | 1,320 | 0.73 |
| New Hampshire | $104,190 | $75,830 | $213,310 | 920 | 1.16 |
| New Jersey | $131,570 | $84,060 | $224,550 | 4,100 | 0.82 |
| New Mexico | $109,480 | $76,820 | $178,830 | 1,160 | 1.15 |
| New York | $139,640 | $87,240 | $278,010 | 7,280 | 0.65 |
| North Carolina | $101,060 | $64,490 | $185,140 | 7,390 | 1.29 |
| North Dakota | $101,600 | $64,420 | $233,160 | 600 | 1.2 |
| Ohio | $87,370 | $59,990 | $177,930 | 6,880 | 1.07 |
| Oklahoma | $105,830 | $59,390 | $231,490 | 1,700 | 0.86 |
| Oregon | $120,110 | $75,020 | $229,730 | 2,790 | 1.22 |
| Pennsylvania | $103,740 | $71,150 | $209,530 | 8,000 | 1.14 |
| Puerto Rico | $80,410 | $41,990 | $126,280 | 910 | 0.83 |
| Rhode Island | $106,520 | $75,370 | $216,270 | 1,140 | 1.97 |
| South Carolina | $95,570 | $60,190 | $177,740 | 2,990 | 1.12 |
| South Dakota | $126,160 | $86,610 | $228,660 | 240 | 0.45 |
| Tennessee | $100,850 | $65,000 | $224,710 | 2,680 | 0.7 |
| Texas | $104,390 | $66,860 | $215,450 | 16,660 | 1.02 |
| Utah | $100,420 | $50,670 | $218,010 | 2,320 | 1.15 |
| Vermont | $104,450 | $68,530 | $226,460 | 550 | 1.55 |
| Virginia | $120,840 | $68,000 | $234,300 | ||
| Washington | $127,630 | $85,770 | $220,610 | 2,140 | 0.52 |
| West Virginia | $84,660 | $53,160 | $198,330 | 1,520 | 1.87 |
| Wisconsin | $124,960 | $78,890 | $198,850 | 1,190 | 0.35 |
| Wyoming | $127,960 | $85,770 | $174,170 | 120 | 0.37 |
A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that state than in the nation overall.
Metro areas with the most jobs
Highest paying metro areas
Job outlook for education administrators, postsecondary
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 14,500. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Share of workers who are self-employed (2025): 2.5%.
- Read the official BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile.
These are official BLS projections. ConnectPrep does not alter them or present its own forecasts as official statistics.
Education and training for education administrators, postsecondary
- Typical entry education
- Master's degree
- Related work experience
- Less than 5 years
- On-the-job training
- None
- O*NET Job Zone
- Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
Highest education of people working in this occupation
O*NET describes this preparation level as: Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Degrees and programs that lead to this career
Programs officially mapped to this occupation in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. A mapping means the program commonly prepares students for the occupation, not that every graduate works in it. Official crosswalk
- Educational Leadership and Administration, General CIP 13.0401
- Educational, Instructional, and Curriculum Supervision CIP 13.0404
- Higher Education/Higher Education Administration CIP 13.0406
- Community College Administration CIP 13.0407
- International School Administration/Leadership CIP 13.0412
- Clinical Research Coordinator CIP 51.0719
- Health Professions Education CIP 51.3202
- Nursing Education CIP 51.3203
- Research Administration CIP 52.0214
- Medical Education Fellowship Program CIP 61.0207
- Simulation Fellowship Program CIP 61.0211
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical tasks
- Design or use assessments to monitor student learning outcomes.
- Recruit, hire, train, and terminate departmental personnel.
- Direct, coordinate, and evaluate the activities of personnel, including support staff engaged in administering academic institutions, departments, or alumni organizations.
- Advise students on issues such as course selection, progress toward graduation, and career decisions.
- Plan, administer, and control budgets, maintain financial records, and produce financial reports.
- Formulate strategic plans for the institution.
- Establish operational policies and procedures and make any necessary modifications, based on analysis of operations, demographics, and other research information.
- Provide assistance to faculty and staff in duties such as teaching classes, conducting orientation programs, issuing transcripts, and scheduling events.
Technology skills
- Microsoft Excel (in demand)
- Microsoft Office software (in demand)
- Microsoft Outlook (in demand)
- Microsoft PowerPoint (in demand)
- Student information systems SIS software (in demand)
- Facebook (hot technology)
- Google Docs (hot technology)
- Hypertext markup language HTML (hot technology)
- IBM SPSS Statistics (hot technology)
- Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Microsoft Project (hot technology)
- Microsoft SharePoint (hot technology)
- Microsoft Visio (hot technology)
- Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Oracle PeopleSoft (hot technology)
- SAP software (hot technology)
Transferable skills for career changers: Instructing, Time Management, Complex Problem Solving, Judgment and Decision Making, Social Perceptiveness, Management of Personnel Resources.
Common job titles: Academic Affairs Vice President (Academic Affairs VP), Academic Dean, Admissions Director, College President, Dean, Financial Aid Director, Institutional Research Director, Provost, Registrar, Students Dean.
Is it worth it? Model the cost of getting there
Use the ROI calculator to compare the cost of the education this career usually requires against staying on your current path. It starts from the official wage distribution above, and you can change every assumption.
Frequently asked questions
How much do education administrators, postsecondary make?
The national median annual wage for education administrators, postsecondary was $104,590 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $64,560 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $215,620. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do education administrators, postsecondary need?
BLS lists master's degree as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with less than 5 years of related work experience and none on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.
Is education administrators, postsecondary a growing career?
BLS projects employment of education administrators, postsecondary to change +1.8% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 14,500 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay education administrators, postsecondary the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were New York ($139,640), New Jersey ($131,570), Massachusetts ($128,970). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.