Leads a college or university athletics department, overseeing coaches, budgets, facilities, compliance, and fundraising across every varsity sport. BLS does not publish separate figures for education administrators, postsecondary; it counts them within education administrator, postsecondary (SOC 11-9033), whose median pay is $104,590 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: Master's degree.
- SOC 11-9033
- Management
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
College Athletic Director in four numbers
- Median pay
- $104,590a year, or $50.29/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $65KTop 10% $216K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +1.8%Slower than averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+1.8%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +1.8% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 14,500231,800 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 2025231.8K
- Projected 2035235.9K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 231.8K Projected 2035 235.9K - Typical education
- Master'sneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Bachelor's7.6%
- Master's47.9%
- Doctorate37.2%
- Post-doctoral training7.2%
Highest education held by education administrators, postsecondary Segment Value Bachelor's 7.6% Master's 47.9% Doctorate 37.2% Post-doctoral training 7.2%
Also advertised as: Director of Athletics, Collegiate Athletic Director, Deputy Athletic Director, Associate Athletic Director, Senior Associate Athletic Director.
Pay
How much do Education Administrators, Postsecondary make?
Every college athletic director in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$104,590
Middle half earn $80,870 to $144,370
- 10th
- $64,560
- 25th
- $80,870
- 75th
- $144,370
- 90th
- $215,620
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $64,560 |
| 25th | $80,870 |
| Median | $104,590 |
| 75th | $144,370 |
| 90th | $215,620 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $104,590
- Median hourly wage
- $50.29/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $126,540
- People employed
- 180,470
Versus all US occupations
At $104,590, Education Administrators, Postsecondary earn 105% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $53,610 a year.
Versus management occupations
Inside the Management group, where the middle occupation pays $126,060, this is 17% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $215,620 or more while the bottom 10% earn $64,560, a gap of 3.3×. That is an unusually wide spread, which usually tracks specialisation, employer type and years of experience.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 78% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Cost of living
New York posts the highest raw median ($139,640), but once local prices are taken into account South Dakota leads at $142,415 in national-average dollars.
Pay by state
Which states pay Education Administrators, Postsecondary the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1New York | $139,640 | $129,391 | 7,280 |
| 2New Jersey | $131,570 | $120,923 | 4,100 |
| 3Massachusetts | $128,970 | $121,949 | 9,120 |
| 4Delaware | $128,570 | $128,817 | 360 |
| 5Wyoming | $127,960 | $138,050 | 120 |
| 6Washington | $127,630 | $119,266 | 2,140 |
| 7South Dakota | $126,160 | $142,415 | 240 |
| 8California | $125,460 | $113,313 | 14,870 |
| 9Wisconsin | $124,960 | $132,802 | 1,190 |
| 10Connecticut | $123,190 | $118,898 | 2,100 |
Job outlook
Is College Athletic Director a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Slower than average. +1.8% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Education Administrators, Postsecondary | +1.8% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Slower than average
BLS projects employment of Education Administrators, Postsecondary to change 1.8% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 4,100 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 14,500 openings are projected each year, 6.3% of the 231,800 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a College Athletic Director
Most athletic directors have a bachelor's degree and many hold a master's degree in sport management, sport administration, or business. Common entry points include graduate assistantships in athletics departments, internships, and early roles in compliance, ticketing, marketing, development, or sports information. Former coaches and former college athletes also move into administration.
Career growth usually runs through assistant, associate, and deputy athletic director titles. Professional development comes through the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), which runs leadership institutes and conventions, and the NCAA's leadership development programs for administrators.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Master's degree
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
Less than 5 years
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
None
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Considerable preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as education administrators, postsecondary.
- Master's Degree47.9%
- Doctoral Degree37.2%
- Bachelor's Degree7.6%
- Post-Doctoral Training7.2%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | 47.9% |
| Doctoral Degree | 37.2% |
| Bachelor's Degree | 7.6% |
| Post-Doctoral Training | 7.2% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a College Athletic Director do?
A college athletic director runs the athletics department as a business unit of the university. They hire and evaluate head coaches, set the department budget, oversee facilities and scheduling, and make sure every program follows the rules of the NCAA, NAIA, or NJCAA and its conference.
At larger schools the athletic director spends much of the time on fundraising, media rights, conference relationships, and major donors, while deputy and associate athletic directors manage areas such as compliance, academic support, business operations, and external relations. At smaller colleges the athletic director may also coach a team or teach classes. Recent changes in college sports, including NIL rules and revenue sharing with athletes, have added new responsibilities.
Day-to-day tasks
- Hire, evaluate, and when necessary replace head coaches
- Prepare and manage the athletics department budget
- Oversee compliance with NCAA or other governing body and conference rules
- Cultivate major donors and lead fundraising campaigns for facilities and scholarships
- Negotiate media, apparel, and sponsorship agreements
- Plan facility construction, renovation, and scheduling
- Support athlete academic progress, wellbeing, and Title IX equity
- Represent the institution at conference and national meetings
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Athletic directors work in campus offices but spend many evenings and weekends at games, donor events, and conference meetings. Travel to away events, conference offices, and fundraising visits is common. The role carries public visibility, and decisions about coaching hires or program cuts draw attention from students, alumni, and local media.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayIndoors, in a climate-controlled space, every day.
Outdoors in all weather
NeverEvery day
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantConstant contact with other people.
Face-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing with the public
Not importantExtremely important
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Reading Comprehension4.1
- Critical Thinking4.1
- Active Listening4.0
- Writing4.0
- Speaking4.0
- Monitoring4.0
- Active Learning3.9
- Learning Strategies3.8
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 4.1 |
| Critical Thinking | 4.1 |
| Active Listening | 4.0 |
| Writing | 4.0 |
| Speaking | 4.0 |
| Monitoring | 4.0 |
| Active Learning | 3.9 |
| Learning Strategies | 3.8 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Instructing4.0
- Time Management4.0
- Complex Problem Solving3.9
- Judgment and Decision Making3.9
- Social Perceptiveness3.8
- Management of Personnel Resources3.8
- Coordination3.6
- Persuasion3.6
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Instructing | 4.0 |
| Time Management | 4.0 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.9 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.9 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.8 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | 3.8 |
| Coordination | 3.6 |
| Persuasion | 3.6 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Analytical or scientific software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Document management software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Process mapping and design software · in demand
- Project management software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Web page creation and editing software · in demand
- Web platform development software · in demand
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a College Athletic Director?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code ESC) built on O*NET's Education Administrator, Postsecondary profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | College Athletic Director |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 1 |
| Investigative | 4 |
| Artistic | 3 |
| Social | 6 |
| Enterprising | 6 |
| Conventional | 5 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around teaching, helping and working directly with other people, combined with leading, persuading, selling and making decisions.
- Social5.6
- Enterprising5.5
- Conventional4.9
- Investigative3.8
- Artistic2.8
- Realistic1.0
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
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Median annual pay, with education administrators, postsecondary highlighted
- IT Manager$175,140
- Marketing Manager$166,790
- Financial Manager$166,570
- Human Resources Manager$149,280
- Sales Manager$148,270
- Construction Manager$114,990
- Supply Chain Manager$107,230
- College Athletic Director$104,590
- Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Manager$69,990
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| IT Manager | $175,140 |
| Marketing Manager | $166,790 |
| Financial Manager | $166,570 |
| Human Resources Manager | $149,280 |
| Sales Manager | $148,270 |
| Construction Manager | $114,990 |
| Supply Chain Manager | $107,230 |
| College Athletic Director | $104,590 |
| Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Manager | $69,990 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists College Athletic Director appears on
Questions
College Athletic Director: frequently asked questions
How much do Education Administrators, Postsecondary make?
BLS does not publish a separate wage for education administrators, postsecondary. It counts them within education administrator, postsecondary, whose median pay is $104,590 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $80,870 and $144,370, and the top 10% earn $215,620 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a College Athletic Director?
Yes. BLS reports a master's degree as the typical entry-level education for Education Administrators, Postsecondary, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as considerable preparation. Employers typically expect less than 5 years of related work experience first. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 47.9% hold master's degree.
Is College Athletic Director a growing career?
It is growing, but slowly: 1.8% over 2025–2035 against 3.5% for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 14,500 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a College Athletic Director do?
A college athletic director runs the athletics department as a business unit of the university. A typical task: hire, evaluate, and when necessary replace head coaches. Employers most often ask for Analytical or scientific software, Data base user interface and query software, Document management software.
Which states pay Education Administrators, Postsecondary the most?
The highest state medians for Education Administrators, Postsecondary are New York ($139,640), New Jersey ($131,570), Massachusetts ($128,970) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Adjusted for local prices using BEA Regional Price Parities, South Dakota moves to the top at $142,415.
What personality type suits a College Athletic Director?
O*NET scores Education Administrators, Postsecondary highest on the Social, Enterprising and Conventional interest areas, so the work mixes teaching, helping and working directly with other people with leading, persuading, selling and making decisions. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ENFJ, ESFJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.