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.
Education Administrator, Kindergarten through Secondary Salary (2026): Data, Outlook & How to Become One
Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary earn a median of $105,870 per year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Employment is projected to fall 1.5% through 2034, with about 20,800 openings a year (BLS EP, 2024–2034). Typical entry-level education: Master's degree.
SOC 11-9032ManagementLast updated August 15, 2026
- Median pay
- $105,870
- Projected growth
- -1.5%
- Openings a year
- 20,800
- Typical education
- Master's
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
Also advertised as: Athletic Director, Curriculum and Instruction Superintendent, Elementary Principal, High School Principal (HS Principal), Middle School Principal (MS Principal), Principal.
How much do Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary make?
10th percentile$76,280
Entry / lowest-paid tenth
25th percentile$86,040
Lower quartile
Median (50th)$105,870
Half earn more, half earn less
75th percentile$134,630
Upper quartile
90th percentile$167,770
Top-paid tenth
| Median annual wage | $105,870 |
|---|---|
| Median hourly wage | N/A |
| Mean annual wage | $116,100 |
| People employed | 328,330 |
Versus all US occupations
At $105,870, Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary earn 108% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $54,890 a year.
Versus management occupations
Inside the Management group, where the middle occupation pays $126,060, this is 16% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $167,770 or more while the bottom 10% earn $76,280, a gap of 2.2×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 83% of the 923 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
Washington pays the most at $166,590, and still leads at $155,673 once local prices are taken into account.
Which states pay Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary the most?
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $166,590 | $155,673 | 6,470 |
| California | $159,950 | $144,464 | 31,370 |
| Connecticut | $156,240 | $150,796 | 4,610 |
| New York | $138,830 | $128,640 | 19,210 |
| District of Columbia | $137,470 | $125,085 | 1,930 |
| New Jersey | $137,440 | $126,318 | 11,450 |
| Delaware | $132,710 | $132,965 | 1,100 |
| Maryland | $131,510 | $125,297 | 7,200 |
| Oregon | $130,050 | $125,821 | 4,160 |
| Utah | $128,880 | $130,361 | 2,940 |
Is Education Administrator, Kindergarten through Secondary a growing career?
Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary-1.5%
All US occupations3.1%
-1.5% projected growth vs 3.1% for all occupations.
Declining
BLS projects employment of Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary to change -1.5% over 2024–2034, while total US employment is projected to rise 3.1%. That is 5,100 fewer jobs.
Annual openings
About 20,800 openings are projected each year, 6.2% of the 333,300 jobs that existed in 2024. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Employment will be affected by student enrollment and the number of educational institutions.
There are a limited number of principal positions available per school. If student enrollment increases, more schools will open, which could increase demand. Conversely, stagnant or decreasing student enrollment may reduce the demand for principals.
How to become an Education Administrator, Kindergarten through Secondary
Most schools require elementary, middle, and high school principals to have a master’s degree in education administration or leadership. Principals also need teaching experience.
| Typical entry-level education | Master's degree |
|---|---|
| Preparation needed (O*NET job zone) | Considerable preparation |
| Work experience in a related occupation | 5 years or more |
| Typical on-the-job training | None |
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as education administrators, kindergarten through secondary.
- Master's Degree60.7%
- Bachelor's Degree23.7%
- Post-Master's Certificate15.6%
What does an Education Administrator, Kindergarten through Secondary do?
Plan, direct, or coordinate the academic, administrative, or auxiliary activities of kindergarten, elementary, or secondary schools.
Elementary, middle, and high school principals oversee all school operations, including daily school activities. They coordinate curriculums, manage staff, and provide a safe and productive learning environment for students.
Day-to-day tasks
- Set educational standards and goals, and help establish policies and procedures to carry them out.
- Plan and lead professional development activities for teachers, administrators, and support staff.
- Confer with parents and staff to discuss educational activities, policies, and student behavior or learning problems.
- Collaborate with teachers to develop and maintain curriculum standards, develop mission statements, and set performance goals and objectives.
- Direct and coordinate activities of teachers, administrators, and support staff at schools, public agencies, and institutions.
- Observe teaching methods and examine learning materials to evaluate and standardize curricula and teaching techniques and to determine areas for improvement.
- Evaluate curricula, teaching methods, and programs to determine their effectiveness, efficiency, and use, and to ensure compliance with federal, state, and local regulations.
- Recruit, hire, train, and evaluate primary and supplemental staff.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Where education administrators, kindergarten through secondary work
| Elementary and secondary schools; local | 74% |
|---|---|
| Elementary and secondary schools; private | 21% |
BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2024–2034 edition.
Core skills
- Speaking4.9/5
- Active Listening4.8/5
- Learning Strategies4.6/5
- Reading Comprehension4.5/5
- Writing4.5/5
- Critical Thinking4.5/5
- Monitoring4.3/5
- Active Learning4.0/5
Transferable skills
- Judgment and Decision Making4.6/5
- Social Perceptiveness4.3/5
- Complex Problem Solving4.1/5
- Systems Evaluation4.1/5
- Management of Personnel Resources4.1/5
- Coordination4.0/5
- Negotiation4.0/5
- Instructing4.0/5
Tools and software
- Analytical or scientific software · in demand
- Data base management system software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Document management software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Calendar and scheduling software
- Cloud-based data access and sharing software
- Communications server software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
What personality type suits an Education Administrator, Kindergarten through Secondary?
Interest profile: O*NET Occupational Interests, scored 1–7
Realistic1.3
Investigative3.1
Artistic2.8
Socialprimary5.7
Enterprisingprimary5.3
Conventionalprimary4.7
Day to day this is work built around teaching, helping and working directly with other people, combined with leading, persuading, selling and making decisions.
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.
Education Administrator, Kindergarten through Secondary: frequently asked questions
How much do Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary make?
Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary earn a median of $105,870 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). That is 108% above the $50,980 median for all US occupations. The middle half earn between $86,040 and $134,630. The top 10% earn $167,770 or more.
Do you need a degree to become an Education Administrator, Kindergarten through Secondary?
Yes. BLS reports a master's degree as the typical entry-level education for Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as considerable preparation. Employers typically expect 5 years or more of related work experience first. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 60.7% hold master's degree.
Is Education Administrator, Kindergarten through Secondary a growing career?
No. BLS projects employment to fall 1.5% over 2024–2034, a loss of 5,100 jobs (BLS EP, 2024–2034). BLS still projects about 20,800 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does an Education Administrator, Kindergarten through Secondary do?
Elementary, middle, and high school principals oversee all school operations, including daily school activities. A core O*NET task: set educational standards and goals, and help establish policies and procedures to carry them out. Employers most often ask for Analytical or scientific software, Data base management system software, Data base user interface and query software.
Which states pay Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary the most?
The highest state medians for Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary are Washington ($166,590), California ($159,950), Connecticut ($156,240) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits an Education Administrator, Kindergarten through Secondary?
O*NET scores Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary 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 ESFJ, ENFJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 923 occupations in the bank.