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, Postsecondary Salary (2026): Data, Outlook & How to Become One
The median pay for Education Administrators, Postsecondary is $104,590 a year ($50.29/hr), according to BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employment is projected to grow 1.7% through 2034, with about 15,100 openings a year (BLS EP, 2024–2034). Typical entry-level education: Master's degree.
SOC 11-9033ManagementLast updated August 15, 2026
- Median pay
- $104,590
- Projected growth
- +1.7%
- Openings a year
- 15,100
- Typical education
- Master's
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
Also advertised as: Academic Affairs Vice President (Academic Affairs VP), Academic Dean, Admissions Director, College President, Dean, Financial Aid Director.
How much do Education Administrators, Postsecondary make?
10th percentile$64,560
Entry / lowest-paid tenth
25th percentile$80,870
Lower quartile
Median (50th)$104,590
Half earn more, half earn less
75th percentile$144,370
Upper quartile
90th percentile$215,620
Top-paid tenth
| 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 82% of the 923 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.
Which states pay Education Administrators, Postsecondary the most?
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | $139,640 | $129,391 | 7,280 |
| New Jersey | $131,570 | $120,923 | 4,100 |
| Massachusetts | $128,970 | $121,949 | 9,120 |
| Delaware | $128,570 | $128,817 | 360 |
| Wyoming | $127,960 | $138,050 | 120 |
| Washington | $127,630 | $119,266 | 2,140 |
| South Dakota | $126,160 | $142,415 | 240 |
| California | $125,460 | $113,313 | 14,870 |
| Wisconsin | $124,960 | $132,802 | 1,190 |
| Connecticut | $123,190 | $118,898 | 2,100 |
Is Education Administrator, Postsecondary a growing career?
Education Administrators, Postsecondary1.7%
All US occupations3.1%
+1.7% projected growth vs 3.1% for all occupations.
Slower than average
BLS projects employment of Education Administrators, Postsecondary to change 1.7% over 2024–2034, against 3.1% projected for all occupations. That is 4,000 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 15,100 openings are projected each year, 6.7% of the 226,600 jobs that existed in 2024. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Despite limited employment growth, about 15,100 openings for postsecondary education administrators are projected each year, on average, over the decade.
Most 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 growth in the occupation is tied to student enrollments at colleges and universities.
People will continue to seek postsecondary education to accomplish their career goals. As more people enter colleges and universities, more postsecondary education administrators will be needed to serve the needs of these additional students.
How to become an Education Administrator, Postsecondary
Postsecondary education administrators typically need a master’s degree. However, there will be some opportunities for those with a bachelor’s degree. Employers typically prefer candidates who have experience working in a postsecondary academic administrative office, particularly for occupations such as registrars and academic deans.
| Typical entry-level education | Master's degree |
|---|---|
| Preparation needed (O*NET job zone) | Considerable preparation |
| Work experience in a related occupation | Less than 5 years |
| 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, postsecondary.
- Master's Degree47.9%
- Doctoral Degree37.2%
- Bachelor's Degree7.6%
- Post-Doctoral Training7.2%
What does an Education Administrator, Postsecondary do?
Plan, direct, or coordinate student instruction, administration, and services, as well as other research and educational activities, at postsecondary institutions, including universities, colleges, and junior and community colleges.
Postsecondary education administrators oversee student services, academics, and faculty research at colleges and universities. Their job duties vary depending on the department in which they work, such as admissions, student affairs, or the registrar’s office.
Day-to-day tasks
- Participate in faculty and college committee activities.
- Establish operational policies and procedures and make any necessary modifications, based on analysis of operations, demographics, and other research information.
- Prepare reports on academic or institutional data.
- Promote the university by participating in community, state, and national events or meetings, and by developing partnerships with industry and secondary education institutions.
- Represent institutions at community and campus events, in meetings with other institution personnel, and during accreditation processes.
- Design or use assessments to monitor student learning outcomes.
- Plan, administer, and control budgets, maintain financial records, and produce financial reports.
- Recruit, hire, train, and terminate departmental personnel.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Where education administrators, postsecondary work
| Colleges, universities, and professional schools; private | 41% |
|---|---|
| Colleges, universities, and professional schools; state | 39% |
| Junior colleges; local | 7% |
| Junior colleges; state | 5% |
BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2024–2034 edition.
Core skills
- Reading Comprehension4.1/5
- Critical Thinking4.1/5
- Active Listening4.0/5
- Writing4.0/5
- Speaking4.0/5
- Monitoring4.0/5
- Active Learning3.9/5
- Learning Strategies3.8/5
Transferable skills
- Instructing4.0/5
- Time Management4.0/5
- Complex Problem Solving3.9/5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.9/5
- Social Perceptiveness3.8/5
- Management of Personnel Resources3.8/5
- Coordination3.6/5
- Persuasion3.6/5
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.
What personality type suits an Education Administrator, Postsecondary?
Interest profile: O*NET Occupational Interests, scored 1–7
Realistic1.0
Investigative3.8
Artistic2.8
Socialprimary5.6
Enterprisingprimary5.3
Conventionalprimary4.9
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, Postsecondary: frequently asked questions
How much do Education Administrators, Postsecondary make?
Education Administrators, Postsecondary earn a median of $104,590 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). That is 105% above the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $50.29/hr. The middle half earn between $80,870 and $144,370. The top 10% earn $215,620 or more.
Do you need a degree to become an Education Administrator, Postsecondary?
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 Education Administrator, Postsecondary a growing career?
It is growing, but slowly: 1.7% over 2024–2034 against 3.1% for all occupations (BLS EP, 2024–2034). BLS still projects about 15,100 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does an Education Administrator, Postsecondary do?
Postsecondary education administrators oversee student services, academics, and faculty research at colleges and universities. A core O*NET task: participate in faculty and college committee activities. 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 an Education Administrator, Postsecondary?
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 923 occupations in the bank.