Education Administrators, Postsecondary Salary: $103,960 Median Pay (2026 stats)
Executive Summary
About 176,420 education administrators, postsecondary work nationally, and $103,960 is the BLS national median annual wage. Employment in the series shown rose about 15% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 4.2% annual growth.
Education Administrators, Postsecondary: what the data shows
Common questions about education administrators, postsecondary careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a education administrators, postsecondary?
Education Administrators, Postsecondary is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 11-9033.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 176,420 workers.
What does a education administrators, postsecondary do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships, Getting Information, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work, Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a education administrators, postsecondary make?
BLS national median annual wage: $103,960 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $141,801 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $77,592 |
| 25th percentile | $90,467 |
| Median (50th) | $126,136 |
| 75th percentile | $170,402 |
| 90th percentile | $219,007 |
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Critical Thinking, Reading Comprehension, Writing, Time Management, Speaking, Active Listening, and knowledge areas including English Language, Administration and Management, Education and Training, Customer and Personal Service. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is education administrators, postsecondary in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 4.2% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: 22.6%.
Ten-year projected employment change: 50.2%.
Current U.S. headcount: 176,420.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do education administrators, postsecondarys work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Educational Services | 348,320 | 26.2% |
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools | 283,290 | 21.3% |
| Cross-industry | 176,420 | 13.3% |
| Educational Services | 174,160 | 13.1% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 98,810 | 7.4% |
| State Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | 80,590 | 6.1% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Education Administrators, Postsecondary in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Database Administrators | 73,180 | $104,620 |
| Sales Managers | 603,710 | $138,060 |
| Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary | 319,630 | $104,070 |
| Public Relations Managers | 76,060 | $138,520 |
| Compensation and Benefits Managers | 20,070 | $140,360 |
| Construction Managers | 348,330 | $106,980 |
| Carpenters | 697,740 | $59,310 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Education Administrators, Postsecondary workforce.
Employment Over Time
176,420 U.S. workforce (OEWS)
California employment for Education Administrators, Postsecondary grew from 32,420 in 2009 to 62,160 in 2025 (91.7%).
Historical employment for Education Administrators, Postsecondary from the California OEWS series, 2009–2025. The U.S. workforce figure is national and is not the endpoint of this line.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$103,960 Median pay (BLS national)
Education Administrators, Postsecondary earn $103,960 as the BLS national median annual wage.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Education Administrators, Postsecondary.
Salary distribution for Education Administrators, Postsecondary.
Employment Growth Projections
4.2% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
76,182 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 22.6%
93,367 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 50.2%
This occupation is projected to grow at 4.2% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Education Administrators, Postsecondary.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Education Administrators, Postsecondary and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Education Administrators, Postsecondary employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Education Administrators, Postsecondary.
Wage Trends by Industry
1.2% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Education Administrators, Postsecondary.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Education Administrators, Postsecondary.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- TX: 17,490 employees, $122,220 avg wage
- CA: 16,030 employees, $139,220 avg wage
- FL: 10,630 employees, $102,600 avg wage
- IL: 9,650 employees, $105,740 avg wage
- MA: 9,460 employees, $137,210 avg wage
- PA: 8,100 employees, $118,990 avg wage
- NY: 7,340 employees, $157,840 avg wage
- OH: 7,170 employees, $105,100 avg wage
- NC: 6,860 employees, $117,560 avg wage
- AZ: 5,550 employees, $121,610 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Education Administrators, Postsecondary.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 7,030 employees, $135,680 avg wage
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH: 6,890 employees, $141,440 avg wage
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 6,820 employees, $159,640 avg wage
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 6,340 employees, $107,020 avg wage
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD: 4,470 employees, $125,820 avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 4,390 employees, $122,570 avg wage
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV: 4,100 employees, $142,350 avg wage
- Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ: 3,720 employees, $122,620 avg wage
- Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX: 3,080 employees, $139,270 avg wage
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL: 2,950 employees, $108,330 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Education Administrators, Postsecondary.
Diversity
Demographic information on Education Administrators, Postsecondary in the US.
Gender and Age
The U.S. workforce for Education Administrators, Postsecondary is about 176,420 people in our OEWS extract.
Gender and age distribution for Education Administrators, Postsecondary.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Education Administrators, Postsecondary.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Education Administrators, Postsecondary.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Education Administrators, Postsecondary in 2023 were Education, Business Administration, Management.
Common majors for Education Administrators, Postsecondary.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Education Administrators, Postsecondary workers.
Education level distribution for Education Administrators, Postsecondary.
Skills
Education Administrators, Postsecondary need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Reading Comprehension, Writing, Time Management, Speaking.
Required skills for Education Administrators, Postsecondary.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Education Administrators, Postsecondary.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Education Administrators, Postsecondary include English Language, Administration and Management, Education and Training, Customer and Personal Service, Personnel and Human Resources.
Knowledge areas required for Education Administrators, Postsecondary.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Education Administrators, Postsecondary include Written Expression, Written Comprehension, Oral Expression, Problem Sensitivity, Speech Recognition.
Required abilities for Education Administrators, Postsecondary.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Education Administrators, Postsecondary.
Daily Activities
Education Administrators, Postsecondary spend their time on activities such as Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships, Getting Information, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work.
Most important work activities for Education Administrators, Postsecondary.
About
Education Administrators, Postsecondary
Education Administrators, Postsecondary earn $103,960 as the BLS national median annual wage.
SOC Code
11-9033 - Education Administrators, Postsecondary
Insights and Analysis
High earnings profile: Education Administrators, Postsecondary reports an average salary of $141,801, placing it among stronger-paying occupations.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 176,420 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 4.2%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.