Tamhu

Occupations · Management

Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary

Plan, direct, or coordinate the academic, administrative, or auxiliary activities of kindergarten, elementary, or secondary schools.

O*NET 30.3 Database (USDOL/ETA) · occupation code 11-9032.00

$104,070median annual wage, May 2024
319,630people employed, United States
▼ 1.5%projected change, 2024→2034
20,800openings a year, incl. replacements

What it pays

A single “average salary” hides the spread. This is the whole distribution — the gap between the bottom and top bar is usually the number that matters.

Lowest 10%$72,400Lower quarter$83,840Median$104,070Upper quarter$132,550Top 10%$165,820

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 · national, cross-industry · annual wage

Pay over time

Median up 42% between 2003 and 2024, before inflation. The band shows the 10th to 90th percentile.

$104,070 200320142024$60,400$154,900

BLS OEWS, one release per year. Before May 2011 only national estimates were published, so geography detail starts there.

Where the jobs are

Metro areaMedian wageEmployed
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA$157,21020,840
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI$126,80011,080
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$139,08010,550
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX$98,0109,080
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX$97,3007,980
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$129,3307,310
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD$127,1207,070
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$133,7206,950
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA$103,7504,100
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL$101,1404,080
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA$145,1404,060
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI$107,9203,720

BLS OEWS May 2024, metropolitan estimates · the 12 areas with the most people in this occupation

Typical education to enter: Master's degree · BLS Employment Projections 2024–34

What people in this job actually do

Ordered by how important the work is rated.

O*NET 30.3 task ratings, importance scale

Skills that matter most

Importance, rated 1 to 5.

Speaking4.9
Active Listening4.8
Learning Strategies4.6
Writing4.5
Reading Comprehension4.5
Critical Thinking4.5
Monitoring4.2
Active Learning4.0
Mathematics3.0
Science1.9

O*NET 30.3 skills, importance scale

Software and tools

A dot marks what O*NET flags as in demand.

Apache CassandraIBM SPSS StatisticsMicrosoft AccessMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft PowerPointMicrosoft SharePointMicrosoft WordSASThe MathWorks MATLABACS Technologies HeadMasterAttendance tracking softwareBlackbaud The Education EdgeBlackboard softwareBloomzCommon CurriculumComputer Resources MMSDesmosEdulasticEffexoft EASIGeogebraGoogle CalendarGoogle ClassroomGoogle DriveGoogle GmailHuman resource management software HRMSIBM Domino

O*NET 30.3 software skills · hot-technology flag

What this work is actually like

Conditions rated against the average across all occupations — only what makes this job different is listed.

5 / 5Extensive preparation — graduate school, and often a licence on top.

O*NET 30.3 Job Zones

Working conditions that stand out

Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets−2.0 below average
Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls−1.9 below average
Importance of Repeating Same Tasks−1.4 below average
Work Outcomes and Results of Other Workers+1.4 above average
Written Letters and Memos+1.3 above average
Public Speaking+1.2 above average
Exposed to Contaminants−1.2 below average

O*NET 30.3 work context, frequency scale · observed 2025-08

How people actually get in

Share of workers by the education they hold.

Master's Degree61%
Bachelor's Degree24%
Post-Master's Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master's degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level.16%

O*NET 30.2 education, training and experience · observed 2025-08

What kind of person the work suits

Occupational interest profile, rated 1 to 7.

Social5.7
Enterprising5.3
Conventional4.7

O*NET 30.2 occupational interests (RIASEC)

Tasks O*NET flags as emerging

O*NET 30.3 emerging tasks

What you take with you

Skills rated for how well they transfer into other occupations.

Judgment and Decision Making4.6
Social Perceptiveness4.2
Complex Problem Solving4.1
Systems Evaluation4.1
Management of Personnel Resources4.1
Negotiation4.0
Coordination4.0
Instructing4.0

O*NET 30.3 transferable skills, importance scale

Knowledge the work draws on

Education and TrainingAdministration and ManagementEnglish LanguageAdministrativeMathematicsCustomer and Personal Service

Abilities it leans on

Oral ExpressionOral ComprehensionWritten ComprehensionSpeech ClarityDeductive ReasoningWritten Expression

O*NET 30.3 abilities and knowledge, importance scale

How this job is advertised

The same work is posted under many titles — this is what to search for.

PrincipalHeadmasterSuperintendentVice PrincipalMother SuperiorTesting DirectorTitle I DirectorSchool PrincipalAcademic AdvisorAthletic DirectorSchool CoordinatorCurriculum DirectorEducation SupervisorElementary Principal

O*NET 30.3 job titles reported for this occupation

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Where to move next and what to learn
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Sections in the report51219
Who it is forIf you are deciding whether this work is worth your time.If you are in the occupation and deciding where to move next.If you are aiming for an offer abroad.
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What changed since 2015

Comparing O*NET release 20.1 (2015-10-01) with 30.3 (2026-05-01). Signs, not colour alone, carry the meaning.

Now listed 27

+Seesaw+Desmos+Rethink Ed+ParentSquare+SAS+StataCorp Stata+Intrado SchoolMessenger+Edulastic+Common Curriculum+Geogebra+The MathWorks MATLAB+Nearpod+IBM Domino+Google Gmail

No longer listed 2

GmailPrinciple Data Systems School Management Software

Diff across the O*NET releases held here in full since October 2015, following occupations through merges and retirements. O*NET re-surveys occupations on a rolling cycle, so “no change” can also mean “not re-surveyed”.

Related jobs

O*NET 30.3 related occupations

Also called

DeanTeacherPrincipalSub MasterHeadmasterStudent DeanDean of BoysDean of GirlsK-12 PrincipalVice PrincipalSuperintendentHouse Principal

O*NET 30.3 alternative titles

The same work in Europe

ESCO occupationISCOMatch
headteacher1345.1exact
head of higher education institutions1345.1.5close
secondary school department head1345.1.7close
education administrator3343.1.2close
further education principal1345.1.4close
nursery school head teacher1341.3broader
deputy head teacher1345.1.2broader
secondary school head teacher1345.1.8broader
primary school head teacher1345.1.6broader

Official ESCO ↔ O*NET crosswalk (ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA)

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