Occupations · Management
Education Administrators, Postsecondary
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.
O*NET 30.3 Database (USDOL/ETA) · occupation code 11-9033.00
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.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 · national, cross-industry · annual wage
Pay over time
Median up 56% between 2003 and 2024, before inflation. The band shows the 10th to 90th percentile.
BLS OEWS, one release per year. Before May 2011 only national estimates were published, so geography detail starts there.
Where the jobs are
| Metro area | Median wage | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $120,970 | 7,030 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $128,110 | 6,890 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | $136,880 | 6,820 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | $99,260 | 6,340 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $108,200 | 4,470 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $100,180 | 4,390 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $126,620 | 4,100 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ | $105,060 | 3,720 |
| Austin-Round Rock, TX | $128,170 | 3,080 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $98,260 | 2,950 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | $102,920 | 2,830 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $129,000 | 1,940 |
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.
- Direct activities of administrative departments, such as admissions, registration, and career services.
- Appoint individuals to faculty positions, and evaluate their performance.
- Develop curricula, and recommend curricula revisions and additions.
- Design or use assessments to monitor student learning outcomes.
- Recruit, hire, train, and terminate departmental personnel.
- Direct, coordinate, and evaluate the activities of personnel, including support staff engaged in administering academic institutions, departments, or alumni organizations.
- Consult with government regulatory and licensing agencies to ensure the institution's conformance with applicable standards.
- Advise students on issues such as course selection, progress toward graduation, and career decisions.
- Participate in student recruitment, selection, and admission, making admissions recommendations when required to do so.
- Plan, administer, and control budgets, maintain financial records, and produce financial reports.
- Formulate strategic plans for the institution.
- Determine course schedules, and coordinate teaching assignments and room assignments to ensure optimum use of buildings and equipment.
O*NET 30.3 task ratings, importance scale
Skills that matter most
Importance, rated 1 to 5.
O*NET 30.3 skills, importance scale
Software and tools
A dot marks what O*NET flags as in demand.
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.
O*NET 30.3 Job Zones
Working conditions that stand out
O*NET 30.3 work context, frequency scale · observed 2018-08
How people actually get in
Share of workers by the education they hold.
O*NET 30.2 education, training and experience · observed 2018-08
What kind of person the work suits
Occupational interest profile, rated 1 to 7.
O*NET 30.2 occupational interests (RIASEC)
Tasks O*NET flags as emerging
- Design or use assessments to monitor student learning outcomes.
- Prepare reports on academic or institutional data.
O*NET 22.3 emerging tasks
What you take with you
Skills rated for how well they transfer into other occupations.
O*NET 30.3 transferable skills, importance scale
Knowledge the work draws on
Abilities it leans on
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.
O*NET 30.3 job titles reported for this occupation
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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. 4 entries that were only relabelled between releases are left out.
Now listed 32
No longer listed 2
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
O*NET 30.3 alternative titles
The same work in Europe
| ESCO occupation | ISCO | Match |
|---|---|---|
| head of higher education institutions | 1345.1.5 | exact |
| education administrator | 3343.1.2 | close |
| curriculum administrator | 2351.1 | close |
| education programme coordinator | 1345.1.3 | close |
| dean of faculty | 1345.1.1 | close |
| further education principal | 1345.1.4 | close |
| university department head | 1345.1.10 | broader |
Official ESCO ↔ O*NET crosswalk (ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA)
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