SalariesWhat the occupation covers
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.
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 11-9033.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $64,560 | $5,380 | $1,242 | $31.04 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $80,870 | $6,739 | $1,555 | $38.88 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $104,590 | $8,716 | $2,011 | $50.29 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $144,370 | $12,031 | $2,776 | $69.41 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $215,620 | $17,968 | $4,147 | $103.66 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Education Administrators, Postsecondary is $104,590, which is 105% higher. Among the 37 occupations of the field Management, it ranks number 24 by median pay. With 180,470 jobs, it makes up about 12 of every 10,000 jobs in the country. The average ($126,540) is well above the median, a sign that a smaller group of high earners pulls the average up.
Education Administrators, Postsecondary pay by state
The highest median pay was in New York ($139,640), New Jersey ($131,570) and Massachusetts ($128,970). The lowest was in Arkansas ($78,240), Guam ($79,080) and Puerto Rico ($80,410). The most jobs were in Texas (16,660), California (14,870) and Illinois (9,530). The occupation is most concentrated in District of Columbia, where its share of all jobs is 2.3 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 7,280 | $139,640 | $162,540 | $67.14 |
| New Jersey | 4,100 | $131,570 | $148,340 | $63.25 |
| Massachusetts | 9,120 | $128,970 | $144,110 | $62.01 |
| Delaware | 360 | $128,570 | $154,330 | $61.81 |
| Wyoming | 120 | $127,960 | $132,330 | $61.52 |
| Washington | 2,140 | $127,630 | $142,760 | $61.36 |
| South Dakota | 240 | $126,160 | $138,640 | $60.65 |
| California | 14,870 | $125,460 | $140,980 | $60.32 |
| Wisconsin | 1,190 | $124,960 | $135,200 | $60.08 |
| Connecticut | 2,100 | $123,190 | $137,810 | $59.22 |
| Virginia | not published | $120,840 | $142,210 | $58.10 |
| Oregon | 2,790 | $120,110 | $140,720 | $57.75 |
| Maryland | not published | $118,550 | $142,450 | $56.99 |
| Colorado | 1,770 | $118,440 | $142,720 | $56.94 |
| Kentucky | 890 | $114,310 | $145,310 | $54.96 |
| Georgia | 2,890 | $110,200 | $139,230 | $52.98 |
| Kansas | 1,760 | $110,020 | $131,360 | $52.90 |
| New Mexico | 1,160 | $109,480 | $119,240 | $52.64 |
| Michigan | 5,110 | $108,500 | $133,890 | $52.16 |
| District of Columbia | 1,880 | $107,390 | $143,640 | $51.63 |
| Rhode Island | 1,140 | $106,520 | $133,990 | $51.21 |
| Oklahoma | 1,700 | $105,830 | $127,730 | $50.88 |
| Minnesota | 2,110 | $104,740 | $120,750 | $50.36 |
| Missouri | 2,830 | $104,560 | $126,700 | $50.27 |
| Vermont | 550 | $104,450 | $132,360 | $50.22 |
| Texas | 16,660 | $104,390 | $124,970 | $50.19 |
| New Hampshire | 920 | $104,190 | $130,720 | $50.09 |
| Pennsylvania | 8,000 | $103,740 | $126,610 | $49.88 |
| Arizona | 5,140 | $103,280 | $124,870 | $49.65 |
| Alaska | 80 | $103,080 | $111,630 | $49.56 |
| Montana | 300 | $102,980 | $119,670 | $49.51 |
| North Dakota | 600 | $101,600 | $127,230 | $48.84 |
| Idaho | 870 | $101,200 | $110,770 | $48.66 |
| North Carolina | 7,390 | $101,060 | $119,160 | $48.59 |
| Tennessee | 2,680 | $100,850 | $135,540 | $48.49 |
| Utah | 2,320 | $100,420 | $118,270 | $48.28 |
| Alabama | 3,760 | $100,030 | $116,790 | $48.09 |
| Illinois | 9,530 | $99,770 | $108,130 | $47.97 |
| Louisiana | 3,670 | $98,840 | $118,100 | $47.52 |
| Indiana | 3,370 | $98,000 | $118,630 | $47.12 |
| Nebraska | 1,560 | $96,030 | $112,380 | $46.17 |
| South Carolina | 2,990 | $95,570 | $108,380 | $45.95 |
| Iowa | 2,510 | $89,320 | $108,070 | $42.94 |
| Nevada | 1,320 | $88,810 | $111,420 | $42.70 |
| Maine | 860 | $88,180 | $107,690 | $42.40 |
| Ohio | 6,880 | $87,370 | $108,990 | $42.01 |
| Mississippi | 2,230 | $86,590 | $116,680 | $41.63 |
| West Virginia | 1,520 | $84,660 | $107,900 | $40.70 |
| Florida | not published | $83,840 | $99,460 | $40.31 |
| Hawaii | 570 | $81,020 | $85,940 | $38.95 |
| Puerto Rico | 910 | $80,410 | $81,500 | $38.66 |
| Guam | 40 | $79,080 | $88,100 | $38.02 |
| Arkansas | 1,970 | $78,240 | $102,280 | $37.62 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Facilities Managers$106,660 a year
- Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary$105,870 a year
- General and Operations Managers$105,770 a year
- Postmasters and Mail Superintendents$96,660 a year
- Education Administrators, All Other$95,200 a year
- Emergency Management Directors$93,330 a year
Common questions
How much do Education Administrators, Postsecondary earn in the United States?
The median pay was $104,590 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $64,560 and the highest-paid 10% more than $215,620.
How many people work as Education Administrators, Postsecondary?
About 180,470 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.