Education Administrators, Postsecondary
Education Administrators, Postsecondary (SOC 11-9033) earn a median $104,590 a year ($50.29 an hour) in the United States, with 180,470 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is New York.
What education administrators, postsecondary do
Postsecondary education administrators manage instruction, student services, administration, and research at colleges, universities, and community colleges. Titles under this heading include dean, registrar, and admissions director, among others. Their work depends on the office. Academic administrators direct faculty and support staff and oversee how learning outcomes are assessed. Student affairs staff help students choose courses, stay on track to graduate, and think through careers. All plan and control budgets, keep financial records, prepare reports, and hire, train, and dismiss the staff of their offices. They also formulate strategic plans for the institution and set operational policies and procedures based on analysis of operations and demographics. The occupation differs from postsecondary teachers, who are classified separately, and from education administrators in kindergarten through secondary schools. These administrators also help faculty and staff with duties such as orientation programs, issuing transcripts, and scheduling events.
Typical entry: O*NET respondents most often report a master's degree as the typical level of education for this occupation.
Also called: Academic Affairs Dean, Academic Affairs Director, Academic Affairs Vice President (Academic Affairs VP), Academic Coordinator, Academic Dean.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $31.04 | $38.88 | $50.29 | $69.41 | $103.66 | $60.84 | 180,470 |
| Annual | $64,560 | $80,870 | $104,590 | $144,370 | $215,620 | $126,540 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where education administrators, postsecondary earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York | Hourly | $41.94 | $52.81 | $67.14 | $88.15 | $133.66 | $78.14 | 7,280 | 0.75 | 0.65 |
| Annual | $87,240 | $109,840 | $139,640 | $183,360 | $278,010 | $162,540 | ||||
| New Jersey | Hourly | $40.41 | $50.17 | $63.25 | $81.62 | $107.96 | $71.32 | 4,100 | 0.96 | 0.82 |
| Annual | $84,060 | $104,350 | $131,570 | $169,760 | $224,550 | $148,340 | ||||
| Massachusetts | Hourly | $38.00 | $46.19 | $62.01 | $82.64 | $109.81 | $69.28 | 9,120 | 2.51 | 2.16 |
| Annual | $79,040 | $96,080 | $128,970 | $171,900 | $228,410 | $144,110 | ||||
| Delaware | Hourly | $39.73 | $50.20 | $61.81 | $84.25 | $159.54 | $74.20 | 360 | 0.75 | 0.65 |
| Annual | $82,640 | $104,410 | $128,570 | $175,240 | $331,850 | $154,330 | ||||
| Wyoming | Hourly | $41.24 | $51.98 | $61.52 | $66.26 | $83.74 | $63.62 | 120 | 0.43 | 0.37 |
| Annual | $85,770 | $108,110 | $127,960 | $137,810 | $174,170 | $132,330 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Texas | Hourly | $32.15 | $39.10 | $50.19 | $66.18 | $103.58 | $60.08 | 16,660 | 1.18 | 1.02 |
| Annual | $66,860 | $81,320 | $104,390 | $137,660 | $215,450 | $124,970 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $36.88 | $45.40 | $60.32 | $81.52 | $104.08 | $67.78 | 14,870 | 0.82 | 0.70 |
| Annual | $76,700 | $94,440 | $125,460 | $169,550 | $216,480 | $140,980 | ||||
| Illinois | Hourly | $29.94 | $36.94 | $47.97 | $61.74 | $82.95 | $51.99 | 9,530 | 1.56 | 1.35 |
| Annual | $62,270 | $76,830 | $99,770 | $128,420 | $172,540 | $108,130 | ||||
| Massachusetts | Hourly | $38.00 | $46.19 | $62.01 | $82.64 | $109.81 | $69.28 | 9,120 | 2.51 | 2.16 |
| Annual | $79,040 | $96,080 | $128,970 | $171,900 | $228,410 | $144,110 | ||||
| Pennsylvania | Hourly | $34.21 | $39.66 | $49.88 | $68.34 | $100.74 | $60.87 | 8,000 | 1.32 | 1.14 |
| Annual | $71,150 | $82,500 | $103,740 | $142,160 | $209,530 | $126,610 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC | Hourly | $42.19 | $56.46 | $85.17 | $217.28 | $217.28 | $123.58 | 190 | 0.81 | 0.70 |
| Annual | $87,740 | $117,430 | $177,150 | $451,950 | $451,950 | $257,050 | ||||
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | Hourly | $52.70 | $61.84 | $82.89 | $105.00 | $137.84 | $88.33 | 50 | 0.53 | 0.45 |
| Annual | $109,620 | $128,630 | $172,410 | $218,390 | $286,700 | $183,730 | ||||
| Binghamton, NY | Hourly | $50.34 | $63.93 | $80.13 | $102.10 | $158.34 | $92.71 | 60 | 0.65 | 0.56 |
| Annual | $104,710 | $132,970 | $166,660 | $212,370 | $329,360 | $192,830 | ||||
| Yakima, WA | Hourly | $44.04 | $44.19 | $79.96 | $105.04 | $105.08 | $76.15 | 80 | 0.78 | 0.67 |
| Annual | $91,610 | $91,900 | $166,310 | $218,480 | $218,560 | $158,380 | ||||
| Merced, CA | Hourly | $55.70 | $64.34 | $79.63 | $113.72 | $169.36 | $94.79 | 50 | 0.69 | 0.59 |
| Annual | $115,860 | $133,820 | $165,620 | $236,550 | $352,280 | $197,170 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $47.48 | $51.68 | $66.25 | $86.23 | $129.41 | $77.29 | 7,550 | 0.80 | 0.68 |
| Annual | $98,750 | $107,490 | $137,800 | $179,360 | $269,170 | $160,770 | ||||
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | Hourly | $38.94 | $49.12 | $63.04 | $83.53 | $135.14 | $71.90 | 6,770 | 2.50 | 2.16 |
| Annual | $81,000 | $102,170 | $131,130 | $173,740 | $281,100 | $149,550 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $30.00 | $37.15 | $48.59 | $62.16 | $82.89 | $52.62 | 6,270 | 1.39 | 1.20 |
| Annual | $62,410 | $77,270 | $101,070 | $129,290 | $172,420 | $109,460 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $36.55 | $45.31 | $60.21 | $81.52 | $104.04 | $66.89 | 6,050 | 0.97 | 0.83 |
| Annual | $76,030 | $94,250 | $125,230 | $169,550 | $216,410 | $139,140 | ||||
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Hourly | $37.86 | $47.60 | $56.72 | $77.78 | $110.38 | $67.65 | 4,330 | 1.50 | 1.29 |
| Annual | $78,740 | $99,010 | $117,980 | $161,770 | $229,580 | $140,720 | ||||
Top industries employing education administrators, postsecondary
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools employ 80.0% of education administrators, postsecondary nationally (144,420 jobs) at a median $105,010 a year ($50.49 an hour), followed by Junior Colleges (15.1%) and Technical and Trade Schools (2.3%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools NAICS 611300 | 144,420 | 80.0% | $105,010 | $50.49 |
| Junior Colleges NAICS 611200 | 27,170 | 15.1% | $101,900 | $48.99 |
| Technical and Trade Schools NAICS 611500 | 4,220 | 2.3% | $95,890 | $46.10 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools NAICS 611100 | 930 | 0.5% | $125,050 | $60.12 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals NAICS 622100 | 870 | 0.5% | $132,390 | $63.65 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (180,470). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $96,910 for education administrators, postsecondary in May 2021 and $104,590 in May 2025, with employment of 155,990 and 180,470.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $96,910 | $46.59 | 155,990 |
| May 2022 | $99,940 | $48.05 | 167,060 |
| May 2023 | $102,610 | $49.33 | 167,270 |
| May 2024 | $103,960 | $49.98 | 176,420 |
| May 2025 | $104,590 | $50.29 | 180,470 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
51 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York profile | $67.14 | $139,640 | $87,240 | $278,010 | 7,280 | 0.75 | 0.65 |
| 2 | New Jersey profile | $63.25 | $131,570 | $84,060 | $224,550 | 4,100 | 0.96 | 0.82 |
| 3 | Massachusetts profile | $62.01 | $128,970 | $79,040 | $228,410 | 9,120 | 2.51 | 2.16 |
| 4 | Delaware profile | $61.81 | $128,570 | $82,640 | $331,850 | 360 | 0.75 | 0.65 |
| 5 | Wyoming profile | $61.52 | $127,960 | $85,770 | $174,170 | 120 | 0.43 | 0.37 |
| 6 | Washington profile | $61.36 | $127,630 | $85,770 | $220,610 | 2,140 | 0.60 | 0.52 |
| 7 | South Dakota profile | $60.65 | $126,160 | $86,610 | $228,660 | 240 | 0.52 | 0.45 |
| 8 | California profile | $60.32 | $125,460 | $76,700 | $216,480 | 14,870 | 0.82 | 0.70 |
| 9 | Wisconsin profile | $60.08 | $124,960 | $78,890 | $198,850 | 1,190 | 0.40 | 0.35 |
| 10 | Connecticut profile | $59.22 | $123,190 | $75,050 | $220,570 | 2,100 | 1.24 | 1.07 |
| 11 | Virginia profile | $58.10 | $120,840 | $68,000 | $234,300 | ** | ** | ** |
| 12 | Oregon profile | $57.75 | $120,110 | $75,020 | $229,730 | 2,790 | 1.42 | 1.22 |
| 13 | Maryland profile | $56.99 | $118,550 | $67,750 | $228,880 | ** | ** | ** |
| 14 | Colorado profile | $56.94 | $118,440 | $80,740 | $239,370 | 1,770 | 0.62 | 0.53 |
| 15 | Kentucky profile | $54.96 | $114,310 | $77,630 | $230,220 | 890 | 0.45 | 0.38 |
| 16 | Georgia profile | $52.98 | $110,200 | $72,910 | $230,780 | 2,890 | 0.59 | 0.51 |
| 17 | Kansas profile | $52.90 | $110,020 | $62,750 | $227,000 | 1,760 | 1.22 | 1.05 |
| 18 | New Mexico profile | $52.64 | $109,480 | $76,820 | $178,830 | 1,160 | 1.34 | 1.15 |
| 19 | Michigan profile | $52.16 | $108,500 | $62,420 | $236,640 | 5,110 | 1.16 | 1.00 |
| 20 | District of Columbia profile | $51.63 | $107,390 | $77,260 | $246,220 | 1,880 | 2.68 | 2.31 |
| 21 | Rhode Island profile | $51.21 | $106,520 | $75,370 | $216,270 | 1,140 | 2.28 | 1.97 |
| 22 | Oklahoma profile | $50.88 | $105,830 | $59,390 | $231,490 | 1,700 | 0.99 | 0.86 |
| 23 | Minnesota profile | $50.36 | $104,740 | $78,140 | $176,270 | 2,110 | 0.72 | 0.62 |
| 24 | Missouri profile | $50.27 | $104,560 | $63,110 | $213,740 | 2,830 | 0.96 | 0.83 |
| 25 | Vermont profile | $50.22 | $104,450 | $68,530 | $226,460 | 550 | 1.80 | 1.55 |
| 26 | Texas profile | $50.19 | $104,390 | $66,860 | $215,450 | 16,660 | 1.18 | 1.02 |
| 27 | New Hampshire profile | $50.09 | $104,190 | $75,830 | $213,310 | 920 | 1.35 | 1.16 |
| 28 | Pennsylvania profile | $49.88 | $103,740 | $71,150 | $209,530 | 8,000 | 1.32 | 1.14 |
| 29 | Arizona profile | $49.65 | $103,280 | $65,300 | $213,610 | 5,140 | 1.59 | 1.37 |
| 30 | Alaska profile | $49.56 | $103,080 | $74,820 | $155,670 | 80 | 0.24 | 0.21 |
| 31 | Montana profile | $49.51 | $102,980 | $66,940 | $174,190 | 300 | 0.58 | 0.50 |
| 32 | North Dakota profile | $48.84 | $101,600 | $64,420 | $233,160 | 600 | 1.39 | 1.20 |
| 33 | Idaho profile | $48.66 | $101,200 | $62,260 | $169,370 | 870 | 1.02 | 0.88 |
| 34 | North Carolina profile | $48.59 | $101,060 | $64,490 | $185,140 | 7,390 | 1.50 | 1.29 |
| 35 | Tennessee profile | $48.49 | $100,850 | $65,000 | $224,710 | 2,680 | 0.82 | 0.70 |
| 36 | Utah profile | $48.28 | $100,420 | $50,670 | $218,010 | 2,320 | 1.33 | 1.15 |
| 37 | Alabama profile | $48.09 | $100,030 | $62,570 | $211,370 | 3,760 | 1.78 | 1.53 |
| 38 | Illinois profile | $47.97 | $99,770 | $62,270 | $172,540 | 9,530 | 1.56 | 1.35 |
| 39 | Louisiana profile | $47.52 | $98,840 | $61,880 | $214,270 | 3,670 | 1.90 | 1.64 |
| 40 | Indiana profile | $47.12 | $98,000 | $61,030 | $213,580 | 3,370 | 1.05 | 0.91 |
| 41 | Nebraska profile | $46.17 | $96,030 | $61,520 | $215,130 | 1,560 | 1.52 | 1.31 |
| 42 | South Carolina profile | $45.95 | $95,570 | $60,190 | $177,740 | 2,990 | 1.30 | 1.12 |
| 43 | Iowa profile | $42.94 | $89,320 | $59,960 | $174,270 | 2,510 | 1.61 | 1.39 |
| 44 | Nevada profile | $42.70 | $88,810 | $60,950 | $176,730 | 1,320 | 0.85 | 0.73 |
| 45 | Maine profile | $42.40 | $88,180 | $63,360 | $178,200 | 860 | 1.35 | 1.16 |
| 46 | Ohio profile | $42.01 | $87,370 | $59,990 | $177,930 | 6,880 | 1.24 | 1.07 |
| 47 | Mississippi profile | $41.63 | $86,590 | $50,590 | $219,180 | 2,230 | 1.91 | 1.65 |
| 48 | West Virginia profile | $40.70 | $84,660 | $53,160 | $198,330 | 1,520 | 2.17 | 1.87 |
| 49 | Florida profile | $40.31 | $83,840 | $63,240 | $153,610 | ** | ** | ** |
| 50 | Hawaii profile | $38.95 | $81,020 | $37,340 | $133,560 | 570 | 0.91 | 0.78 |
| 51 | Arkansas profile | $37.62 | $78,240 | $51,910 | $166,240 | 1,970 | 1.51 | 1.30 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (11-9030), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Management Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 11-9033 Education Administrators, Postsecondary.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 11-9033, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 11-9033.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.