Education Administrators, Postsecondary

Education and TrainingO*NET 11-9033.00United States

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.

COMING SOON See related ASU learning
Median annual earnings
$104,169

50th percentile, United States

Projected change
+6%

2025 to 2035

Typical education
Master's or Professional degree

47.9% of the workforce

Employment
237.83K jobs

Growing to 252.15K by 2035

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Build the skills

ASU learning related to this career

These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.

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The work

What education administrators, postsecondary do

Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.

  • 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.
  • Advise students on issues such as course selection, progress toward graduation, and career decisions.
  • Plan, administer, and control budgets, maintain financial records, and produce financial reports.
  • Provide assistance to faculty and staff in duties such as teaching classes, conducting orientation programs, issuing transcripts, and scheduling events.
  • Establish operational policies and procedures and make any necessary modifications, based on analysis of operations, demographics, and other research information.
  • Formulate strategic plans for the institution.
  • Prepare reports on academic or institutional data.
  • Represent institutions at community and campus events, in meetings with other institution personnel, and during accreditation processes.
  • Promote the university by participating in community, state, and national events or meetings, and by developing partnerships with industry and secondary education institutions.
  • Participate in faculty and college committee activities.

Pay and outlook

What the job pays and where it is heading

Annual earnings range

Reported earnings by percentile, United States

10th percentile
$64,131
25th percentile
$80,442
50th percentile
$104,169
75th percentile
$144,023
90th percentile
$215,542

The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $104,169 and half earn less.

Employment outlook

2025 to 2035 projection

+6%faster than average
2025237,828 jobs
2035 projected252,151 jobs

14,323 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.

Preparation

Education levels

What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.

Master's or Professional degree
47.9%
Doctoral degree or more
44.4%
Bachelor's degree
7.6%

Skills

Skills employers ask for

Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.

  • Student Services
  • Marketing
  • Fundraising
  • Higher Education
  • Customer Relationship Management
  • Continuous Improvement Process
  • Project Management
  • Enrollment Management
  • Student Engagement
  • Academic Affairs
  • Data Analysis
  • Sales Prospecting
  • Curriculum Development
  • Program Development
  • Student Information Systems
  • Event Planning
  • Auditing
  • Administrative Support
  • Workflow Management
  • Student Recruitment

How the work gets done

Core competencies

Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.

Reading Comprehension
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Critical Thinking
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Writing
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Speaking
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Monitoring
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Active Listening
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Instructing
Teaching others how to do something.
Time Management
Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Judgment and Decision Making
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Complex Problem Solving
Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Active Learning
Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Management of Personnel Resources
Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
Social Perceptiveness
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Learning Strategies
Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
Coordination
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Persuasion
Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Negotiation
Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
Service Orientation
Actively looking for ways to help people.
Systems Evaluation
Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
Systems Analysis
Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.

In the market

Job titles and employers

Recent job postings in United States

Common job titles

  1. 01Directors of Admissions2,514 postings
  2. 02Deans of Students1,579 postings
  3. 03Directors of Financial Aid770 postings
  4. 04Admissions Representatives659 postings
  5. 05Admissions Assistants513 postings
  6. 06Program Directors437 postings
  7. 07Directors of Alumni Engagement370 postings
  8. 08Registrars362 postings
  9. 09Admissions Advisors323 postings
  10. 10Admissions Coordinators321 postings
  11. 11Athletic Directors303 postings
  12. 12Academic Deans298 postings
  13. 13Campus Directors282 postings
  14. 14Admissions Associates278 postings
  15. 15Major Gifts Officers276 postings
  16. 16Directors of Student Engagement248 postings
  17. 17Academic Mentors229 postings
  18. 18Deans of Arts and Sciences229 postings
  19. 19Deans of Middle School226 postings
  20. 20Education Coordinators216 postings

Top employers

  1. 01Herc799 postings
  2. 02City Year228 postings
  3. 03Aya Healthcare223 postings
  4. 04Edjoin.Org202 postings
  5. 05Indiana University-Bloomington182 postings
  6. 06University of Chicago169 postings
  7. 07Pennsylvania State University159 postings
  8. 08University of Minnesota157 postings
  9. 09California State University-Chancellors Office154 postings
  10. 10University of Arkansas149 postings
  11. 11Ancora Education142 postings
  12. 12Action Behavior Centers140 postings
  13. 13Columbia University139 postings
  14. 14University of Florida137 postings
  15. 15New York University129 postings
  16. 16University of North Carolina129 postings
  17. 17Johns Hopkins University121 postings
  18. 18Southern New Hampshire University121 postings
  19. 19University of Tennessee119 postings
  20. 20Brevard Public Schools118 postings

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