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Education Administrators, Postsecondary

Education Administrators, Postsecondary: Job Description

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.

What Do Education Administrators, Postsecondary Take On?

The core tasks performed by education administrators, postsecondary include:

  • 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.
  • Formulate strategic plans for the institution.
  • Establish operational policies and procedures and make any necessary modifications, based on analysis of operations, demographics, and other research information.
  • Provide assistance to faculty and staff in duties such as teaching classes, conducting orientation programs, issuing transcripts, and scheduling events.

Key Skills and Knowledge

Successful education administrators, postsecondary draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.

Most Important Skills

The competencies that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Critical Thinking  4.1 / 5
0
5
Reading Comprehension  4.1 / 5
0
5
Instructing  4.0 / 5
0
5
Time Management  4.0 / 5
0
5
Writing  4.0 / 5
0
5
Speaking  4.0 / 5
0
5

Knowledge Areas

English Language  4.3 / 5
0
5
Administration and Management  4.2 / 5
0
5
Education and Training  4.1 / 5
0
5
Customer and Personal Service  4.1 / 5
0
5
Personnel and Human Resources  3.4 / 5
0
5
Administrative  3.3 / 5
0
5

Other Education Administrators, Postsecondary Job Titles

This career also goes by job titles like:

  • Academic Affairs Dean
  • Academic Affairs Director
  • Academic Affairs Vice President (Academic Affairs VP)
  • Academic Coordinator
  • Academic Dean
  • Academic Vice President (Academic VP)
  • Administration Dean
  • Admissions Coordinator

Employment and Demand

There are about 241,277 education administrators, postsecondary working in the United States today. This occupation is expected to decline by -1.7% over the projection horizon.

Forecasted number of jobs for Education Administrators, Postsecondary

Salary for Education Administrators, Postsecondary

Statistic Value
Annual median $161,927
Hourly median $77.85
10th percentile $95,589
25th percentile $128,758
75th percentile $195,097
90th percentile $228,266

Compensation varies based on experience, location, and industry.

Salary ranges for Education Administrators, Postsecondary

How Much Do Education Administrators, Postsecondary Make in Different U.S. States?

State Annual median salary
Alaska $147,190
Wisconsin $137,400
New York $136,170
Delaware $135,610
New Jersey $130,520
Maryland $125,730
California $123,840
Massachusetts $122,970
Wyoming $113,160
Washington $110,310
Connecticut $109,700
Oregon $109,480
Virginia $108,750
New Hampshire $107,600
South Dakota $107,110
Rhode Island $107,070
Oklahoma $106,650
District of Columbia $106,530
Georgia $105,950
Kansas $105,870
Kentucky $105,660
New Mexico $105,350
Missouri $105,050
Michigan $104,920
Colorado $104,650
Tennessee $104,230
Montana $102,150
Texas $102,150
Arizona $102,080
Minnesota $101,700
Louisiana $101,660
Pennsylvania $100,320
Utah $100,110
North Carolina $99,910
North Dakota $99,690
Alabama $99,290
Vermont $98,750
Indiana $98,660
Idaho $98,270
Illinois $95,520
Hawaii $95,160
Nevada $88,880
Florida $87,470
Iowa $86,470
Nebraska $86,440
Mississippi $85,670
West Virginia $85,260
Maine $84,850
South Carolina $83,710
Ohio $82,640
Arkansas $79,020
Puerto Rico $76,930

Top-Paying U.S. Regions

Compensation for education administrators, postsecondary vary by region. The following regions pay the most:

Region Median annual wage Share of U.S. jobs Location quotient
Middle Atlantic $118,741 12.3% 0.99
Far Western US $118,497 13.2% 0.77
New England $115,662 9.1% 1.95
Southwest $102,547 15.3% 1.17
Rocky Mountains $101,754 3.4% 0.91
Plains States $98,092 7.3% 1.08
Great Lakes $95,711 15.3% 1.13
Southeast $94,001 23.6% 1.14

Where the Jobs Cluster

Metro area State Median annual wage Employment
Binghamton, NY NY $180,760 50
Lansing-East Lansing, MI MI $177,670 450
Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC GA $170,460 190
Napa, CA CA $163,380 30
Salisbury, MD MD $141,910 110
Merced, CA CA $140,160 50
Ann Arbor, MI MI $138,900 790
Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI WI $137,560 340

Which Industries Hire Education Administrators, Postsecondary

The bulk of education administrators, postsecondary are found across these industries:

Industry Employment Median annual wage
Educational Services 174,160 $103,840
Health Care and Social Assistance 1,320 $146,470
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 90 $146,980
Other Services (except Public Administration) 70 $98,490
Education Administrators, Postsecondary sectors

Education Administrators, Postsecondary work in the following industries:

Education Administrators, Postsecondary industries

Tools and Technology

  • Web page creation and editing software: Facebook (hot technology)
  • Word processing software: Google Docs (hot technology)
  • Web platform development software: Hypertext markup language HTML (hot technology)
  • Analytical or scientific software: IBM SPSS Statistics (hot technology)
  • Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access (hot technology)
  • Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
  • Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
  • Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
  • Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
  • Project management software: Microsoft Project (hot technology)
  • Document management software: Microsoft SharePoint (hot technology)
  • Process mapping and design software: Microsoft Visio (hot technology)

Work Environment

The work environment for education administrators, postsecondary tends to involve the following characteristics:

  • E-Mail
  • Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
  • Telephone Conversations
  • Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals
  • Freedom to Make Decisions

How to Become Education Administrators, Postsecondary

Typical education administrators, postsecondary positions require a doctoral or professional degree as the typical entry-level education. This career aligns with Extensive Preparation Needed (Job Zone 5), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.

Other Careers to Consider

Similar Occupations

Where to Study

Aspiring education administrators, postsecondary often complete programs in:

Education

5 programs across 1 majors

Sources

This profile draws on the following authoritative sources:

  • U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
  • BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
  • O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.

SOC code: 11-9033.00 (Education Administrators, Postsecondary).

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