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.

What you'd actually do

• 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.

How you get there

Typical entry-level education: Master's degree. Overall preparation: extensive preparation (Job Zone 5 of 5).

The feel of the work

The work splits time indoors and out; it rewards working independently. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)

Working for yourself

About 2.2% of education administrators, postsecondary are self-employed.

Who it tends to fit

This work tends to fit people who are people-focused, take-charge and organized and detail-focused.

Related careers

• Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary
• General and Operations Managers
• Facilities Managers
• Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers
• Education Administrators, All Other
• Administrative Services Managers

Quick questions

How much does a education administrators, postsecondary make?

The median pay is $50.29 per hour — roughly $104,500 a year, with the real range running from about $31.04/hr (10th percentile) to $103.66/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Do you need a degree to be a education administrators, postsecondary?

The typical entry-level education is: Master's degree. Overall preparation level: extensive preparation (Job Zone 5 of 5).

What does a education administrators, postsecondary actually do all day?

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.