Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary
Plan, direct, or coordinate the academic, administrative, or auxiliary activities of kindergarten, elementary, or secondary schools.
Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary plan, direct, or coordinate the academic, administrative, or auxiliary activities of kindergarten, elementary, or secondary schools. The role reports a median annual salary of $104,070 in the US with the middle 80% earning between $65,980 and $159,380 and is showing modest growth of -2% over the next decade. Entry typically requires a Master's degree, and shows moderate AI exposure (0.49 on a 0-1 scale) — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. The most in-demand skills for the role include Active Listening, Speaking, Critical Thinking, Social Perceptiveness, Coordination.
Salary distribution (US)
Real salary data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The p10–p90 spread tells you more than the median alone.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £72,192 a year for Head teachers and principals (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
Middle half of full-time jobs: £59,307 to £83,623 a year
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 2321). ONS rates this estimate precise. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)
Pay in India (occupation group)
Average monthly earnings of salaried employees in the occupation group “Managers” in India, from the Government of India's Periodic Labour Force Survey (January–December 2025). It covers everyone in this group, not only Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary, and it is not US pay converted to rupees.
Source: MoSPI (Government of India), Periodic Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2025, Table 51 — average wage/salary earnings of regular wage/salaried employees, NCO-2015 division 1. Official India data gives one average per occupation group: there are no official India figures for single careers, experience levels or cities. Read the report
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- Education and Training
- Administration and Management
- English Language
- Personnel and Human Resources
- Psychology
- Customer and Personal Service
- Law and Government
- Mathematics
A day in the life
You arrive before the first buses and start the day greeting students at the entrance, setting the tone for a positive school climate. By mid-morning you are observing a teacher's classroom lesson and writing feedback notes, then pivoting to a budget meeting with the district office about next year's staffing allocations. Lunch is spent walking the cafeteria and hallways, being visible and approachable for students and staff. Afternoons might include mediating a parent concern, reviewing discipline referrals, leading a professional development session for teachers, or planning a school improvement initiative based on state test data. The job is a nonstop marathon of decisions big and small, and the reward is shaping a school culture where every student and teacher can thrive.
Illustrative: one typical day. Real days vary by employer and seniority.
What you'd actually do
- Counsel and provide guidance to students regarding personal, academic, vocational, or behavioral issues.
- Confer with parents and staff to discuss educational activities, policies, and student behavior or learning problems.
- Determine the scope of educational program offerings, and prepare drafts of course schedules and descriptions to estimate staffing and facility requirements.
- Observe teaching methods and examine learning materials to evaluate and standardize curricula and teaching techniques and to determine areas for improvement.
- Collaborate with teachers to develop and maintain curriculum standards, develop mission statements, and set performance goals and objectives.
- Enforce discipline and attendance rules.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary do?
Plan, direct, or coordinate the academic, administrative, or auxiliary activities of kindergarten, elementary, or secondary schools.
What does a typical day look like in Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary?
You arrive before the first buses and start the day greeting students at the entrance, setting the tone for a positive school climate. By mid-morning you are observing a teacher's classroom lesson and writing feedback notes, then pivoting to a budget meeting with the district office about next year's staffing allocations. Lunch is spent walking the cafeteria and hallways, being visible and approachable for students and staff.
How much does Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary earn?
The median annual salary for Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary in the US is $104,070. The middle 80% of workers earn between $65,980 and $159,380 annually. Entry-to-mid-career earners typically fall between $82,090 and $130,600.
What is the job outlook for Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary?
The role is showing modest growth of -2% over the next decade. Current US employment is approximately 333,300 workers.
How do I become education administrators, kindergarten through secondary?
The typical entry education is a Master's degree. Building a foundation in the top skills below will strengthen your application.
What skills does Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include Active Listening, Speaking, Critical Thinking, Social Perceptiveness, Coordination, Judgment and Decision Making. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary?
Our AI-durability model gives Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary a score of 0.49 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at moderate AI exposure — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. Learning to work with AI tools rather than against them is the path forward.
How hard is it to enter this field?
Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary has high barrier to entry — highly gated — a graduate degree or extended training/apprenticeship is typically required.