Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary: Salary, Job Outlook & How to Become One (2026 Parent Guide)

Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary fall under the Management category in the U.S. occupational classification. Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary earn a median salary of $104,070 per year, ranking in the top 10% of all U.S. occupations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects -1.5% job growth through 2034, projected to lose jobs through 2034. Entry into this field typically requires a bachelor's degree, with specific licensing or certification depending on the state and employer. For parents whose teenager is exploring this path, the most actionable step is mapping the education requirements to specific colleges and majors before junior year — not waiting until application season.

What do education administrators, kindergarten through secondary earn?

The median annual wage for education administrators, kindergarten through secondary is $104,070. That puts education administrators, kindergarten through secondary at #85 on the BLS ranked list of all U.S. occupations by median pay. Pay at this level is well above the U.S. median household income, signaling sustained demand and meaningful credential requirements. Actual pay varies meaningfully by state, employer type, and years of experience — entry-level salaries are typically 30–40% below the median, while top-decile earners often exceed it by 50% or more.

Is education administrators, kindergarten through secondary a growing career?

The 10-year outlook for education administrators, kindergarten through secondary is -1.5%, projected to lose jobs through 2034. Employment is projected to move from approximately 333K positions in 2024 to 328K in 2034, a net change of -5K. A declining outlook does not mean the field is disappearing; it means automation, demographics, or substitution effects are shrinking the pool of openings. Students entering a declining field should plan for adjacent skills that transfer to growing roles.

What do education administrators, kindergarten through secondary do every day?

According to O*NET task surveys of working education administrators, kindergarten through secondary, these are the core responsibilities most professionals perform. This is what your teen would actually be doing in this role.

1. 1.Recruit, hire, train, and evaluate primary and supplemental staff.
2. 2.Plan and lead professional development activities for teachers, administrators, and support staff.
3. 3.Set educational standards and goals, and help establish policies and procedures to carry them out.
4. 4.Evaluate curricula, teaching methods, and programs to determine their effectiveness, efficiency, and use, and to ensure compliance with federal, state, and local regulations.
5. 5.Create school improvement plans, using student performance data.
6. 6.Prepare, maintain, or oversee the preparation and maintenance of attendance, activity, planning, or personnel reports and records.
7. 7.Coordinate and direct extracurricular activities and programs, such as after-school events and athletic contests.
8. 8.Confer with parents and staff to discuss educational activities, policies, and student behavior or learning problems.

Top skills for education administrators, kindergarten through secondary

O*NET ranks these as the most important skills for this occupation, on a 1–5 importance scale derived from worker surveys.

What education does my child need to become education administrators, kindergarten through secondary?

The standard path into education administrators, kindergarten through secondary begins with a bachelor's degree in a related field, followed by entry-level experience or internships during college. For parents helping a teen prepare, the highest-leverage step before junior year is identifying colleges and programs that feed reliably into this occupation — Solyo's college search lets parents filter by major and admissions data side by side.

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Common questions parents ask about education administrators, kindergarten through secondary