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Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary vs Education Administrators, Postsecondary: what changes?

Consider Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary if you want to plan, direct, or coordinate the academic, administrative, or auxiliary activities of kindergarten, elementary, or secondary schools. Consider Education Administrators, Postsecondary if you would rather 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…. Both list master's degree; compare training and prior experience separately. Prior experience in a related occupation is typically needed for Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary (5 years or more) and Education Administrators, Postsecondary (less than 5 years).

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary and Education Administrators, Postsecondary. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences
What this means in practice

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Start with earnings, the route into the job, training, available openings, and a day-to-day reality.

Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary

National median pay (2025)
$105,870
Route into the job
Master's degree; Prior related experience: 5 years or more
Prior related experience
Prior related experience: 5 years or more.
Training and licensing
BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate
Counsel and provide guidance to students regarding personal, academic, vocational, or behavioral issues.
Annual openings (2025–2035)
20,600
Know before you choose

BLS lists 5 years or more of related experience. This is normally reached through feeder roles, not directly from school.

See the full Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary brief

Education Administrators, Postsecondary

National median pay (2025)
$104,590
Route into the job
Master's degree; Prior related experience: less than 5 years
Prior related experience
Prior related experience: less than 5 years.
Training and licensing
BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate
Design or use assessments to monitor student learning outcomes.
Annual openings (2025–2035)
14,500
Know before you choose

BLS lists less than 5 years of related experience. This is normally reached through feeder roles, not directly from school.

See the full Education Administrators, Postsecondary brief
See scores, detailed data, and how the comparison works

How the national numbers differ

1

Education Administrators, Postsecondary has the edge on projected growth

Education Administrators, Postsecondary is at 1.8% projected growth, compared with -0.3% projected growth for Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary.

2

Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary has the edge on annual openings

Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary is at 20,600 annual openings, compared with 14,500 annual openings for Education Administrators, Postsecondary.

3

National pay benchmarks are very similar.

Compare actual offers, expected paid hours, schedule, and benefits before treating either career as the higher-paying option.

57.1/ 100

Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary

vs
58.4/ 100

Education Administrators, Postsecondary

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence

Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary vs Education Administrators, Postsecondary

DimensionEducation Administrators, Kindergarten through SecondaryEducation Administrators, Postsecondary
Median pay (2025)$105,870$104,590
Pay percentile86.5 percentile85.4 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)-0.3%1.8%
Annual openings (2025–2035)20,60014,500
2025 employment343,800231,800
How you qualifyMaster's degree; Prior related experience: 5 years or moreMaster's degree; Prior related experience: less than 5 years
O*NET preparation groupJob Zone 5Job Zone 5
Related work experiencePrior related experience: 5 years or more.Prior related experience: less than 5 years.
On-the-job trainingBLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.

The table reports national benchmarks and reviewed work descriptions. It does not rate personal suitability, job security, or physical safety.