Education Administrators, Postsecondary
Also called: Academic Affairs Vice President (Academic Affairs VP), Academic Dean, Dean, RegistrarPlan, 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.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 17 of its 27 tasks, yet jobs are projected to grow 1.8% by 2035. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 1.4% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Education and childcare administrators”
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 7.8 hires for every 10 job openings in private educational services, which employs about 99% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.7.8 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $100,030 | $78,490 to $132,170 | 3,760 |
| Alaska | $103,080 | $84,870 to $133,190 | 80 |
| Arizona | $103,280 | $79,540 to $142,060 | 5,140 |
| Arkansas | $78,240 | $62,630 to $118,520 | 1,970 |
| California | $125,460 | $94,440 to $169,550 | 14,870 |
| Colorado | $118,440 | $86,490 to $171,380 | 1,770 |
| Connecticut | $123,190 | $92,230 to $169,560 | 2,100 |
| Delaware | $128,570 | $104,410 to $175,240 | 360 |
| District of Columbia | $107,390 | $83,270 to $172,300 | 1,880 |
| Florida | $83,840 | $78,110 to $104,780 | not published |
| Georgia | $110,200 | $86,740 to $161,550 | 2,890 |
| Guam | $79,080 | $64,150 to $102,560 | 40 |
| Hawaii | $81,020 | $56,810 to $102,250 | 570 |
| Idaho | $101,200 | $76,340 to $128,670 | 870 |
| Illinois | $99,770 | $76,830 to $128,420 | 9,530 |
| Indiana | $98,000 | $71,590 to $139,940 | 3,370 |
| Iowa | $89,320 | $67,480 to $129,320 | 2,510 |
| Kansas | $110,020 | $79,460 to $152,520 | 1,760 |
| Kentucky | $114,310 | $94,480 to $167,080 | 890 |
| Louisiana | $98,840 | $76,590 to $139,060 | 3,670 |
| Maine | $88,180 | $67,300 to $127,150 | 860 |
| Maryland | $118,550 | $87,800 to $166,910 | not published |
| Massachusetts | $128,970 | $96,080 to $171,900 | 9,120 |
| Michigan | $108,500 | $80,620 to $167,290 | 5,110 |
| Minnesota | $104,740 | $83,680 to $134,500 | 2,110 |
| Mississippi | $86,590 | $65,380 to $132,170 | 2,230 |
| Missouri | $104,560 | $81,040 to $156,650 | 2,830 |
| Montana | $102,980 | $81,270 to $137,470 | 300 |
| Nebraska | $96,030 | $75,330 to $133,660 | 1,560 |
| Nevada | $88,810 | $67,660 to $133,800 | 1,320 |
| New Hampshire | $104,190 | $79,330 to $155,860 | 920 |
| New Jersey | $131,570 | $104,350 to $169,760 | 4,100 |
| New Mexico | $109,480 | $84,980 to $141,230 | 1,160 |
| New York | $139,640 | $109,840 to $183,360 | 7,280 |
| North Carolina | $101,060 | $79,810 to $135,660 | 7,390 |
| North Dakota | $101,600 | $80,770 to $143,540 | 600 |
| Ohio | $87,370 | $64,850 to $127,880 | 6,880 |
| Oklahoma | $105,830 | $78,700 to $141,670 | 1,700 |
| Oregon | $120,110 | $86,010 to $174,630 | 2,790 |
| Pennsylvania | $103,740 | $82,500 to $142,160 | 8,000 |
| Puerto Rico | $80,410 | $48,120 to $107,170 | 910 |
| Rhode Island | $106,520 | $84,200 to $173,020 | 1,140 |
| South Carolina | $95,570 | $70,710 to $130,530 | 2,990 |
| South Dakota | $126,160 | $99,890 to $175,780 | 240 |
| Tennessee | $100,850 | $79,570 to $167,170 | 2,680 |
| Texas | $104,390 | $81,320 to $137,660 | 16,660 |
| Utah | $100,420 | $67,280 to $140,910 | 2,320 |
| Vermont | $104,450 | $80,640 to $142,050 | 550 |
| Virginia | $120,840 | $85,600 to $172,480 | not published |
| Washington | $127,630 | $102,340 to $167,850 | 2,140 |
| West Virginia | $84,660 | $65,840 to $129,510 | 1,520 |
| Wisconsin | $124,960 | $101,860 to $162,320 | 1,190 |
| Wyoming | $127,960 | $108,110 to $137,810 | 120 |
Nationally: $104,590. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 17 of its 27 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Not much | Participate in faculty and college committee activities. | Not published |
| AI alone | Establish operational policies and procedures and make any necessary modifications, based on analysis of operations, demographics, and other research information. | under 0.01% |
| AI + software | Prepare reports on academic or institutional data. | under 0.01% |
| Not much | Promote the university by participating in community, state, and national events or meetings, and by developing partnerships with industry and secondary education institutions. | Not published |
| AI + software | Design or use assessments to monitor student learning outcomes. | 0.01% |
| Not much | Represent institutions at community and campus events, in meetings with other institution personnel, and during accreditation processes. | Not published |
See all 27 tasks
| Not much | Recruit, hire, train, and terminate departmental personnel. | Not published |
| AI + software | Plan, administer, and control budgets, maintain financial records, and produce financial reports. | under 0.01% |
| Not much | Direct, coordinate, and evaluate the activities of personnel, including support staff engaged in administering academic institutions, departments, or alumni organizations. | Not published |
| AI alone | Advise students on issues such as course selection, progress toward graduation, and career decisions. | 0.41% |
| AI alone | Provide assistance to faculty and staff in duties such as teaching classes, conducting orientation programs, issuing transcripts, and scheduling events. | under 0.01% |
| AI alone | Develop curricula, and recommend curricula revisions and additions. | under 0.01% |
| AI alone | Direct activities of administrative departments, such as admissions, registration, and career services. | Not published |
| AI + software | Formulate strategic plans for the institution. | under 0.01% |
| AI + software | Consult with government regulatory and licensing agencies to ensure the institution's conformance with applicable standards. | Not published |
| Not much | Participate in student recruitment, selection, and admission, making admissions recommendations when required to do so. | Not published |
| Not much | Appoint individuals to faculty positions, and evaluate their performance. | Not published |
| AI alone | Confer with other academic staff to explain and formulate admission requirements and course credit policies. | Not published |
| Not much | Teach courses within their department. | under 0.01% |
| Not much | Review student misconduct reports requiring disciplinary action, and counsel students regarding such reports. | Not published |
| AI alone | Review registration statistics, and consult with faculty officials to develop registration policies. | Not published |
| AI alone | Direct and participate in institutional fundraising activities, and encourage alumni participation in such activities. | Not published |
| AI + software | Determine course schedules, and coordinate teaching assignments and room assignments to ensure optimum use of buildings and equipment. | Not published |
| Not much | Coordinate the production and dissemination of university publications, such as course catalogs and class schedules. | Not published |
| AI alone | Write grants to procure external funding, and supervise grant-funded projects. | Not published |
| AI alone | Plan and promote sporting events and social, cultural, and recreational activities. | Not published |
| AI alone | Direct scholarship, fellowship, and loan programs, performing activities such as selecting recipients and distributing aid. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 9 of the 27 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 27 tasks fall under 25 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Direct organizational operations, activities, or procedures | |||
| Coordinate activities with clients, agencies, or organizations | |||
| Advise others on educational or vocational matters | |||
| Communicate with others about operational plans or activities | |||
| Coordinate group, community, or public activities | |||
| Develop organizational policies, systems, or processes | |||
| Prepare schedules for services or facilities | |||
| Evaluate personnel capabilities or performance |
Show all 25 activities
| Perform recruiting or hiring activities | |||
| Teach academic or vocational subjects | |||
| Advise others on business or operational matters | |||
| Prepare documentation for contracts, applications, or permits | |||
| Monitor individual behavior or performance | |||
| Prepare reports of operational or procedural activities | |||
| Manage budgets or finances | |||
| Analyze data to improve operations | |||
| Prepare financial documents, reports, or budgets | |||
| Develop educational programs, plans, or procedures | |||
| Assess student capabilities, needs, or performance | |||
| Train others on operational or work procedures | |||
| Prepare proposals or grant applications | |||
| Assign work to others | |||
| Manage human resources activities | |||
| Supervise personnel activities | |||
| Serve on organizational committees |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- Advice or a recommendation28%
- A resume or job application23%
- A plan or strategy16%
- A document or report7%
- An explanation or answer6%
How they worked with Claude
35% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for education administrators, postsecondary specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 424,819 moves out
- 1 Postsecondary Teachers, All Other Very high +2.0% 6%
- 2 General and Operations Managers High +5.0% 6%
- 3 Chief Executives Very high +3.2% 5%
- 4 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 5%
- 5 Management Analysts Very high +10.1% 4%
Where people moved in from
of 497,652 moves in
- 1 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 4%
- 2 General and Operations Managers High +5.0% 4%
- 3 Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive Very high -6.0% 3%
- 4 Postsecondary Teachers, All Other Very high +2.0% 3%
- 5 Chief Executives Very high +3.2% 3%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 8% bachelor's
- 48% master's
- 37% research doctorate
- 7% post-doctoral training
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 40 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 1% less than high school
- 6% high school
- 8% some college
- 4% associate's
- 24% bachelor's
- 43% master's
- 5% professional degree
- 10% doctorate
Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Education and childcare administrators” · 11,183 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Education and childcare administrators”
9 programs, such as Educational Leadership and Administration, General, Educational, Instructional, and Curriculum Supervision and Higher Education/Higher Education Administration.
See all
- Educational Leadership and Administration, General
- Educational, Instructional, and Curriculum Supervision
- Higher Education/Higher Education Administration
- Community College Administration
- International School Administration/Leadership
- Clinical Research Coordinator
- Health Professions Education
- Nursing Education
- Research Administration
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
19.8% this occupation
45.3% all occupations
| By kind | This occupation | All occupations |
|---|---|---|
| a license | 4.4% | 19.1% |
| an educational certificate | <0.5% | 2.8% |
| a certification | not published |
Share of jobs whose employer requires it. BLS doesn't say which credential. How to read this
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeships: DOL's list of apprenticeable occupations doesn't include this one.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS
See it online, and explore any career: https://www.pathmosaic.com/card/11-9033.00