Management
Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary
Also called: Athletic Director, Curriculum and Instruction Superintendent, Curriculum Director, Elementary Principal
US median pay
$105,870
per year, 2025
Job growth 2025–35
-0.3%
declining
Openings a year (US)
20,600
343,800 employed
Typical entry education
Master's degree
Preparation 5/5 · Extensive preparation
What this job is
Plan, direct, or coordinate the academic, administrative, or auxiliary activities of kindergarten, elementary, or secondary schools.
What they do day to day
- 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.
- Observe teaching methods and examine learning materials to evaluate and standardize curricula and teaching techniques and to determine areas for improvement.
- Determine the scope of educational program offerings, and prepare drafts of course schedules and descriptions to estimate staffing and facility requirements.
- Enforce discipline and attendance rules.
- Recruit, hire, train, and evaluate primary and supplemental staff.
- Collaborate with teachers to develop and maintain curriculum standards, develop mission statements, and set performance goals and objectives.
- Set educational standards and goals, and help establish policies and procedures to carry them out.
- Evaluate curricula, teaching methods, and programs to determine their effectiveness, efficiency, and use, and to ensure compliance with federal, state, and local regulations.
- Plan and lead professional development activities for teachers, administrators, and support staff.
Skills and knowledge that matter most
Skills
- Judgment and Decision Making4.8/5
- Management of Personnel Resources4.1/5
- Systems Evaluation4.0/5
- Social Perceptiveness4.0/5
- Complex Problem Solving4.0/5
- Time Management3.9/5
- Service Orientation3.9/5
- Persuasion3.9/5
Knowledge
- Education and Training4.6/5
- Administration and Management4.2/5
- English Language4.0/5
- Customer and Personal Service3.5/5
- Psychology3.3/5
- Administrative3.3/5
Importance rated by people working in the job (1 = not important, 5 = extremely important).
Education and preparation
Preparation level 5 of 5 — Extensive preparation. Usually a graduate degree (master's, PhD, MD, JD) and extensive experience.
Typical entry education (BLS): Master's degree, plus 5 years or more of related work experience.
Who this job suits
Mostly Social
Helping, teaching and caring for people
Enterprising
Leading, persuading and starting things
Conventional
Organising data, details and procedures
Based on the Holland (RIASEC) interest profile for this occupation.