Career Profile: Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary

Salary and Outlook

According to the US Department of Labor, there are 292,200 people employed as education administrators, kindergarten through secondary in the United States. The median annual salary is $98,420. Entry level employees earn approximately $61,480 per year and senior employees earn approximately $153,520 per year.

Estimates do not include other potential benefits such as health insurance, overtime, or retirement benefits that may be offered by employers.

Job Duties

• Recommend personnel actions related to programs and services.
• Review and approve new programs, or recommend modifications to existing programs, submitting program proposals for school board approval as necessary.
• Develop partnerships with businesses, communities, and other organizations to help meet identified educational needs and to provide school-to-work programs.
• Review and interpret government codes, and develop programs to ensure adherence to codes and facility safety, security, and maintenance.
• Determine allocations of funds for staff, supplies, materials, and equipment, and authorize purchases.
• Direct and coordinate school maintenance services and the use of school facilities.
• Organize and direct committees of specialists, volunteers, and staff to provide technical and advisory assistance for programs.
• Prepare, maintain, or oversee the preparation and maintenance of attendance, activity, planning, or personnel reports and records.
• Mentor and support administrative staff members, such as superintendents and principals.
• Establish, coordinate, and oversee particular programs across school districts, such as programs to evaluate student academic achievement.
• Coordinate and direct extracurricular activities and programs, such as after-school events and athletic contests.
• Advocate for new schools to be built, or for existing facilities to be repaired or remodeled.
• Plan, coordinate, and oversee school logistics programs, such as bus and food services.
• Teach classes or courses to students.
• Meet with federal, state, and local agencies to keep updated on policies and to discuss improvements for education programs.
• Write articles, manuals, and other publications, and assist in the distribution of promotional literature about facilities and programs.
• Collect and analyze survey data, regulatory information, and data on demographic and employment trends to forecast enrollment patterns and curriculum change needs.
• Evaluate curricula, teaching methods, and programs to determine their effectiveness, efficiency, and use, and to ensure that school activities comply with federal, state, and local regulations.
• Observe teaching methods and examine learning materials to evaluate and standardize curricula and teaching techniques, and to determine areas where improvement is needed.
• Counsel and provide guidance to students regarding personal, academic, vocational, or behavioral issues.
• Collaborate with teachers to develop and maintain curriculum standards, develop mission statements, and set performance goals and objectives.
• Direct and coordinate activities of teachers, administrators, and support staff at schools, public agencies, and institutions.
• Recruit, hire, train, and evaluate primary and supplemental staff.
• Confer with parents and staff to discuss educational activities, policies, and student behavioral or learning problems.
• Enforce discipline and attendance rules.
• Create school improvement plans by using student performance data.
• Set educational standards and goals, and help establish policies and procedures to carry them out.
• Plan and lead professional development activities for teachers, administrators, and support staff.
• Participate in special education-related activities, such as attending meetings and providing support to special educators throughout the district.
• Plan and develop instructional methods and content for educational, vocational, or student activity programs.
• Determine the scope of educational program offerings, and prepare drafts of course schedules and descriptions to estimate staffing and facility requirements.
• Prepare and submit budget requests and recommendations, or grant proposals to solicit program funding.

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