Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary Salary

SOC Code: 11-9032 • Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2024

Median Salary
$104,070
Mean Salary
$113,360
Employment
319,630
Entry Level (10th %ile)
$72,400
Top Earners (90th %ile)
$165,820

Pay Range Distribution

10th percentile
$72,400 25th percentile
$83,840 Median (50th)
$104,070 75th percentile
$132,550 90th percentile
$165,820

Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary Salary by State

StateMedianMeanEmploymentEntry (10th)Top (90th)
Washington$161,090$154,2106,310$108,600$182,870
California$151,890$147,61033,400$100,140$198,090
Connecticut$146,460$144,9304,450$84,300$186,980
New York$137,870$142,39019,300$85,710$198,820
New Jersey$137,260$144,26011,060$103,230$180,490
District of Columbia$133,720$139,4801,880$99,660$177,600
Delaware$129,890$127,1201,080$97,440$150,000
Oregon$129,020$124,7404,090$76,300$163,380
Maryland$127,620$126,5206,420$78,500$166,570
Massachusetts$127,570$126,63010,360$81,700$164,520
Utah$124,650$119,8802,810$76,710$157,540
Alaska$123,630$120,600880$100,040$149,020
Minnesota$122,910$118,1904,250$77,040$160,540
Rhode Island$117,810$118,7601,250$82,790$152,420
Wisconsin$109,240$112,9603,220$81,160$139,100
Nebraska$109,020$113,8301,840$81,780$137,530
Illinois$108,560$116,05015,050$73,670$165,130
Colorado$106,640$113,7905,500$79,960$154,960
Nevada$105,290$102,7102,420$53,570$143,270
North Dakota$104,990$111,220750$79,750$141,800
Pennsylvania$104,460$112,32013,110$74,210$159,110
Wyoming$104,030$104,770420$79,590$128,060
Michigan$103,340$104,3809,170$72,460$130,800
Hawaii$103,090$105,7002,390$60,260$152,860
Virginia$102,860$110,3307,990$78,280$151,040
Iowa$102,810$111,3303,310$70,370$155,210
New Hampshire$102,530$103,6301,540$79,680$126,400
Georgia$101,890$104,3407,560$78,990$131,730
New Mexico$101,870$103,5702,090$79,280$129,180
Vermont$100,610$102,070990$62,910$131,840
Maine$100,210$100,5501,580$77,600$124,650
South Carolina$100,050$101,3705,110$70,590$133,570
Ohio$99,880$99,47011,390$60,600$131,090
Indiana$98,950$99,2606,160$65,670$132,030
Missouri$98,600$100,1107,410$65,000$131,170
Idaho$98,020$95,4001,590$64,590$125,210
Montana$97,380$96,430810$63,990$126,280
Kansas$97,000$94,5802,460$72,260$123,130
Alabama$96,380$94,040N/A$72,690$121,300
Kentucky$93,850$95,4704,760$67,330$131,540
Arizona$90,490$93,2805,360$61,550$125,100
Tennessee$89,470$95,7606,130$67,090$130,470
Florida$87,780$94,62015,900$57,220$129,430
Texas$86,330$93,58035,900$70,520$124,540
Arkansas$86,010$89,1802,580$69,280$108,080
South Dakota$85,080$88,360700$68,770$105,470
Oklahoma$84,130$89,8204,200$62,910$121,240
Louisiana$83,730$88,7405,010$64,780$119,380
Mississippi$81,760$84,7103,080$64,660$103,680
North Carolina$81,310$87,38010,270$62,400$116,840
West Virginia$80,650$81,7701,350$54,650$98,960

Highest Paying Metro Areas

Metro AreaMedianMeanEmployment
Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA$171,470$156,720120
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$170,150$161,3303,250
Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT$165,490$161,2701,090
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$164,500$161,3801,810
Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA$162,250$159,600180
Kennewick-Richland, WA$161,370$153,450290
Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA$161,340$146,070240
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA$160,750$152,2103,430
Salinas, CA$159,590$152,430450
El Centro, CA$158,330$157,050190
Visalia, CA$158,230$152,310530
Bellingham, WA$157,700$144,300190
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$157,210$152,32020,840
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$156,670$146,8902,490
Modesto, CA$155,390$148,130470
Vallejo, CA$154,940$147,560360
Merced, CA$152,950$147,080270
Hanford-Corcoran, CA$152,850$146,090160
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA$152,840$144,610650
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA$152,010$144,850230

About Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary Salary Data

This data comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The median salary represents the midpoint — half of education administrators, kindergarten through secondarys earn more and half earn less. The 10th percentile represents entry-level pay, while the 90th percentile represents the highest earners in this occupation. Employment counts represent estimated total jobs in May 2024.

Understanding Salary Percentiles

Salary percentiles show how wages are distributed across workers in this occupation. The 10th percentile represents entry-level pay — only 10% earn less. The median (50th percentile) is the true midpoint of all wages. The 90th percentile reflects top earners, typically in senior roles or high-cost metro areas. A wide gap between the 10th and 90th percentiles indicates that experience, location, and specialization significantly affect pay.

Factors That Affect Pay

Several factors influence salary for this occupation. Location is one of the biggest — the same job can pay 50% more in a high-cost metro area like San Francisco or New York compared to a rural area. Experience matters significantly; workers at the 90th percentile typically have 10-20+ years in the field. Industry also plays a role — the same occupation often pays differently in finance, technology, healthcare, or government. Education and certifications can boost pay, especially in fields that require advanced degrees or specialized licenses.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between median and mean salary?

The median is the midpoint — half earn more, half earn less. The mean (average) is the total of all salaries divided by the number of workers. The median is generally more useful because it is not skewed by a small number of extremely high earners.

Do these figures include bonuses and benefits?

No. BLS OEWS data measures base wages and salaries only. It does not include bonuses, commissions, tips, overtime, stock options, health insurance, retirement contributions, or other benefits. Total compensation may be 20-40% higher than base salary.

How reliable is this data?

The BLS OEWS survey covers approximately 1.1 million business establishments across the U.S. and uses rigorous statistical sampling methods. It is considered one of the most reliable sources of occupational wage data available. Self-employed workers and certain agricultural positions are not included.

How often is this data updated?

The BLS publishes new OEWS data annually, typically in the spring for the previous May reference period. This page shows May 2024 data, the most recent release.