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Postsecondary Education Administrator Salary in U.S.

The salary statistics of postsecondary education administrators are shown in Table 1. In the next few tables we compare the average salaries of postsecondary education administrators within different industry sectors and in the 50 states of the United States. The postsecondary education administrators annual salary statistics are from the national compensation survey conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2019 and published in April 2020 [1].

Table 1. Postsecondary Education Administrator Salary in U.S. (2019 survey)

Percentile BracketAverage Annual Salary
10th Percentile Wage
$55,320
25th Percentile Wage
$70,490
50th Percentile Wage
$95,410
75th Percentile Wage
$135,070
90th Percentile Wage
$194,090

Table 1 shows the average annual salary for postsecondary education administrators. The average annual salary for the 90th percentile (the top 10 percent of the highest paid) postsecondary education administrators is $194,090. The median annual salary (50th percentile) is $95,410. The average annual salary for the bottom 10 percent is $55,320. Take note that in the United States, the annual salary of the 90th percentile (the top 10 percent of the highest paid) is almost 250% higher than that of the bottom 10 percent.

Median salary trend (2012 to 2019)

The table and chart below show the trend of the median salary of postsecondary education administrators from 2012 to 2019.

YearMedian SalaryYearly Growth7-Year Growth
2019
$95,410
1.12% 9.35%
2018
$94,340
2.10% -
2017
$92,360
1.73% -
2016
$90,760
2.40% -
2015
$88,580
0.21% -
2014
$88,390
1.11% -
2013
$87,410
1.05% -
2012
$86,490
- -

Table 2. Postsecondary Education Administrator Salary by Industry Sector (2019 survey)

The average salaries of postsecondary education administrators in 7 major industry sectors are shown in Table 2. We note that the salaries vary considerably within different industry sectors. The highest paying industry sector for postsecondary education administrators occupations is the health care and social assistance sector with an annual salary $119,390. The lowest paying sector is the professional, scientific, and technical services sector (annual salary $81,550).

Industry Sector Median Annual Salary
Health Care and Social Assistance
$119,390
Management of Companies and Enterprises
$100,660
Educational Services
$95,360
Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services
$88,320
Federal, State, and Local Government
$86,730
Other Services (except Federal, State, and Local Government)
$82,320
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
$81,550

Table 3. Median Annual Wage of Postsecondary Education Administrators by States (2019 survey)

From the above tables we note that not only postsecondary education administrators salaries vary considerably based on one's education and experience, and the industry sectors, they also change considerably from state to state. In the following table we compare the median salary of postsecondary education administrators in all 50 states of the United States. We note that the median annual salaries range from $59,030 to $131,340. The highest paying state for postsecondary education administrators is New Jersey with a median annual salary of $131,340. The lowest paying state is Puerto Rico with a median annual salary of $59,030. For more salary information of postsecondary education administrators profession in a specific state, use the links in the table.

State Name Median Annual Salary
New Jersey
$131,340
New York
$126,630
California
$121,630
Maryland
$119,120
Hawaii
$118,790
Florida
$115,400
Delaware
$113,020
Wyoming
$111,670
Alaska
$105,080
Rhode Island
$103,820
North Dakota
$103,560
South Dakota
$102,920
Nevada
$102,410
Michigan
$98,670
Wisconsin
$98,540
Minnesota
$96,820
Virginia
$96,500
Pennsylvania
$96,080
Colorado
$95,390
Texas
$94,900
Georgia
$94,680
South Carolina
$93,960
North Carolina
$93,870
Oregon
$93,300
Ohio
$92,620
Nebraska
$92,490
Massachusetts
$92,300
Washington
$92,300
Arizona
$91,990
West Virginia
$91,450
Tennessee
$91,440
Alabama
$91,070
Kansas
$91,070
Arkansas
$89,760
District of Columbia
$89,450
Missouri
$89,410
Iowa
$88,690
Indiana
$88,640
Oklahoma
$87,230
Connecticut
$87,150
New Hampshire
$85,490
New Mexico
$83,560
Illinois
$82,460
Idaho
$82,430
Mississippi
$82,360
Montana
$81,380
Utah
$81,200
Louisiana
$78,940
Maine
$78,010
Kentucky
$76,580
Guam
$76,350
Vermont
$65,930
Puerto Rico
$59,030