Advance Your Career With One of These 6 Highest-Paying Master’s in Education Jobs

Do you want to level up your career in education and maximize your earning potential?

With the substantial increase in living costs and the continuing national trend of underpaying educators, pursuing a master's degree in education may be the next step to unlocking a higher-paying career while staying in the education field.

With the increasing availability of online graduate programs, you can have the flexibility to pursue your master's in education and work full time. Here is our list of the highest-paying jobs you can do with a master's in education.

Top 6 Highest-Paying Jobs With a Master's in Education

Earning a master's in education can unlock higher pay scales and allow educators to pursue elevated positions, such as instructional coordinator, school principal, and school superintendent.

These are some of the highest-paying jobs in education and their projected average growth rate.

1. School Superintendents — $144,940 per Year

• 2024 Median Annual Salary: $144,940
• Projected Job Growth Rate (2022-2032): Unavailable
• Top-Paying States: California, New York, Illinois, Texas

One career opportunity available to you with a master's in education is becoming a school district superintendent. As the superintendent, you would work in a school district's central office. Your responsibilities would include increasing student academic achievement across the district, supervising day-to-day operations, and managing the district's budget.

This career has great salary potential, especially if you are willing to move around to more competitive areas. Salaries differ regionally.

In Texas, for example, school superintendent salaries can range in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Superintendent's salaries in the state are also sometimes supplemented by benefits including insurance, pension contributions, and allowances for cars and housing.

2. Elementary, Middle, and High School Principals — $103,460 per Year

• 2023 Median Annual Salary: $103,460
• Projected Job Growth Rate (2022-2032): 1%
• Top-Paying States: Washington, New York, Connecticut, California, New Jersey

As the head principal of a K-12 school, you typically work year-round because you have a wide array of duties managing the students and school personnel of your building. Principals oversee the development and implementation of the curriculum, class schedules, and the counseling and discipline of students.

You also establish school morale and observe and evaluate staff performance. As a principal in a larger school, you may also have assistant principals who help you carry out some of these duties.

Many educators choose to pursue a master's in educational administration to become a principal. One bonus to this career path is that immediately after graduating with your master's degree and fulfilling your state's various requirements for licensure, you become eligible to apply for a principal job.

The average salary for a K-12 principal is $111,020 with states like New York and California at the higher end of the salary scale.

3. Postsecondary Education Administrators — $102,610 per Year

• 2023 Median Annual Salary: $102,610
• Projected Job Growth Rate (2022-2032): 4%
• Top-Paying States: New York, Delaware, New Jersey, District of Columbia, Utah

A postsecondary education administrator helps run educational institutions like colleges and universities. The projected 4% job growth rate is on par with the average rate for all U.S. occupations.

When working in a top-paying state like New Jersey, administrators can earn an average annual salary of $148,560. With New York administrators averaging $166,500 per year, it's easy to see why many educators are enticed to enroll in graduate school.

Duties as a postsecondary education administrator include helping to oversee academics and faculty research. Other sought-out positions for those who hold this master's degree are working as an institution's registrar or a department's academic dean.

Generally, a postsecondary education administrator needs only a master's degree. Upper-level positions in postsecondary education may require further studies. You may need to obtain a doctorate in educational administration depending on the institution.

4. Postsecondary Teachers — $84,380 per Year

• 2023 Median Annual Salary: $84,380
• Projected Job Growth Rate (2022-2032): 8%
• Top-Paying States: Varies by subject taught

Postsecondary teachers who decide to teach subject-specific courses at the collegiate level can pursue career opportunities across the nation. The projected 8% job growth rate for postsecondary teachers is double the average rate for all U.S. occupations.

To teach in this setting, a postsecondary teacher typically must have a master's degree in the subject they are teaching. If you hold a master of education (M.Ed.), you can pursue teaching positions in introductory education courses at a college or university.

Due to the high demand, graduates with a master's degree in specific content areas earn a median annual salary of $84,380 as a full-time faculty member. The salary is even more attractive for those who wish to become a full-time professor on a tenure track. Some positions may require a doctoral degree.

5. Instructional Coordinators — $74,620 per Year

• 2023 Median Annual Salary: $74,620
• Projected Job Growth Rate (2022-2032): 2%
• Top-Paying States: District of Columbia, California, Connecticut, Maryland, Washington

With a master's degree in education, you may want to consider becoming an instructional coordinator. For an institution to consider you for this role, you can also get a master's in curriculum and instruction.

As an instructional coordinator, you will oversee curriculum and teaching standards, design and implement instructional material, and determine its efficacy for elementary and secondary schools, colleges, or state and local governments.

Depending on the institution, you may oversee multiple subject areas or be asked to target an area that requires restructuring. With an average national salary of $77,200 annually, pursuing an M.Ed. seems worth the two-year investment for some job seekers.

The high demand for instructional coordinators is likely to help address educational gaps brought on by years of remote learning with targeted intervention and support for personnel. Due to the current teacher shortage, your focus may not only be on the new first-year teacher but also on the experienced teacher who has also had to take on additional roles to meet staffing needs.

6. School and Career Counselors and Advisors — $61,710 per Year

• 2023 Median Annual Salary: $61,710
• Projected Job Growth Rate (2022-2032): 5%
• Top-Paying States: California, Washington, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Maryland

A rewarding position you can also qualify for with a master's in education is a school counselor or career advisor. As a school counselor, you will help students further develop their academic and social skills.

As a career counselor or advisor, you can assist students as they create a roadmap for their future, helping them begin the pursuit of their employment goals. Career advisors also work in private practices and at career centers.

The projected growth rate is higher than the national average for all U.S. occupations. Part of this may be due to the impact the pandemic has had on students and the workforce.

Many people are seeking help in reevaluating their career goals and choices and their work/life balance. With this demand, school and career counselors and advisors earn on average a salary of $66,990 per year as of May 2023.

Note: The insights on this page — excluding school descriptions — were reviewed by an independent third party compensated for their time by BestColleges. Page last reviewed April 15, 2024.