Career comparison
College Administrator vs. Education Professor
Side-by-side pay, training, growth and day-to-day duties to help you choose between two related careers.
College administrators earn more at the median ($104,590 vs. $75,350), while college administrators usually get to work faster (Master’s plus campus experience of training). College administrators run the offices that keep colleges and universities working. Education professors prepare future teachers and research how people learn.
Pay data: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Outlook: BLS 2025–35 · Checked October 15, 2026
| College Administrator | Education Professor | |
|---|---|---|
| Median pay | $104,590 ($50.29/hr) | $75,350 |
| Pay range (10th–90th) | $64,560 – $215,620 | $39,530 – $126,860 |
| Job growth, 2025–35 | +1.8% (slower than average) | +2.5% (about as fast as average) |
| Openings per year | 14,500 | 5,300 |
| Typical entry education | Master's degree | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Training time | Master’s plus campus experience | 8+ years including teaching |
| Key credential | Master’s in higher education | Ed.D. or Ph.D. |
| Work setting | Administrators work in campus offices, with meetings across campus.. | Faculty work in classrooms, K–12 schools and offices.. |
What each job does
College Administrator
- Manage a college office or division
- Set policies and procedures
- Oversee budgets
- Supervise staff
- Track enrollment and retention data
Education Professor
- Teach teacher preparation courses
- Supervise student teachers
- Conduct education research
- Partner with schools
- Advise students
How they’re similar
Both careers involve working with people and high-pay. Both are part of the education & childcare field, so many skills transfer between them.
Which should you choose?
Choose college administrator if…
- I love campus life
- I like managing people
- I’m organized
Choose education professor if…
- I’m an experienced teacher
- I want to train teachers
- I like research
Still torn? Take the College Administrator fit quiz and the Education Professor fit quiz, or the full Career Match Quiz.
Quick comparisons
Which pays more, college administrator or education professor?
College Administrators earn more at the median: $104,590 versus $75,350 for education professors, based on BLS May 2025 data.
Which takes less time to train for?
College Administrators typically train faster (Master’s plus campus experience) than education professors (8+ years including teaching).
Which career has better job growth?
BLS projects education professors to grow +2.5% from 2025–35, compared with +1.8% for college administrators.