Best-Paying Jobs in Education (May 2025 BLS Wage Data)
- The median wage across all jobs in educational services was $60,890 in May 2025, above the $50,980 median for all U.S. jobs.
- The sector employed about 13,852,050 wage and salary workers.
- Its best-paid large occupation was general internal medicine physicians, at a median of $269,110.
Pay depends on what you do and on who you do it for. This breakdown uses the BLS OEWS industry data, May 2025 (NAICS sector 61: Educational Services) to show which jobs pay best in education, which jobs are open to people without a four-year degree, and what the most common jobs pay. Education levels come from BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35.
Highest-paying jobs in the sector
Occupations with at least 5,000 jobs in the sector, ranked by median annual wage. The last column is the median for the same job across all industries (from the national cross-industry estimates).
| Occupation | Sector median | Jobs in sector | All-industry median |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | $269,110 | 6,710 | $256,560 |
| Chief Executives | $198,190 | 17,330 | $213,990 |
| Financial Managers | $134,410 | 30,890 | $166,570 |
| Human Resources Managers | $134,000 | 14,920 | $149,280 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $133,030 | 32,170 | $175,140 |
| Nurse Practitioners | $132,800 | 7,890 | $132,300 |
| Fundraising Managers | $129,520 | 12,760 | $125,470 |
| Medical and Health Services Managers | $129,510 | 10,810 | $123,860 |
| Law Teachers, Postsecondary | $128,500 | 20,060 | $128,500 |
| Economics Teachers, Postsecondary | $123,920 | 11,560 | $123,920 |
Best-paying jobs here without a bachelor’s degree
Occupations where BLS lists a high school diploma, certificate, some college or an associate’s degree as typical for entry:
| Occupation | Sector median | Jobs in sector | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial Pilots | $95,620 | 6,470 | Postsecondary nondegree award |
| Food Service Managers | $79,450 | 6,230 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers | $76,490 | 17,880 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel | $74,230 | 15,410 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants | $68,270 | 66,930 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Electricians | $68,060 | 9,340 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | $66,670 | 73,160 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters | $66,640 | 6,790 | High school diploma or equivalent |
The most common jobs in the sector
| Occupation | Median | Jobs | Share of sector jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,970 | 1,383,430 | 9.99% |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | $36,980 | 1,210,740 | 8.74% |
| Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | $72,170 | 1,060,270 | 7.65% |
| Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | $64,390 | 619,100 | 4.47% |
| Substitute Teachers, Short-Term | $42,900 | 420,230 | 3.03% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | $38,750 | 407,880 | 2.94% |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | $47,470 | 346,670 | 2.5% |
| Office Clerks, General | $39,880 | 325,490 | 2.35% |
What this means for your pay
- Same job, different industry, different pay. Compare the sector median with the all-industry median for your job. If your sector pays below the national figure, the same skills may earn more elsewhere.
- Medians, not starting pay. Half of workers earn more than the median and half less; new hires usually start lower.
- Base wages only. OEWS excludes overtime, tips and most bonuses, so jobs with heavy overtime often pay more in practice.
Published October 28, 2026. Sources are linked in the text.
Header image: original chart by JobPayRaise.com using BLS OEWS May 2025 data.
Comments (1)
For contrast, from the same survey: the lowest-paid occupation in this sector with at least 20,000 jobs was school bus monitors, at a median of $34,230 ($16.46 an hour) across 32,040 jobs. Source: BLS OEWS industry data, May 2025.
— JobPayRaise Data Desk