Education managers: average salary and pay in the UK
Full-time education managers in the UK earned a median £46,581 in the year to 5 April 2025, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE): 19% more than the £39,039 median for all full-time jobs.
What the figures show
That ranks 80th of 382 occupations on this measure.
The middle half of full-time jobs paid between £36,075 and £59,897.
Median full-time pay: women £44,295 a year, men £50,011 a year.
ASHE counts roughly 55,000 employee jobs, 87% full-time.
Since 2021 it has risen 13.2%, from £41,134, slower than the 25.0% for all jobs.
The Annual Population Survey counts 65,200 people in this line of work, 13% of them in South West.
Pay distribution, 2025 provisional
| Gross pay | Full-time, annual | Full-time, weekly | Full-time, hourly | All, annual | All, weekly | All, hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | £31,527 | £640.20 | £16.95 | £27,658 | £555.70 | £16.62 |
| 20th percentile | £34,778 | £714.00 | £19.53 | £32,630 | £663.80 | £19.44 |
| 25th percentile | £36,075 | £741.70 | £20.48 | £34,323 | £710.20 | £20.36 |
| 30th percentile | £38,933 | £782.80 | £21.28 | £36,005 | £740.50 | £21.02 |
| 40th percentile | £42,707 | £865.20 | £23.68 | £40,437 | £824.60 | £23.15 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £46,581 | £920.80 | £25.31 | £45,043 | £895.60 | £25.23 |
| 60th percentile | £49,504 | £971.20 | £26.53 | £48,347 | £951.10 | £26.48 |
| 70th percentile | £56,016 | £1,067.80 | £29.35 | £52,826 | £1,037.70 | £29.22 |
| 75th percentile | £59,897* | £1,139.50 | £31.73 | £58,360 | £1,114.10 | £31.65 |
| 80th percentile | £62,906* | £1,230.50 | £33.67* | £61,914* | £1,219.20 | £33.67 |
| Mean | £50,481 | £997.10 | £27.39 | £48,023 | £953.20 | £27.43 |
Pay since 2021
| ASHE year | Full-time, annual median | Full-time, weekly median | Full-time, hourly median | All, annual median | All, weekly median | Jobs (thousands, indicative) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 revised | £41,134 | £780.80 | £21.34 | £38,848 | £744.80 | 34 |
| 2022 revised | £40,324 | £794.40 | £22.32 | £38,638 | £775.90 | 45 |
| 2023 revised | £40,705 | £834.70 | £23.26 | £39,488 | £807.90 | 49 |
| 2024 revised | £43,794 | £866.50 | £23.66 | £42,320 | £843.30 | 59 |
| 2025 provisional | £46,581 | £920.80 | £25.31 | £45,043 | £895.60 | 55 |
Education managers by region
UK: 65,200 (± 9,900), April 2025 to March 2026. 11 of the 12 regions and nations have samples too small to publish.
| Region or nation | People in employment | 95% confidence interval |
|---|---|---|
| South West | 8,500* | ± 3,300 |
Annual Population Survey (Nomis)
What education managers do
Education managers plan, organise, direct and co-ordinate the administration, support systems and activities that facilitate the effective running of a school, university, college or other educational establishment. (ONS SOC 2020, 2322)
Also covers: business school manager, dean (further education), provost (higher education, university), registrar (educational establishments), vice chancellor (university), academic director, academic manager, academic registrar, administrative manager, admissions manager, centre manager, curriculum manager, education manager, programme manager, school manager, vice chancellor, vice principal and chief operating officer (25 titles in the ONS coding index).
- Considers staffing, financial, material and other short- and long-term needs
- Provides administrative support to the academic team
- Leads or contributes to decision making processes regarding curricula, budgetary, disciplinary and other matters
- Controls administrative aspects of student admission, registration and graduation
- Acts as secretary to statutory and other bodies/committees associated with the educational establishment
- Drafts and interprets regulations, deals with queries and complaints procedures and coordinates and maintains quality assurance procedures
Job holders will usually hold a degree, and some academic posts will require a degree. Significant professional experience will be needed for some roles. Relevant vocational qualifications at up to level 4 are also available. A DBS check may be required.
Related
Other educational professionals (median £49,164) · Head teachers and principals · Education advisers and school inspectors · salary percentile · UK real pay growth · Median
ASHE Table 14: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · coding index · notes · 15 October 2026