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The U.S. Department of Education provides various career paths with salaries that reflect the significance of education in our society. In 2025, the average salary across all positions stands at $57,710, which varies significantly depending on role, department, and location.
Some of the top-paying positions include roles in policy analysis, educational program management, and administrative leadership. For instance, individuals in senior management positions may earn significantly more, enhancing their earning potential.
Geographic location also influences salary. For example, those working in metropolitan areas often receive higher compensation compared to rural settings. Understanding these factors can help job seekers make informed decisions.
Furthermore, salaries differ by department. Administrative and policy-related roles typically command higher salaries, reflecting the complexity and responsibility associated with these positions.
The highest paying jobs at U.S. Department of Education are director, general counsel, senior attorney, and staff attorney. Director jobs at U.S. Department of Education earn an average yearly salary of $137,034, U.S. Department of Education general counsel jobs average $136,863, and U.S. Department of Education senior attorney jobs average $114,018.
The lowest paying U.S. Department of Education roles include volunteer and collections representative. U.S. Department of Education volunteer average salary is $27,003 per year. So while the average U.S. Department of Education salary is $57,710 there is a big variation in pay depending on the role.
| Rank | Job title | Average U.S. Department of Education salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Director | $137,034 | $65.88 |
| 2 | General Counsel | $136,863 | $65.80 |
| 3 | Senior Attorney | $114,018 | $54.82 |
| 4 | Staff Attorney | $101,496 | $48.80 |
| 5 | Principal Investigator | $99,709 | $47.94 |
| 6 | Subject Matter Expert | $98,233 | $47.23 |
| 7 | Legal Extern | $97,512 | $46.88 |
| 8 | Adjunct Professor | $97,110 | $46.69 |
| 9 | Business Instructor | $96,234 | $46.27 |
| 10 | Policy Advisor | $95,406 | $45.87 |
| 11 | Assistant Professor | $90,136 | $43.33 |
| 12 | Program Management Analyst | $88,588 | $42.59 |
| 13 | Operations Manager | $79,894 | $38.41 |
| 14 | Project Manager | $78,402 | $37.69 |
| 15 | Molecular Biologist | $76,434 | $36.75 |
| 16 | Programming Specialist | $76,196 | $36.63 |
| 17 | Quality Assurance Analyst | $75,640 | $36.37 |
| 18 | Senior Agent | $74,729 | $35.93 |
| 19 | Physical Scientist | $74,334 | $35.74 |
| 20 | Research Microbiologist | $73,471 | $35.32 |
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U.S. Department of Education pays the highest salaries in District of Columbia due to higher costs of living and competition in the state.
| Rank | State | Average U.S. Department of Education salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $70,226 | $33.76 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $66,518 | $31.98 |
| 3 | New York | $66,058 | $31.76 |
| 4 | California | $65,754 | $31.61 |
| 5 | Washington | $62,888 | $30.23 |
| 6 | Colorado | $61,025 | $29.34 |
| 7 | Illinois | $59,055 | $28.39 |
| 8 | Texas | $57,094 | $27.45 |
| 9 | Georgia | $57,034 | $27.42 |
| 10 | Missouri | $55,625 | $26.74 |
| Rank | Location | Average U.S. Department of Education salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington, DC | $70,197 | $33.75 |
| 2 | Monterey, CA | $66,678 | $32.06 |
| 3 | Boston, MA | $66,532 | $31.99 |
| 4 | Beltsville, MD | $61,988 | $29.80 |
| 5 | Athens, GA | $57,123 | $27.46 |
| 6 | Gainesville, FL | $52,298 | $25.14 |
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Did U.S. Department of Education's compensation package meet your expectations?
Salaries at U.S. Department of Education vary depending on the department you work in. U.S. Department of Education salaries in the legal department are the highest with an average salary of $104,055. Employees in the engineering department at U.S. Department of Education receive relatively high salaries as well, with an average salary of $95,070 per year. Departments that don't pay as well at U.S. Department of Education include the administrative and the customer service organizational functions, with employees earning average salaries of $35,939 and $36,005, respectively.
| Rank | Department | Average U.S. Department of Education salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Legal | $104,055 | $50.03 |
| 2 | Engineering | $95,070 | $45.71 |
| 3 | IT | $72,594 | $34.90 |
| 4 | Finance | $71,691 | $34.47 |
| 5 | Non Profit/Government | $68,185 | $32.78 |
| 6 | Research & Development | $68,011 | $32.70 |
| 7 | Education | $66,401 | $31.92 |
| 8 | Plant/Manufacturing | $62,678 | $30.13 |
| 9 | Art/Design | $59,378 | $28.55 |
| 10 | Accounting | $59,314 | $28.52 |
| 11 | Marketing | $53,889 | $25.91 |
| 12 | Customer Service | $36,006 | $17.31 |
| 13 | Administrative | $35,940 | $17.28 |
| Rank | Position | Average U.S. Department of Education salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Field Reviewer | $52,087 | $25.04 |
| 2 | Program Support Assistant | $38,897 | $18.70 |
| 3 | Program Support Clerk | $37,718 | $18.13 |
| 4 | Record Management Specialist | $35,304 | $16.97 |
| 5 | Administrative Specialist | $34,753 | $16.71 |
| 6 | Student Internship | $34,305 | $16.49 |
| 7 | Office Secretary | $34,292 | $16.49 |
| 8 | Project Management Internship | $33,450 | $16.08 |
| 9 | Copy Operator | $32,767 | $15.75 |
| 10 | Clerk Typist | $31,236 | $15.02 |
| 11 | Office Assistant | $30,503 | $14.66 |
| 12 | Test Administrator | $29,341 | $14.11 |
| 13 | Receptionist | $27,950 | $13.44 |
| Rank | Position | Average U.S. Department of Education salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elementary School Principal | $102,683 | $49.37 |
| 2 | College Dean | $101,315 | $48.71 |
| 3 | Adjunct Professor | $97,110 | $46.69 |
| 4 | Business Instructor | $96,234 | $46.27 |
| 5 | Adjunct Faculty | $92,552 | $44.50 |
| 6 | Assistant Professor | $90,136 | $43.33 |
| 7 | Upward Bound Director | $84,951 | $40.84 |
| 8 | Training Specialist | $78,019 | $37.51 |
| 9 | Employee Development Specialist | $76,517 | $36.79 |
| 10 | Training Manager | $75,181 | $36.14 |
| 11 | Foreign Language Instructor | $74,155 | $35.65 |
| 12 | Education Consultant | $73,450 | $35.31 |
| 13 | Educational Adviser | $71,557 | $34.40 |
| 14 | Curriculum Director | $71,103 | $34.18 |
| 15 | Technical Services Librarian | $56,137 | $26.99 |
| 16 | Teacher | $50,723 | $24.39 |
| 17 | Education Internship | $43,249 | $20.79 |
| 18 | Educator | $42,378 | $20.37 |
| 19 | Student Support Services | $39,945 | $19.20 |
| 20 | Student Representative | $38,208 | $18.37 |
| Rank | Position | Average U.S. Department of Education salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Contracts Manager | $97,405 | $46.83 |
| 2 | Policy Advisor | $95,406 | $45.87 |
| 3 | Agricultural Economist | $92,934 | $44.68 |
| 4 | Contracts Specialist | $90,080 | $43.31 |
| 5 | Program Management Analyst | $88,588 | $42.59 |
| 6 | Assistant Director Of Finance | $84,016 | $40.39 |
| 7 | Consultant | $75,976 | $36.53 |
| 8 | Specialist-Small Business | $74,405 | $35.77 |
| 9 | Program Analyst | $72,809 | $35.00 |
| 10 | Collection Supervisor | $68,612 | $32.99 |
| 11 | Risk Management Internship | $57,463 | $27.63 |
| 12 | Loan Counselor | $51,592 | $24.80 |
| 13 | Collections Manager | $46,874 | $22.54 |
| 14 | Advising Assistant | $44,785 | $21.53 |
| 15 | Loan Administrator | $43,420 | $20.88 |
| 16 | Finance Aid Advisor | $39,552 | $19.02 |
| 17 | Claim Processor | $38,749 | $18.63 |
Average salaries at U.S. Department of Education competitors, like National Academy of Public Administration, Ohio Department of Health, and U.S. Department of Labor, vary. National Academy of Public Administration employees earn the highest salaries, with an average yearly salary of $63,498. The average salary at Ohio Department of Health is $63,321 per year, and the average salary at U.S. Department of Labor is $60,643 per year.
| Rank | Company name | Zippia score | Average salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | National Academy of Public Administration | 3.3 | $63,498 |
| 2 | Ohio Department of Health | 4.5 | $63,321 |
| 3 | U.S. Department of Labor | 4.4 | $60,643 |
| 4 | U.S. Department of State | 4.5 | $60,373 |
| 5 | Georgetown University | 4.6 | $60,358 |
| 6 | U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development | 4.7 | $60,138 |
| 7 | U.S. Department of Transportation | 4.5 | $59,868 |
| 8 | U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission | 4.6 | $58,487 |
| 9 | U.S. Environmental Protection Agency | 4.2 | $57,706 |
| 10 | Strayer University | 4.4 | $53,075 |
| 11 | American University | 4.3 | $51,476 |
| 12 | Atlanta Regional Commission | 4.2 | $50,829 |
| 13 | Walden University | 4.4 | $49,957 |
| 14 | HHS.gov | 4.3 | $47,150 |
| 15 | Arizona Department of Education | 4.3 | $44,597 |
| 16 | U.S. Department of the Interior | 4.8 | $43,882 |
| 17 | Georgia community health | 4.3 | $43,375 |
| 18 | Maryland Department Of Business & Economic Development | 3.8 | $40,601 |
| 19 | Florida Department of Education | 4.0 | $35,603 |
| 20 | Maryland State Department of Education | 3.4 | $33,657 |
| Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Attorney | Columbia, SC | 06/26/2025 | $106,382 |
| General Attorney | Boise, ID | 06/26/2025 | $106,382 |
| General Attorney | Minneapolis, MN | 06/26/2025 | $106,382 |
| General Attorney | Los Angeles, CA | 06/26/2025 | $106,382 |
| General Attorney | New Orleans, LA | 06/26/2025 | $106,382 |
continues Professional Development
none
Medical insurance, Free housing and Transportation
As a teacher, I enjoyed impacting the lives of my students. I also enjoyed planning and organizing lessons, being able to express creative ideas and coordinating events and performances.
Limited resources and lack of support from administration.
My favorite perk is the short hours, vacation time and summers off.
Great environment.
Low pay increase. Required own car.
Great hours and great staff.
I enjoy working with the students and staff
It is quite challenging sharing a space with three schools.
My salary affords me to live a balance lifestyle.
Impacting lives of children
It is a very large system
The flexible work schedule
I love working with Students. Teaching is my passion since I was little. None of my family were teacher
Traveling
Health Care
Zippia gives an in-depth look into the details of U.S. Department of Education, including salaries, political affiliations, employee data, and more, in order to inform job seekers about U.S. Department of Education. The employee data is based on information from people who have self-reported their past or current employments at U.S. Department of Education. The data on this page is also based on data sources collected from public and open data sources on the Internet and other locations, as well as proprietary data we licensed from other companies. Sources of data may include, but are not limited to, the BLS, company filings, estimates based on those filings, H1B filings, and other public and private datasets. While we have made attempts to ensure that the information displayed are correct, Zippia is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from the use of this information. None of the information on this page has been provided or approved by U.S. Department of Education. The data presented on this page does not represent the view of U.S. Department of Education and its employees or that of Zippia.
U.S. Department of Education may also be known as or be related to U.S. Department Of Education, U.S. Department of Education and U.s. Department Of Education.