Updated October 2026
What jobs can principals and school administrators do next?
Established in 2019, Teacher Career Coach is a community sharing honest advice for teachers considering new careers. Featured in WSJ, NPR, and Yahoo News, 10k former teachers have used our resources to get new roles.
In addition to teachers leaving the classroom, there are also principals, vice principals, instructional coaches, and other education administrators interested in a new career path. Since they were likely classroom teachers at one point, our career transition resources also apply to administrators. These education professionals can apply for the same types of roles we recommend to transitioning teachers. However, there are also additional opportunities if you leverage your leadership experience. Read on for some insight on alternative jobs for education administrators.
Jobs For Education Administrators: Transferable Skills
First, let’s state the obvious. Education administrators have extra leadership experience that teachers often do not. You are responsible for managing staff, budgets, policies, and the day-to-day operations of your school. Leverage that experience when looking for a new role!
Strong leadership qualities will likely set you apart from other applicants. Alternative jobs for education administrators may not always require leadership experience. However, the skills you possess as a leader are sure to benefit you in any path you choose. Focus on the transferable skills that can bring you success in a different field. Here are some important qualities of a strong leader:
- Communication
- Empathy
- Accountability
- Flexibility
- Growth mindset
- Optimism
- Patience
- Problem solving
- Resilience
- Transparency
- Trust
Besides leadership, education administrators also have experience creating and enforcing policies and procedures. You collaborate with colleagues to draft handbook policies and behavior plans. You manage staff evaluation plans and develop strategies to keep the school running smoothly. Working with various stakeholders in a school setting is another valuable skill to highlight on a resume when searching for jobs for education administrators. Fellow administrators, teachers, parents, community members, and students are all parties that you have regular contact with.
Additionally, alternative jobs for education administrators will benefit from your advanced knowledge of the education system. You have insight into how schools are funded and can help an organization utilize that information. For example, think about ed tech companies trying to sell their product to school districts. They would be lucky to have someone with your knowledge of district purchasing trends and strategies.
Finally, don’t forget about the roles you held prior to becoming an administrator! Chances are, you also have classroom teaching experience. Explain those transferable teaching skills as you look for alternative jobs for education administrators.
Jobs For Education Administrators: Choosing A Path
In any career search, an important first step is choosing a path. If you are searching for alternative jobs for education administrators, you need to know what you’re looking for. While you can pursue the same career paths we recommend for transitioning teachers, you also have additional skills to leverage. Take a look at some specific roles that would benefit from your leadership qualities and supplementary skills.
KNOWLEDGE IS POWER
Skills in focus:
- Knowledge of district policies
- Experience managing budgets
- Insight on district funding & decision-making
Roles to pursue:
- Educational consultant
- Ed tech account executive
- Ed tech customer success manager
- Human resources
TEAMWORK MAKES THE DREAM WORK
Skills in focus:
- People management
- Delegating responsibilities
- Evaluating performance
Roles to pursue:
- Program director
- Project manager
- L&D manager
- Corporate trainer
- Other leadership/managerial positions
One of the first questions to ask yourself as you consider a new career path is, “Do I want to stay in education somehow?” If you want a complete break from the education world, then you can explore the aforementioned jobs at companies outside of the education sector. All these roles exist at most established companies. If you want to continue working within the education realm, then search for those roles at education companies.
Turn your leadership experience into your next role
The Teacher Career Coach Course helps school leaders pick a direction, translate administrator experience into business language with HR-written resume templates, and prepare for interviews and salary negotiation. Starting at $39/month, with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
See what’s inside the course →Improving The Education System
For those administrators who still have a passion for education, there are additional avenues. Many education administrators started as teachers, and therefore want to advocate for teachers. If you are passionate about making positive changes in the education world, consider a career path that allows you to do so on a different stage.
Outside of a school or district setting, there are teacher support roles. Your knowledge of policies and procedures in a school district will help you stand out for positions impacting educators. There are companies, nonprofits, and government organizations that could use your expertise in their mission to improve the education system. If you became an administrator to make a difference, you can still do so outside of the principal’s office.
Jobs For Education Administrators: Next Steps
If you are an education administrator struggling to determine what new jobs could be right for you, take our free career quiz to help you get started. Our resources may seem geared towards classroom teachers. But you were a teacher at one point, and have the same skills (plus more!) to offer a new career.
Top jobs for former principals and administrators in 2026
These roles reward the experience you built running a school: leading people, managing budgets, juggling stakeholders and making decisions under pressure.
Program director or manager
Run programs at nonprofits, education companies or community organizations. Your experience managing staff, budgets and outcomes maps directly.
Project or operations manager
Keep teams and timelines on track. Principals coordinate schedules, staffing, events and compliance every day.
Learning and development manager
Lead employee training at a company. Your PD planning and coaching experience is a natural fit.
Educational consultant
Advise schools and districts, or support implementation for an education company. Credibility as a former administrator matters here.
EdTech account executive or partnerships
Sell to schools and districts. Knowing how purchasing decisions get made is a real advantage.
Customer success manager
Help district customers get results from a product. Former administrators understand those customers’ pressures.
Human resources
Recruiting, onboarding, employee relations and performance processes all build on your evaluation and hiring experience.
Policy, advocacy and government roles
Work for nonprofits, state agencies or advocacy groups that shape education from outside the school building.
A note on pay
Administrators usually earn more than teachers, so matching your salary on day one can be harder. In our survey of 722 former teachers, learning and development roles had the highest average starting salary, about $72,700, and sales and customer success roles grew fastest after landing.
Know your numbers before you resign: your budget, your pension and the realistic starting salary for the roles you want.
How to position your administrator experience
- Lead with scope: number of staff you supervised, students served and budget you managed.
- Translate school terms: “teacher evaluations” becomes performance management; “master schedule” becomes resource planning; “stakeholder communication” stays exactly that.
- Show results with numbers, like improved attendance, retention or test scores.
- Network with former administrators who’ve already made the move. Referrals were the #1 way recent career changers in our survey got hired.
Frequently asked questions about jobs for education administrators
What jobs can a former principal get?
Former principals often move into program director, operations or project manager, learning and development, educational consulting, edtech sales and customer success, HR and policy roles.
Can assistant principals and instructional coaches use this list?
Yes. Any school leader with experience managing people, programs or professional development can apply for these roles, along with the roles teachers typically move into.
Will I take a pay cut leaving school administration?
You might at first, especially for entry-level roles. Leadership roles like program director or L&D manager are the most likely to match administrator pay. Research salaries in your area before you decide.
Do I need another degree?
Usually not. Your degrees and leadership experience already qualify you for many roles. A short course in a specific tool or skill can help for technical roles.
Ready for your next step?
Not sure what comes next? The Teacher Career Coach Course walks you step by step through choosing a new path, translating your resume, networking and interviewing.
