Leadership role
Director of Education
Directs an organization's educational programs, such as public, museum, school or special-education programs.
Reporting and scope
Usually reports to the Executive Director / CEO, a Chief Program Officer or a curator or program head in a museum or cultural organization. Authority covers education programs and the educators who deliver them.
Core responsibilities
- Designs curriculum and learning programs for schools, families or adults
- Supervises educators, docents and education volunteers
- Builds partnerships with schools and school districts
- Secures and reports on grants that fund education programs
- Evaluates program reach and learning outcomes
- Keeps programs aligned with standards or licensing rules where they apply
How it differs
Academic Director and Head of School / Principal lead a school's formal instruction; Director of Education usually runs education programs inside a broader organization such as a museum, zoo or health agency. Training Director teaches employees rather than the public.
By organization size
In small organizations it is often a single educator who plans and teaches. Large museums and cultural institutions run education departments with separate school, public and digital program teams.
Filings from the last five years mapped to this role commonly report titles such as: Director of Education; Education Director; Director, Education; Special Education Director; Senior Director of Education; Dir of Education
See what this role pays
Median reported total compensation, nationally: $138,000. Based on 1,661 IRS Form 990 filings, fiscal years 2021–2025.
This median spans organizations of every budget size and sector, so it will not match a benchmark for one organization.
Benchmark pay for this role