6 Highest-Paying Careers With a Master of Arts in Education
A Master of Arts in Education (MAEd) isn’t just for classroom teachers. It’s a versatile, valuable degree that can open doors to leadership, innovation, and higher-paying opportunities in traditional and nontraditional settings.
For educators, creatives, and community leaders alike, the right MAEd program can help you move into roles that offer greater responsibility, influence, and income.
With the growing demand for professionals who understand how to use education as a tool for social change, artistic expression, and lifelong learning, an MAEd, especially one grounded in the arts, can help you stand out in various fields.
Here are some of the highest-paying careers you can pursue with a Master of Arts in Education.
Top-Paying Master of Arts in Education Careers
1. Instructional designer or curriculum developer
Average U.S. Salary: $75,000–$100,000+ [1] [2]
Common Employers: Colleges and universities, corporate training departments, education nonprofits, e-learning platforms, museums
Instructional designers shape how people learn by creating accessible, engaging, and effective content. With your MAEd, you’ll be prepared to analyze learner needs, apply learning theories, and develop tools that foster deep understanding, whether that’s for employee onboarding, professional certification programs, or museum-based educational content.
Curriculum developers often collaborate with subject matter experts to revise and improve existing curricula, ensuring they align with evolving standards and diverse learning needs. These roles require a blend of creativity, research, and user-centered design skills that MAEd graduates (with an arts and community focus) tend to possess in abundance.
2. Museum manager
Average U.S. Salary: $80,000–$100,000+ [1]
Common Employers: Art museums, science centers, history museums, cultural institutions
Museum managers oversee the day-to-day operations of a museum, ensuring that exhibitions, staff, programming, and visitor services run smoothly and effectively. This role requires a blend of administrative expertise, creative thinking, and leadership. Responsibilities may include supervising department leads (such as curatorial and education teams), managing budgets, coordinating exhibit logistics, and supporting fundraising or donor relations.
With an MAEd, especially one that emphasizes arts, culture, and community engagement, you’ll bring a people-first approach to museum leadership. Your training will help you create inclusive environments, guide public programming strategy, and collaborate effectively across departments.
For those who enjoy working at the intersection of arts, management, and education, this role offers financial stability and meaningful community impact.
3. Director of community engagement or arts programming
Average U.S. Salary: $70,000–$100,000+ [1] [2]
Common Employers: Arts councils, nonprofit organizations, hospitals and wellness centers, local government programs
Community engagement directors build and lead initiatives that connect organizations to the people they serve. These can include after-school art programs, intergenerational storytelling projects, mural installations, or trauma-informed workshops focused on healing through creativity. They’re often responsible for managing budgets, writing grants, and leading teams, all while centering equity and access in their work.
An MAEd provides the strategic planning, program design, and leadership development needed to thrive in this role. If you’re passionate about the arts as a tool for dialogue, healing, and empowerment, this is a path where you can make a significant difference while earning a competitive salary.
4. Academic program coordinator or college advisor
Average U.S. Salary: $60,000–$85,000+ [1] [2]
Common Employers: Community colleges, four-year universities, adult learning centers, online degree programs
Academic coordinators and advisors play a pivotal role in higher education, helping students navigate their academic journeys. Coordinators oversee program operations, ensuring that courses align with institutional goals and student needs. Advisors support individual students, guiding course selection, degree planning, and career preparation.
Your MAEd will equip you with the interpersonal skills, strategic thinking, and educational theory background that these roles demand. As you grow in this space, there’s often an opportunity to advance into academic affairs leadership, expanding your salary potential and institutional influence.
5. Education or arts consultant
Average U.S. Salary: $70,000–$100,000+ (project-based or freelance) [1] [2]
Common Employers: School districts, nonprofit organizations, museums, startups, arts education alliances
Consultants offer specialized support for educational programming, DEI initiatives, arts integration, and organizational strategy. With this path, you might help a museum evaluate its outreach curriculum, lead teacher training on inclusive classroom practices, or develop a grant-funded community art initiative.
With an MAEd, you’ll not only bring a solid foundation of educational knowledge but also the creative and community-driven mindset that many organizations are actively seeking. Consultants can work independently, join larger firms, or partner with mission-aligned organizations, giving you the freedom to shape your workload and income level.
6. Director of educational equity or social impact programs
Average U.S. Salary: $67,000–$100,000+ [1] [2]
Common Employers: Advocacy organizations, school systems, philanthropic foundations, public policy institutes
In this role, you’ll lead programs that address systemic barriers to education and promote inclusive learning environments. That might involve overseeing equity audits, launching teacher diversity pipelines, managing youth empowerment initiatives, or influencing public policy.
An MAEd rooted in community learning and social impact offers the preparation needed to lead such work. It helps you advocate effectively, manage interdisciplinary teams, and drive lasting change. As equity and inclusion become cornerstones of effective education, these leadership roles continue to gain influence and compensation.
Fuel Your Passion. Expand Your Potential.
If you're ready to move into a higher-paying role that blends creativity, leadership, and social impact, the online Master of Arts in Education at Maine College of Art & Design offers the foundation to get there.
Designed for working professionals, this 30-credit program can be completed in 10 to 18 months and focuses on arts-integrated, community-centered learning that prepares you to lead in both traditional and emerging educational spaces.
Whether you're aiming to advance in your current field or explore new pathways in museum education, program leadership, or educational consulting, our MAEd equips you with the perspective to make meaningful change—and earn more doing it.
Learn how you can turn your passion into a profession that inspires others.
