What can you do with an Ed.D. degree?

Earning a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) degree positions you to lead with purpose and identify areas of change within your field. While students may bring education experience into the program, professionals from all backgrounds can use an Ed.D. degree to elevate their knowledge and become more strategic, effective leaders.

As Brooke Blevins, Dean of University of Idaho’s College of Education, Health and Human Sciences explained in a recent interview, “The Ed.D. degree program is for anyone looking to study innovation, lead organizational change and elevate their career through research-informed practice.”

Five career pathways with an Ed.D. degree

Professionals with an Ed.D. degree work across a wide range of career settings, including education, public policy, non-profit leadership, business, health care, the military and more. A Doctor of Education degree equips you to step into roles that involve solving complex problems, leading teams and improving systems through applied research and practical expertise.

Here are five of the most common and impactful career pathways for Ed.D. degree-holders.

1. Organizational and industry leadership

A Doctor of Education degree isn’t just for educators. Outside of traditional academic environments, an Ed.D. degree ensures you can lead your organization with insight and research-informed strategies. Whether you work in a corporate setting, business or non-profit spaces, this degree enhances your knowledge base to qualify you for senior leadership roles.

As an executive leader, you’ll manage day-to-day operations, shape the organization’s vision, guide strategic planning, build teams and make decisions that impact communities, clients and employees. An Ed.D. degree supports this work by helping you develop high-level communication and problem-solving skills through applied research.

You may take on organizational leadership roles such as:

• Chief executive officer
• Education policy advisor
• Executive director
• Learning and development director
• Public service or government agency leader

Explore occupational outlooks for top executives.

2. Health care leadership

As a strategic leader in the field of health care, you’ll do more than manage daily operations — you’ll impact care delivery and staff satisfaction. Drawing on advanced leadership skills and applied research, health care leaders guide organizations through change and complex challenges. Your position may include managing teams, improving patient outcomes, hiring and training new team members, helping staff adapt to new technology and establishing vital relationships with providers and community partners.

An Ed.D. degree, especially one with a focus on leadership development like U of I's, can position you to step into high-impact administrative roles in hospitals, public health agencies, health care nonprofits and more.

Positions in health care leadership:

• Chief operating officer
• Health services manager
• Hospital administrator
• Program director
• Training and development manager

Discover job growth and career trends for health and medical services managers.

3. Military leadership

Leadership is a core component of military service, and an Ed.D. degree can help you deepen that expertise while expanding your career possibilities. For active-duty service members, a Doctor of Education degree offers the advanced skills needed to lead complex teams, manage large-scale operations and contribute to long-term strategic planning. The program’s emphasis on improvement science and organizational development can enhance your qualifications for career advancement and leadership roles across branches.

Earning an Ed.D. degree can also serve as a bridge to post-military careers, helping you translate your experience into leadership roles in government, education, nonprofit or corporate settings. With your military background, you’re already equipped with discipline, decision-making skills, and a service-driven mindset — an Ed.D. degree builds on that foundation, adding high-level team development skills, systems thinking and organizational change management knowledge.

Potential military and post-service leadership roles are:

• Administrative personnel manager
• Education and training director
• Government or nonprofit agency leader
• Human resource officer
• Military or academic program director
• Veteran affairs administrator

View military career outlooks.

4. Higher education leadership

Colleges and universities need leaders who can effectively respond to shifting enrollment trends, support student success and manage the complex challenges institutions face today. An Ed.D. degree signals that you’re prepared to lead at this level.

For professionals with higher education experience, this degree is often the next step toward roles with greater influence and responsibility. You might guide new academic program development, oversee student support systems that improve retention or take on an administrative position in academic affairs or student services.

If your goal is to improve the college student experience, advocate for the value of higher education or develop new approaches to academic leadership, an Ed.D. degree equips you with the expertise to become an impactful changemaker in this area of education.

Career opportunities in higher education include:

• Academic affairs administrator
• Community college and university faculty and personnel
• Dean of students
• Director of institutional effectiveness
• Provost or associate provost
• Student affairs professional

See career outlooks for postsecondary education administrators.

5. K–12 school and district leadership

If you're already working in education, you likely understand the complexities of running a school or district. From staffing challenges and curriculum decisions to community expectations, educational leadership positions require a high level of strategic insight and day-to-day problem-solving skills.

With an Ed.D. degree, you can elevate your career in education and prepare for positions where you oversee district-wide initiatives, guide instructional policy, manage budgets and lead personnel decisions. These roles call for a deep understanding of school operations and a systems-level approach to leadership.

A Doctor of Education degree program prepares you to navigate these demands with confidence. You’ll learn how to align daily operations with long-term goals, collaborate across departments and ultimately focus on what matters most — improving outcomes for students.

Potential K-12 school leadership roles:

• Chief academic officer
• Director of curriculum and instruction
• District-level administrator

View career trends for elementary, middle and high school principals.

Is an Ed.D. degree worth it?

You may already be leading teams or managing programs in your organization, but you’re looking for the tools, credentials and doctoral-level preparation to take your career to the next level. That’s where an Ed.D. degree can make a difference.

A Doctor of Education is different from many other advanced degrees. It’s built to strengthen what you’re already doing, giving you the tools to lead more effectively, solve bigger problems and approach your work with new ideas. Many students use their current workplace as a site for applied research or improvement projects. That creates a valuable feedback loop: you improve your organization while also developing your dissertation or capstone work.

And, according to Blevins, “Advanced degrees matter in today’s economy. When you have the letters ‘Ed.D.’ behind your name, opportunities open that might not have otherwise.”

Review more benefits of earning an Ed.D. degree, including salary outcomes and advanced skills.

Doctor of Education salary outlook

While salary varies depending on your role, organization and geographic location, earning an Ed.D. degree positions you for higher-paying leadership roles across various organizations. This doctoral degree showcases to employers that you’re ready to take on more responsibility and gives you the qualifications to do so.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that in May of 2024, median salaries for leadership roles often pursued by graduates with an Ed.D. degree were:

• Top executives: $105,350 per year
• Health care leaders: $117,960 per year
• School and district administrators: $104,070 per year
• Post-secondary administrators: $103,960 per year

The return on investment is clear — when combined with the practical skills and expertise you gain, an Ed.D. degree can open doors to meaningful work and long-term financial opportunity.

Skills that prepare you for continuous improvement

An Ed.D. helps you build high-level skills that are critical to leadership roles across sectors. You’ll graduate with a toolkit you can implement immediately and continue building on throughout your career. These skills include:

• Leading organizational change
• Applying research to real-world challenges
• Designing and evaluating policy
• Managing people, systems and strategic initiatives
• Communicating across diverse teams and communities
• Using data to drive decision-making
• Promoting ethical leadership skills

Advance your career with U of I’s online Ed.D. degree

What sets University of Idaho’s online Doctor of Education degree program apart is its commitment to practical, career-centered learning. Built on an interdisciplinary framework and grounded in improvement science, our program equips you with the tools to drive sustainable change across a wide range of fields.

You’ll learn alongside an interdisciplinary cohort of professionals across industries, complete your dissertation during your coursework, build solutions for your current professional role and earn your Ed.D. degree in just three years. With full online course delivery, dedicated student support, an on-campus immersion experience and faculty who are practitioners themselves, we help you advance your career without stepping away from it.

Learn more about why you should earn your Ed.D. online.

Unlimited horizons: Where your Ed.D. degree can take you

From entering a senior leadership role in a corporate business to developing new college student success programs or leading a school district, career opportunities with a Doctor of Education degree are endless. Set yourself apart as an expert in your field who can lead confidently, apply research in real time and create meaningful change.

Get started with University of Idaho — request more information or apply now.