Can Agents Work?

Jobs / Management and business operations / 11-9033.00

Education Administrators, Postsecondary

Plan, direct, or coordinate student instruction, administration, and services, as well as other research and educational activities, at postsecondary institutions, including universities, colleges, and junior and community colleges.

US jobs
180,470
Median wage
$104,590 a year
Job family
Management and business operations

Can agents do the work of education administrators, postsecondary?

We read the evidence at the level of the job family, Management and business operations:

  • Task levelPartialOnly adjacent evidence. On TheAgentCompany, which gives agents workplace tasks inside a simulated software company, the best agent resolves 42.9% of tasks (a November 2025 result). No task-level benchmark in our collection maps directly to management or business operations.
  • Project levelPartialMixed. OpenAI reports that GPT-5.5's GDPval deliverables won or tied against professionals' work in 84.9% of comparisons, and the best agent passes 73.5% of APEX-Agents tasks on the first try. Running a business is weaker: on Vending-Bench 2 the best model ends a simulated year with $15,515, about a quarter of Andon Labs' estimate for a good strategy.

Benchmarks for the job family

These cover work in management and business operations, not always this occupation's tasks.

Typical tasks

From O*NET 31.0. Core tasks first. Few of these tasks have a benchmark today.

  • Design or use assessments to monitor student learning outcomes.
  • Recruit, hire, train, and terminate departmental personnel.
  • Direct, coordinate, and evaluate the activities of personnel, including support staff engaged in administering academic institutions, departments, or alumni organizations.
  • Advise students on issues such as course selection, progress toward graduation, and career decisions.
  • Plan, administer, and control budgets, maintain financial records, and produce financial reports.
  • Formulate strategic plans for the institution.
  • Establish operational policies and procedures and make any necessary modifications, based on analysis of operations, demographics, and other research information.
  • Provide assistance to faculty and staff in duties such as teaching classes, conducting orientation programs, issuing transcripts, and scheduling events.
  • Represent institutions at community and campus events, in meetings with other institution personnel, and during accreditation processes.
  • Prepare reports on academic or institutional data.
  • Promote the university by participating in community, state, and national events or meetings, and by developing partnerships with industry and secondary education institutions.
  • Participate in faculty and college committee activities.
Other job titles for this occupation (69)

Academic Affairs Vice President (Academic Affairs VP) · Academic Dean · Admissions Director · College President · Dean · Financial Aid Director · Institutional Research Director · Provost · Registrar · Students Dean · Academic Affairs Dean · Academic Affairs Director · Academic Coordinator · Academic Vice President (Academic VP) · Administration Dean · Admissions Coordinator · Admissions Dean · Adult Basic Education Manager · Arts and Sciences Dean · Business Dean · Campus Coordinator · Campus Dean · Campus Director · Chancellor · College Administrator · College Dean · College Registrar · Commandant · Continuing Education Dean · Continuing Education Director · Division Director · Education College Dean · Education Dean · Education Director · Enrollment Coordinator · Enrollment Management Vice President (Enrollment Management VP) · Enrollment Services Dean · Enrollment Services Vice President (Enrollment Services VP) · Extension Division Director · Extension Work Director · Faculty Dean · Graduate School Dean · Graduate Studies Dean · Health Sciences Dean · Higher Education Administrator · Instruction Dean · Instruction Vice President (Instruction VP) · Nursing School Director · Physical Education Director · Registration Specialist · Research Director · Student Activities Director · Student Affairs Dean · Student Affairs Director · Student Affairs Vice President (Student Affairs VP) · Student Dean · Student Development Dean · Student Financial Aid Director · Student Life Dean · Student Services Dean · Student Services Director · Student Services Vice President (Student Services VP) · Summer Sessions Director · Testing Director · University Administrator · University Dean · University Department Chair · University President · University Registrar