A Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) is an advanced degree in the education field. It differs from a Ph.D. in that it is designed for a practitioner as opposed to a researcher. Those who pursue an Ed.D. do so because they have an interest in education policy, how it impacts teaching process and practice, and how it can better the field of education overall. Often times, graduates with an Ed.D. go on to land high-impact policy positions at local and state school districts, think tanks, and companies who are involved in the education industry.
Below are some of the top careers for Ed.D.s.
School District Administrator/Superintendent
School Superintendents are essentially CEOs of school districts. They're responsible for working with the board of trustees and hiring other administrators within their district. They're also responsible for making sure that the voices of the students, teachers, principals, support staff, and parents are heard. In order to do their job well, superintendents need to have extensive knowledge of education policy and practice. They also need to be able to communicate effectively and manage the publicity of their district.
University Professor
One of the most common career paths of Ed.D. graduates is becoming a professor at a College or University. Education professors are responsible for teaching graduate-level curriculum and helping their students conduct research projects. College professors make a wide range of salaries. Most of the higher paid positions are in STEM fields; however, liberal arts and education professors can still make a healthy income.
Educational Consultant
Educational consultants work adjacent to existing administrators in helping them optimize their existing processes or provide an audit. They often operate independently. Most likely, educational consultants previously worked as administrators, teacher leaders, professors, or performed some other high-level role in an existing education system before becoming independent consultants.
College Dean
Much like a school superintendent, the dean of a college is responsible for running a specific area of academia at an educational institution. Their responsibilities include administration and working with professors, administrators, and students at the college to help improve the educational process overall.
Education Researcher
"Education researcher" is a broad term to categorize a person who is actively involved in either analyzing or conducting research projects geared towards the education industry. This might also refer to those who are in charge of administering research projects, processing funding, or verifying the findings. Salaries for researchers vary greatly depending on the industry and the type of research.
Education Industry Lobbyist
Even the education industry needs people to make sure that their needs and desires are heard by policy makers. As an education lobbyist, it's your job to make sure that those needs are communicated to the people who make decisions and pass laws that impact how the education industry operates. 
