Educational Support Services Revenue Benchmarks
The average educational support services business in the United States generates $1.3M in annual revenue, according to the U.S. Census Bureau Statistics of U.S. Businesses (SUSB 2021). There are 9,779 educational support services businesses in the U.S., employing 108,384 workers with an average profit margin of 10.0%. The average employee in this industry earns $65K per year (Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW 2023).
What Does a Educational Support Business Actually Do?
Educational support — test administration (Pearson VUE, Prometric), education consulting, college admissions consulting.
Who buys: Test-takers (via fees), schools, families with kids applying to college.
Average Revenue
$1.3M
per year
Profit Margin
10.0%
industry average
Revenue / Employee
$113K
per year
Total Businesses
9,779
in the US
Est. Owner Income
$126K
small business avg
Labor Cost
55.0%
of revenue
Avg Employee Wage
$65K
per year (BLS)
Market Saturation
3.0
firms per 100K people
How Much Do Educational Support Services Charge?
Test administration, educational consulting, curriculum development, school administration services.
| Service | Typical range |
|---|---|
Exam administration (per candidate) | $30–200 |
Educational consulting hourly | $100–350/hour |
Curriculum development project | $5,000–100,000 |
Ranges based on industry rate surveys and typical published pricing. Actual quotes vary by city, business size, and job complexity.
Complete educational support business plan
A 12-section data-backed business plan for a educational support services business — executive summary, market analysis, competitive landscape, revenue model, 3-year financial projections, operations, marketing, staffing, funding request. Pre-populated with real Census, IRS, and BLS data on this industry. Free to view.
Cost Structure — Where Every $100 in Revenue Goes
Approximate P&L breakdown for the educational support services industry. Labor share and net profit are grounded in Census SUSB and IRS SOI data. Other lines are split using sector-typical ratios.
| Category | Per $100 revenue | Per typical business | What's in it |
|---|---|---|---|
Curriculum & supplies | $3 | $44K | Textbooks, learning software, teaching aids, technology for students. |
Wages & benefits | $55 | $692K | Payroll for all employees at the business (owner comp not included for small owner-operators). |
Rent & facilities | $9 | $110K | Rent or mortgage on business location plus utilities tied to the space. |
Marketing & advertising | $3 | $44K | Google/Meta ads, SEO, print, referral fees, event sponsorships. |
Other operating costs | $19 | $242K | Insurance, licensing, IT, admin, professional development. |
Net profit | $10 | $126K | What remains for the owner or shareholders after all business expenses. |
Directionally accurate for a typical business in the industry. Individual businesses vary widely — a franchise may run a very different cost mix from an independent, and older established businesses often have lower labor share than newer ones.
Average Revenue by Business Size
Industry Dynamics (Census BDS 2023)
New Business Rate
17.38%
openings/year
Closure Rate
11.41%
closings/year
Net Job Growth
+12.58%
annual
Businesses Closed
935
in 2023
Firm Count Trend
Should You Start a Educational Support Business?
Startup Cost
$50K – $250K
Break-Even
14 months
5-Year Survival Rate
50.0%
Related Industries
Frequently Asked Questions
- What does a educational support services business do?
- Educational support — test administration (Pearson VUE, Prometric), education consulting, college admissions consulting. Test-takers (via fees), schools, families with kids applying to college.
- How much do educational support services charge?
- Test administration, educational consulting, curriculum development, school administration services. See the pricing table above for typical rates by service type.
- How much does the average educational support services make per year?
- The average educational support services business generates $1.3M in annual revenue, based on U.S. Census Bureau data (SUSB 2021). After expenses, the estimated owner profit is $126K per year at a 10.0% profit margin.
- How many educational support services businesses are there in the US?
- There are 9,779 educational support services businesses operating in the United States, employing a total of 108,384 workers.
- How much does it cost to start a educational support services business?
- Startup costs for a educational support services business typically range from $50K to $250K, with a 5-year survival rate of 50.0%.
- What is the average salary in the educational support services industry?
- The average employee in the educational support services industry earns $65K per year, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data (QCEW 2023).
Industry Growth & Survival
The educational support services industry is actively growing — adding jobs at a net rate of 12.6% per year. New establishments are opening faster than existing ones close (17.4% entry vs 11.4% exit), indicating healthy demand.
Approximately 55% of educational support services businesses survive their first 5 years. This is near the national average (~50%), with typical business risk. In 2023, 935 firms in this industry closed permanently.
Employment & Wages
The average employee in the educational support services industry earns $64,646/year. This is near the national average of ~$65K. With 30,592 establishments employing 203,905 people, the typical business has about 7 employees.
Industry Trend (2000–2023)
The educational support services industry has grown 177% since 2000 (from 3,267 to 9,042 firms).
See full historical statistics →Compare Educational Support Services revenue with other industries: