NBOA President and CEO
Happy New Year! To kick-off 2025, I’m pleased to share our newest research report “Demographics of the Independent School Business Office: Key Research Findings 2025.” Top of mind for many heads of school and trustees are school leadership turnover as well as retention of faculty and staff who are essential to support the world-class PK-12 education at your school. These findings will help school leaders benchmark the financial and human resources within the business office, as well as understand their own office profile to best manage these resources and plan for the future.
"Demographics of the Independent School Business Office: Key Research Findings 2025” has all the usual components that make you, members of the independent school business leader community, eager to download it: analysis of professional, educational and demographic backgrounds of all types of business office staff as well as salary tables of different business office positions. In addition, this year’s report includes expanded demographic analysis of not just age, gender and racial demographics but also disability status and sexual orientation, to better understand the full range of our membership’s diversity and to further the association’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.
Also included in the survey are new questions tracking trends such as hybrid work and technology use in the business office, particularly AI. You may or may not be surprised to learn that more than 20% of business office staff are already using AI in A/R and benefits processing functions, and an additional 32-36% are considering it – meaning more than half of the independent school business office is moving toward adopting this technology or has already done so. Just 15-17% said they will not use AI in these areas, while about a quarter of respondents are unsure about its use. This is just a small sample of the data on business office trends within the report.
In terms of the demographics of business office staff, those we serve have become more racially diverse: Whereas 18% of business office employees identified as nonwhite in 2020, 25% do so now. And one of the most striking findings in the new report was that while gender diversity remains roughly the same, the gender pay gap has increased significantly. Whereas in 2020 the gender pay gap was aligned with the national average across sectors, currently it is wider, across all positions in the business office. Men and women have both seen salary bumps over the past four years, but men’s salaries have risen faster than women’s.
The report includes a one-page executive summary, analysis accompanied by infographics and charts, and an appendix of tables with data sliced and diced by school size and region. The survey was developed and administered by McKinley Advisors, an association-focused consulting firm, under the guidance of NBOA’s senior director, research and data analysis, Elizabeth Dabney.
I hope that the survey results answer questions NBOA members have been asking about working in the business office, such as the prevalence of hybrid /remote work, the use of AI, the most common responsibilities among those in different roles and what trends are top-of-mind among those in the business office.
“I was thrilled, but not surprised, to see that business office staff and leadership continue to be fulfilled by their careers in independent schools,” she commented. “I hope that the survey results answer questions NBOA members have been asking about working in the business office, such as the prevalence of hybrid /remote work, the use of AI, the most common responsibilities among those in different roles and what trends are top-of-mind among those in the business office.”
Sincere thanks to all 656 of you who participated in the survey. Without your participation, we would not be able to offer this valuable member benefit, which for the first time is now available to nonmembers for purchase at a $125 value.
Best wishes for an energized and exciting 2025. I hope this report and all of NBOA’s offerings help move your business office and your school forward in the weeks and months ahead. We know you have a lot on your plate for the remainder of this school year, and we aim to help you each step of the way.
Follow NBOA President and CEO Jeff Shields on LinkedIn.
