The article discusses the theoretical and methodological questions of the development of labor motivation in the sphere of higher education. The main problems of motivation of labor of the higher education system, the analysis of system of management of quality of education, summarizes trends of socio-labor motivation in the higher educational institution. In the opinion of the authors of the article, the main problem of formation of motivation of management staff in the education system is the problem of improving the quality of the system itself, adapting it to modern conditions, as well as the relationship with the individual complex of knowledge and skills of the leader and his team.