Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare: salary, outlook & degrees

Plan, direct, or coordinate academic or nonacademic activities of preschools or childcare centers and programs, including before- and after-school care.

U.S. median wage
$59,300

Middle half $47,040–$75,500. 73,660 jobs.

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025

Ages 25-34 in this job
—

Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers with at least a high school diploma; EducationGuide calculation

Outlook, 2025-35
-3.1%

About 5,200 openings a year, including replacements.

BLS Employment Projections 2025-35

Typical entry
Bachelor's degree

Considerable preparation (usually a bachelor's).

BLS; O*NET 31.0 job zone

Pay by state and metro

StateMedian wage
New York$96,810
New Jersey$78,770
District of Columbia$77,850
Alaska$75,540
Washington$70,470
Massachusetts$70,320
California$67,100
Hawaii$65,080
Colorado$64,620
South Dakota$63,240
Vermont$63,220
Maryland$62,520
Minnesota$62,020
Utah$60,980
Georgia$60,300
Oregon$60,250
Nevada$60,120
Maine$60,090
Wisconsin$59,930
Connecticut$59,760
Indiana$58,740
Illinois$58,550
Delaware$58,230
North Carolina$57,200
Kansas$56,970
Michigan$56,870
Florida$56,750
Pennsylvania$56,380
Wyoming$56,170
Nebraska$56,160
Rhode Island$55,290
New Hampshire$55,120
Virginia$53,320
North Dakota$51,390
South Carolina$51,200
Texas$50,840
Mississippi$49,740
Ohio$49,580
Tennessee$49,200
Idaho$48,530
Arizona$48,160
Montana$48,140
Missouri$47,940
Iowa$47,480
Oklahoma$46,690
Louisiana$46,030
PR$45,990
West Virginia$45,660
Arkansas$44,990
Kentucky$44,530
Alabama$41,780
GU$33,030

Largest metro areas for this job

  • New York-Newark-Jersey City NY-NJ$98,470
  • Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim CA$67,140
  • Chicago-Naperville-Elgin IL-IN$59,150
  • Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington PA-NJ-DE-MD$58,960
  • Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach FL$56,680
  • San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont CA$78,770
  • Boston-Cambridge-Newton MA-NH$72,560
  • Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands TX$53,520
  • Washington-Arlington-Alexandria DC-VA-MD-WV$61,960
  • Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington TX$49,390
  • Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell GA$60,290
  • Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue WA$70,470

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025: median annual wage, all workers in the job. Metro areas: the largest by employment.

What the work takes

Top skills

  • Reading Comprehension
  • Active Listening
  • Speaking
  • Critical Thinking
  • Writing

Knowledge used

  • Education and Training
  • Administration and Management
  • Personnel and Human Resources
  • Customer and Personal Service
  • Administrative

Work styles

  • Dependability
  • Cooperation
  • Integrity
  • Leadership Orientation
  • Empathy

People in this job tend to have Social (helping), Enterprising (leading), Conventional (organizing) interests.

O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0): skills and knowledge by importance; work styles; interest high points.

Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare: questions

How much do education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare make?

Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare earn a U.S. median $59,300 a year; the middle half earn $47,040 to $75,500 (BLS, May 2025).

Is education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare a growing field?

BLS projects a decline of 3.1% from 2025 to 2035, with about 5,200 openings a year, including replacements.

What degree do you need to be an education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare?

BLS lists the typical entry education as bachelor's degree.

How much do education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare make in Florida?

The median in Florida is $56,750 a year (BLS, May 2025), compared with $59,300 nationally.

Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35); O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0); U.S. Census Bureau ACS microdata. SOC 11-9031. Method
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