Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare Salary
Management Occupations · 74K employed in the U.S.
Median annual
$59,300
Median hourly
$29
Average annual
$64,800
Typical range
$38,580–$98,240
Pay distribution
10th to 90th percentile, with the median marked.
What this role pays
The median annual salary for Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare is $59,300 as of May 2025, based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. That works out to about $29 an hour at a full-time schedule.
Plan, direct, or coordinate academic or nonacademic activities of preschools or childcare centers and programs, including before- and after-school care..
Most earn between $38,580 and $98,240 a year. There are roughly 74K people employed as education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycare in the United States. Use the state and metro pages below to see how pay changes by location, and the calculator to convert any hourly or annual figure.
Salary calculator
Convert your pay and see where it lands for Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare.
- Hourly
- $28.51
- Daily
- $228
- Weekly
- $1,140
- Bi-weekly
- $2,281
- Monthly
- $4,942
- Annual
- $59,300
$59,300 a year is around the 50th percentile for Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycares. The median is $59,300.
Highest-paying states
Median annual wage by state.
- 1New York$96,810
- 2New Jersey$78,770
- 3District of Columbia$77,850
- 4Alaska$75,540
- 5Washington$70,470
- 6Massachusetts$70,320
- 7California$67,100
- 8Hawaii$65,080
- 9Colorado$64,620
- 10South Dakota$63,240
- 11Vermont$63,220
- 12Maryland$62,520
Top-paying metro areas
Median annual wage by metro area.
- 1New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$98,470
- 2Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA$83,600
- 3San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$78,770
- 4Salinas, CA$76,620
- 5Trenton-Princeton, NJ$76,390
- 6Barnstable Town, MA$74,080
- 7Vineland, NJ$73,480
- 8Visalia, CA$73,100
- 9Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY$72,910
- 10Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$72,560
- 11Yakima, WA$72,250
- 12Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA$71,150
Related job titles
Employers advertise Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare roles under these titles.
- Before and After School Site Director
- Center Administrator
- Child Care Center Administrator
- Child Care Center Director
- Child Care Director
- Childcare Center Administrator
- Childcare Center Director
- Childcare Director
- Day Care Center Director
- Daycare Director
- Daycare Manager
- Early Childhood Education Director
- Early Childhood Program Supervisor (ECP Supervisor)
- Early Head Start Director
- Education Site Manager
- Head Start Director
Related occupations
- Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary$105,870
- Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education$38,140
- Social and Community Service Managers$80,390
- Training and Development Managers$133,000
- Special Education Teachers, Secondary School$74,260
- Childcare Workers$34,980
- Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education$62,680
- Health Education Specialists$64,070
What a Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare does
- Confer with parents and staff to discuss educational activities and policies and students' behavioral or learning problems.
- Recruit, hire, train, and evaluate primary and supplemental staff and recommend personnel actions for programs and services.
- Determine allocations of funds for staff, supplies, materials, and equipment and authorize purchases.
- Collect and analyze survey data, regulatory information, and demographic and employment trends to forecast enrollment patterns and the need for curriculum changes.
- Monitor students' progress and provide students and teachers with assistance in resolving any problems.
- Teach classes or courses or provide direct care to children.
- Determine the scope of educational program offerings and prepare drafts of program schedules and descriptions to estimate staffing and facility requirements.
- Direct and coordinate activities of teachers or administrators at daycare centers, schools, public agencies, or institutions.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare make?
- The median annual wage for Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare is $59,300 ($29 per hour). Pay ranges from about $38,580 at the 10th percentile to $98,240 at the 90th percentile.
- What is the average salary for a Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare?
- The average (mean) annual salary is $64,800, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.
- Which state pays Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycares the most?
- New York has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $96,810.
- Is Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare a growing occupation?
- BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 74K people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.
- What does a Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare do?
- Confer with parents and staff to discuss educational activities and policies and students' behavioral or learning problems.; Recruit, hire, train, and evaluate primary and supplemental staff and recommend personnel actions for programs and services.; Determine allocations of funds for staff, supplies, materials, and equipment and authorize purchases..