Average Education And Childcare Administrators, Preschool And Daycare Salary in the United States
The national median salary for Education And Childcare Administrators, Preschool And Daycare is $56,270 per year. The middle 50% earn between $45,310 and $72,690, with 71,620 workers employed nationally.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2024 estimates . Data covers 49 states and 239 metro areas.
Wage range
Pay distribution
Here is how Education And Childcare Administrators, Preschool And Daycare pay is distributed across workers nationally. The 10th percentile typically reflects entry-level or early-career pay, the median is the midpoint, and the 90th percentile represents the top earners in the field.
- 10th
- $37,060
- 25th
- $45,310
- Median
- $56,270
- 75th
- $72,690
- 90th
- $96,400
All values are percentiles of annual wages.
Education And Childcare Administrators, Preschool And Daycare earn close to the national median for all US workers. Solidly middle-income.
Pay varies significantly across workers. Seniority, employer size, and specialization all move the needle, so it is normal for two education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycare at different points in their careers to earn very different salaries.
BLS projections
Job outlook
BLS projects employment for education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycare from 2024 to 2034. This occupation is projected to shrink. Workers may face more competition for fewer openings, and the role may see automation or consolidation pressure.
- Projected growth
- -2.5%
- -2,300 net jobs over the projection period.
- Annual openings
- 5,500
- Includes growth plus replacements for workers who leave.
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- Work experience
- Less than 5 years
A bachelor's degree is the typical entry requirement for education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycare.
Where Education And Childcare Administrators, Preschool And Daycare earn the most
Location matters a lot. The gap between top-paying and bottom-paying states is large, so where education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycare work can reshape their total compensation. Right now, the top-paying state is New York at $79,660, about 41.6% above the national median. At the metro level, New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ leads with a median of $79,000.
By state
Top-paying states
| State | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| New York | $79,660 | 3,810 |
| District of Columbia | $76,270 | 380 |
| Massachusetts | $68,660 | 2,230 |
| New Mexico | $67,780 | 370 |
| New Jersey | $66,360 | 2,820 |
| California | $65,420 | 8,290 |
| Washington | $64,360 | 1,580 |
| Delaware | $63,950 | 390 |
By metro
Top-paying metros
| Metro area | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $79,000 | 4,740 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $77,390 | 950 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $77,120 | 680 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $76,580 | 1,490 |
| Salinas, CA | $74,690 | 70 |
| Modesto, CA | $73,660 | 90 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $71,280 | 360 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $71,240 | 1,730 |
Compare two locations side by side
Pick two states or metros to see education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycare pay in each, along with a cost-of-living adjusted view.
Salary trend and related occupations
Between 2019 and 2024, the national median salary for Education And Childcare Administrators, Preschool And Daycare rose from $48,210 to $56,270, a gain of +16.7% in nominal dollars.
Over the same period, US consumer prices rose by +22.7%. Just to keep pace with inflation, the 2019 median of $48,210 would need to be worth $59,153 in 2024 dollars.
The actual 2024 median of $56,270 is −$2,883 below that inflation-adjusted benchmark, a real change of -4.9% in purchasing power.
Adjusted for inflation, pay has lost ground. Nominal growth of 16.7% has not kept up with rising prices.
- Nominal change
- +16.7%
- 2019–2024
- Cumulative inflation
- +22.7%
- US CPI, 2019–2024
- Real change
- -4.9%
- After adjusting for inflation
Annual history
Median salary over time
Education And Childcare Administrators, Preschool And Daycare median pay by year, going back through the available BLS releases.
- 2019
- $48,210
- 2020
- $49,160
- 2021
- $47,310
- 2022
- $49,690
- 2023
- $54,290
- 2024
- $56,270
Similar jobs
Related occupations
Other occupations in the same field, with median pay for comparison.
- Food Service Managers
- $65,310
- Lodging Managers
- $68,130
- Gambling Managers
- $85,580
Common salary questions for Education And Childcare Administrators, Preschool And Daycare
What does the median salary mean? +
The median is the midpoint of all wages. Half of Education And Childcare Administrators, Preschool And Daycare workers earn more and half earn less. It is a better measure of typical pay than the average, which can be skewed by very high or very low earners.
Why does pay vary so much by location? +
Local labor markets, cost of living, industry concentration, and employer competition all affect wages. High-cost metros like San Francisco and New York often pay more in nominal terms, though some of that premium is offset by higher living costs.
How current is this salary data? +
This page uses the May 2024 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release. BLS publishes OEWS data once per year, typically in the spring for the previous May reference period.
What do the percentile ranges tell me? +
The 10th and 90th percentiles show the full pay band. The 25th to 75th percentile range, the middle 50%, is where most workers fall. A wide spread usually means experience, specialization, or location matter a lot for this occupation.