Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare: Job Description
Plan, direct, or coordinate academic or nonacademic activities of preschools or childcare centers and programs, including before- and after-school care.
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The Daily Work of Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare Take On?
The core tasks performed by education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycare span:
- Confer with parents and staff to discuss educational activities and policies and students' behavioral or learning problems.
- Monitor students' progress and provide students and teachers with assistance in resolving any problems.
- Recruit, hire, train, and evaluate primary and supplemental staff and recommend personnel actions for programs and services.
- Teach classes or courses or provide direct care to children.
- Set educational standards and goals and help establish policies, procedures, and programs to carry them out.
- Determine the scope of educational program offerings and prepare drafts of program schedules and descriptions to estimate staffing and facility requirements.
- Determine allocations of funds for staff, supplies, materials, and equipment and authorize purchases.
- Direct and coordinate activities of teachers or administrators at daycare centers, schools, public agencies, or institutions.
Skills and Knowledge
Successful education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycare combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Key Skills
These are the skills most important for this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Core Knowledge
Related Job Titles
People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:
- After School Site Director
- Art Coordinator
- Assessment Coordinator
- Before and After School Program Director
- Before and After School Site Director
- Center Administrator
- Center Manager
- Child Care Center Administrator
Employment and Demand
There are roughly 102,953 education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycare working in the United States today. This occupation is expected to grow by +2.6% over the projection horizon.
Salary for Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $178,795 |
| Hourly median | $85.96 |
| 10th percentile | $109,923 |
| 25th percentile | $144,359 |
| 75th percentile | $213,231 |
| 90th percentile | $247,667 |
Compensation varies based on experience, location, and industry.
Pay by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| New York | $79,660 |
| District of Columbia | $76,270 |
| Massachusetts | $68,660 |
| New Mexico | $67,780 |
| New Jersey | $66,360 |
| California | $65,420 |
| Washington | $64,360 |
| Delaware | $63,950 |
| Hawaii | $63,220 |
| Nebraska | $61,590 |
| Colorado | $61,150 |
| Connecticut | $60,300 |
| Nevada | $60,200 |
| Minnesota | $59,850 |
| Virginia | $59,420 |
| Utah | $59,400 |
| Vermont | $58,260 |
| Wisconsin | $57,790 |
| South Dakota | $55,270 |
| Michigan | $55,100 |
| Oregon | $54,510 |
| Montana | $52,300 |
| Kansas | $51,670 |
| Maine | $50,620 |
| Pennsylvania | $50,540 |
| North Carolina | $50,270 |
| Indiana | $50,250 |
| Rhode Island | $50,130 |
| New Hampshire | $50,000 |
| Florida | $49,990 |
| Arizona | $49,220 |
| Illinois | $48,580 |
| Texas | $48,510 |
| Wyoming | $47,230 |
| Ohio | $47,140 |
| South Carolina | $46,650 |
| Iowa | $46,550 |
| North Dakota | $46,300 |
| Tennessee | $45,620 |
| Georgia | $44,510 |
| West Virginia | $44,240 |
| Oklahoma | $44,110 |
| Arkansas | $42,430 |
| Alabama | $41,150 |
| Mississippi | $40,630 |
| Louisiana | $40,220 |
| Puerto Rico | $39,370 |
| Missouri | $39,370 |
| Kentucky | $38,860 |
Pay by U.S. Region
Pay for education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycare shift depending on where you work. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middle Atlantic | $66,377 | 17.3% | 1.16 |
| Far Western US | $63,475 | 18.6% | 1.04 |
| New England | $61,846 | 7.5% | 1.38 |
| Rocky Mountains | $58,994 | 3.4% | 0.85 |
| Plains States | $53,851 | 5.7% | 1.07 |
| Great Lakes | $50,546 | 16.2% | 1.05 |
| Southwest | $49,060 | 14.6% | 1.00 |
| Southeast | $46,819 | 16.4% | 0.93 |
Top Metro Areas
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | NY | $79,000 | 4,740 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | WA | $77,390 | 950 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $77,120 | 680 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $76,580 | 1,490 |
| Salinas, CA | CA | $74,690 | 70 |
| Modesto, CA | CA | $73,660 | 90 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | CT | $71,280 | 360 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | MA | $71,240 | 1,730 |
Which Industries Hire Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare
The bulk of education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycare are concentrated in the following sectors:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 61,760 | $54,670 |
| Educational Services | 5,610 | $72,720 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 2,530 | $59,740 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 770 | $80,050 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 240 | $56,500 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 40 | $50,010 |
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Tools and Technology
- Accounting software: Intuit QuickBooks (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
The Day-to-Day Environment
The work environment for education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycare reflects the following characteristics:
- Contact With Others
- Telephone Conversations
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Work Outcomes and Results of Other Workers
Getting Started in This Career
Typical education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycare positions require an associate’s degree as the typical entry-level education. This career aligns with Considerable Preparation Needed (Job Zone 4), indicating the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
- Training and Development Managers (Primary-Long)
- Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary (Primary-Short)
- Education Administrators, Postsecondary (Supplemental)
- Medical and Health Services Managers (Supplemental)
- Social and Community Service Managers (Primary-Short)
- Management Analysts (Supplemental)
- Training and Development Specialists (Supplemental)
- Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors (Supplemental)
Where to Study
Aspiring education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycare often complete programs in:
Education
5 programs across 1 majors
About the Data
Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 11-9031.00 (Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare).