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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What Tasks Do Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare Perform?
Typical responsibilities of education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycare cover:
- 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
Top education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycare combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Most Important Skills
These are the skills most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Other Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare Job Titles
This career also goes by job titles like:
- 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
Job Outlook
There are about 102,953 education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycare working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to grow by +2.6% over the projection horizon.
How Much Do Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare Make?
| 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 |
Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.
Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare Salary 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 |
Where Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare Earn the Most
Earnings for education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycare shift depending on where you work. Top regions by median wage:
| 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 |
Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare
| 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 |
Top Industries Employing Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare
The largest employers of education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycare are found across these industries:
| 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.
Tech Stack
- 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 tends to involve the following characteristics:
- Contact With Others
- Telephone Conversations
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Work Outcomes and Results of Other Workers
Education and Training
Entry-level education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycare positions require an associate’s degree as the typical entry-level education. This occupation sits in Considerable Preparation Needed (Job Zone 4), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.
Other Careers to Consider
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)
Top Programs to Study For This Career
Students preparing for education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycare commonly pursue programs in:
Education
5 programs across 1 majors
References
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).