Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare
Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare (SOC 11-9031) earn a median $59,300 a year ($28.51 an hour) in the United States, with 73,660 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is New York.
What education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycare do
Education and childcare administrators for preschool and daycare run the programs and centers that care for and teach young children, including before-school and after-school programs. Their work can be academic or nonacademic, depending on the program. Their duties blend management and direct contact: meeting with parents and staff about activities, policies, and children's progress, setting educational standards and goals, and developing the programs and procedures to meet them. They recruit, hire, train, and evaluate teachers and aides, and they may also teach a class or care for children themselves. They decide how funds are allocated to staff, supplies, materials, and equipment and authorize purchases. The occupation is distinct from preschool teachers and childcare workers, who work directly with groups of children without running the center. Administrators of kindergarten through secondary schools are classified separately. Titles include center director, program director, and after school site director. They also draft program schedules and descriptions to estimate staffing and facility requirements.
Typical entry: O*NET respondents most often report an associate degree as the typical level of education for this occupation.
Also called: After School Site Director, Art Coordinator, Assessment Coordinator, Before and After School Program Director, Before and After School Site Director.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $18.55 | $22.62 | $28.51 | $36.30 | $47.23 | $31.15 | 73,660 |
| Annual | $38,580 | $47,040 | $59,300 | $75,500 | $98,240 | $64,800 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycare earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York | Hourly | $27.78 | $35.19 | $46.54 | $49.80 | $75.21 | $47.26 | 3,950 | 0.41 | 0.86 |
| Annual | $57,770 | $73,190 | $96,810 | $103,570 | $156,440 | $98,290 | ||||
| New Jersey | Hourly | $23.90 | $28.75 | $37.87 | $50.28 | $69.65 | $42.15 | 2,900 | 0.68 | 1.43 |
| Annual | $49,710 | $59,800 | $78,770 | $104,570 | $144,870 | $87,680 | ||||
| District of Columbia | Hourly | $23.27 | $26.93 | $37.43 | $50.19 | $65.08 | $42.87 | 410 | 0.59 | 1.25 |
| Annual | $48,410 | $56,020 | $77,850 | $104,390 | $135,360 | $89,180 | ||||
| Alaska | Hourly | $21.37 | $32.02 | $36.32 | $44.88 | $51.45 | $37.90 | 60 | 0.19 | 0.39 |
| Annual | $44,440 | $66,610 | $75,540 | $93,350 | $107,010 | $78,830 | ||||
| Washington | Hourly | $23.59 | $26.22 | $33.88 | $42.09 | $51.91 | $38.27 | 1,560 | 0.44 | 0.93 |
| Annual | $49,060 | $54,530 | $70,470 | $87,560 | $107,980 | $79,600 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $22.88 | $25.97 | $32.26 | $38.77 | $48.46 | $35.50 | 9,810 | 0.54 | 1.14 |
| Annual | $47,590 | $54,020 | $67,100 | $80,640 | $100,800 | $73,830 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $18.71 | $22.01 | $27.28 | $30.74 | $37.84 | $28.58 | 5,980 | 0.60 | 1.27 |
| Annual | $38,910 | $45,790 | $56,750 | $63,930 | $78,700 | $59,440 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $16.89 | $20.29 | $24.44 | $29.34 | $36.21 | $26.46 | 5,480 | 0.39 | 0.82 |
| Annual | $35,130 | $42,200 | $50,840 | $61,040 | $75,310 | $55,050 | ||||
| Pennsylvania | Hourly | $18.20 | $22.36 | $27.11 | $29.71 | $35.35 | $26.78 | 4,100 | 0.68 | 1.43 |
| Annual | $37,860 | $46,500 | $56,380 | $61,790 | $73,520 | $55,700 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $27.78 | $35.19 | $46.54 | $49.80 | $75.21 | $47.26 | 3,950 | 0.41 | 0.86 |
| Annual | $57,770 | $73,190 | $96,810 | $103,570 | $156,440 | $98,290 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $27.31 | $35.38 | $47.34 | $50.33 | $76.02 | $47.85 | 5,020 | 0.53 | 1.12 |
| Annual | $56,800 | $73,600 | $98,470 | $104,680 | $158,110 | $99,530 | ||||
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | Hourly | $24.01 | $30.84 | $40.19 | $41.07 | $63.82 | $40.42 | 40 | 0.77 | 1.62 |
| Annual | $49,950 | $64,150 | $83,600 | $85,430 | $132,750 | $84,070 | ||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $24.51 | $29.79 | $37.87 | $44.82 | $60.31 | $39.92 | 1,920 | 0.81 | 1.71 |
| Annual | $50,990 | $61,950 | $78,770 | $93,220 | $125,440 | $83,040 | ||||
| Salinas, CA | Hourly | $22.73 | $26.79 | $36.84 | $41.94 | $67.61 | $38.49 | 120 | 0.64 | 1.35 |
| Annual | $47,280 | $55,730 | $76,620 | $87,220 | $140,630 | $80,060 | ||||
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | Hourly | $23.36 | $28.89 | $36.73 | $46.86 | $59.80 | $40.20 | 160 | 0.65 | 1.37 |
| Annual | $48,600 | $60,080 | $76,390 | $97,460 | $124,380 | $83,620 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $27.31 | $35.38 | $47.34 | $50.33 | $76.02 | $47.85 | 5,020 | 0.53 | 1.12 |
| Annual | $56,800 | $73,600 | $98,470 | $104,680 | $158,110 | $99,530 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $22.88 | $25.38 | $32.28 | $38.61 | $43.79 | $33.93 | 2,570 | 0.41 | 0.87 |
| Annual | $47,590 | $52,790 | $67,140 | $80,320 | $91,070 | $70,570 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $21.01 | $21.60 | $28.44 | $35.42 | $37.74 | $29.10 | 2,530 | 0.56 | 1.18 |
| Annual | $43,700 | $44,930 | $59,150 | $73,680 | $78,500 | $60,520 | ||||
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Hourly | $20.57 | $24.00 | $28.35 | $33.53 | $43.88 | $30.56 | 2,450 | 0.85 | 1.79 |
| Annual | $42,780 | $49,920 | $58,960 | $69,750 | $91,260 | $63,560 | ||||
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | Hourly | $18.29 | $21.73 | $27.25 | $31.58 | $37.60 | $28.67 | 2,060 | 0.73 | 1.54 |
| Annual | $38,040 | $45,210 | $56,680 | $65,680 | $78,210 | $59,630 | ||||
Top industries employing education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycare
Child Care Services employ 82.2% of education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycare nationally (60,540 jobs) at a median $58,090 a year ($27.93 an hour), followed by Elementary and Secondary Schools (6.4%) and Individual and Family Services (2.6%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Child Care Services NAICS 624400 | 60,540 | 82.2% | $58,090 | $27.93 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools NAICS 611100 | 4,680 | 6.4% | $76,220 | $36.65 |
| Individual and Family Services NAICS 624100 | 1,900 | 2.6% | $70,380 | $33.84 |
| Religious Organizations NAICS 813100 | 980 | 1.3% | $63,590 | $30.57 |
| Civic and Social Organizations NAICS 813400 | 920 | 1.2% | $59,860 | $28.78 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (73,660). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $47,310 for education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycare in May 2021 and $59,300 in May 2025, with employment of 56,430 and 73,660.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $47,310 | $22.75 | 56,430 |
| May 2022 | $49,690 | $23.89 | 60,010 |
| May 2023 | $54,290 | $26.10 | 64,090 |
| May 2024 | $56,270 | $27.05 | 71,620 |
| May 2025 | $59,300 | $28.51 | 73,660 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
50 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York profile | $46.54 | $96,810 | $57,770 | $156,440 | 3,950 | 0.41 | 0.86 |
| 2 | New Jersey profile | $37.87 | $78,770 | $49,710 | $144,870 | 2,900 | 0.68 | 1.43 |
| 3 | District of Columbia profile | $37.43 | $77,850 | $48,410 | $135,360 | 410 | 0.59 | 1.25 |
| 4 | Alaska profile | $36.32 | $75,540 | $44,440 | $107,010 | 60 | 0.19 | 0.39 |
| 5 | Washington profile | $33.88 | $70,470 | $49,060 | $107,980 | 1,560 | 0.44 | 0.93 |
| 6 | Massachusetts profile | $33.81 | $70,320 | $47,530 | $102,570 | 2,260 | 0.62 | 1.31 |
| 7 | California profile | $32.26 | $67,100 | $47,590 | $100,800 | 9,810 | 0.54 | 1.14 |
| 8 | Hawaii profile | $31.29 | $65,080 | $51,720 | $93,210 | 260 | 0.42 | 0.89 |
| 9 | Colorado profile | $31.07 | $64,620 | $48,970 | $96,490 | 1,150 | 0.40 | 0.85 |
| 10 | South Dakota profile | $30.41 | $63,240 | $41,800 | $77,690 | 150 | 0.32 | 0.67 |
| 11 | Vermont profile | $30.39 | $63,220 | $48,540 | $88,780 | 190 | 0.61 | 1.29 |
| 12 | Maryland profile | $30.06 | $62,520 | $49,730 | $99,470 | 1,270 | 0.46 | 0.97 |
| 13 | Minnesota profile | $29.82 | $62,020 | $43,990 | $88,030 | 1,010 | 0.34 | 0.73 |
| 14 | Utah profile | $29.32 | $60,980 | $40,190 | $102,230 | 400 | 0.23 | 0.49 |
| 15 | Georgia profile | $28.99 | $60,300 | $38,580 | $76,830 | 1,550 | 0.32 | 0.67 |
| 16 | Oregon profile | $28.97 | $60,250 | $43,680 | $87,800 | 1,230 | 0.63 | 1.32 |
| 17 | Nevada profile | $28.91 | $60,120 | $36,060 | $103,100 | ** | ** | ** |
| 18 | Maine profile | $28.89 | $60,090 | $42,870 | $77,000 | 240 | 0.38 | 0.80 |
| 19 | Wisconsin profile | $28.81 | $59,930 | $39,420 | $76,430 | 1,320 | 0.45 | 0.95 |
| 20 | Connecticut profile | $28.73 | $59,760 | $40,290 | $102,810 | 1,290 | 0.76 | 1.61 |
| 21 | Indiana profile | $28.24 | $58,740 | $36,840 | $91,250 | 750 | 0.24 | 0.50 |
| 22 | Illinois profile | $28.15 | $58,550 | $43,700 | $78,500 | 3,090 | 0.51 | 1.07 |
| 23 | Delaware profile | $27.99 | $58,230 | $43,910 | $92,630 | 420 | 0.87 | 1.84 |
| 24 | North Carolina profile | $27.50 | $57,200 | $38,480 | $89,120 | 2,410 | 0.49 | 1.03 |
| 25 | Kansas profile | $27.39 | $56,970 | $41,080 | $82,480 | 600 | 0.42 | 0.88 |
| 26 | Michigan profile | $27.34 | $56,870 | $38,670 | $82,630 | 1,890 | 0.43 | 0.91 |
| 27 | Florida profile | $27.28 | $56,750 | $38,910 | $78,700 | 5,980 | 0.60 | 1.27 |
| 28 | Pennsylvania profile | $27.11 | $56,380 | $37,860 | $73,520 | 4,100 | 0.68 | 1.43 |
| 29 | Wyoming profile | $27.01 | $56,170 | $34,700 | $104,000 | 160 | 0.57 | 1.19 |
| 30 | Nebraska profile | $27.00 | $56,160 | $43,570 | $97,570 | 550 | 0.53 | 1.13 |
| 31 | Rhode Island profile | $26.58 | $55,290 | $49,590 | $69,780 | 390 | 0.78 | 1.65 |
| 32 | New Hampshire profile | $26.50 | $55,120 | $36,780 | $74,740 | 410 | 0.60 | 1.26 |
| 33 | Virginia profile | $25.64 | $53,320 | $41,470 | $78,230 | 1,590 | 0.39 | 0.82 |
| 34 | North Dakota profile | $24.71 | $51,390 | $35,580 | $91,650 | 290 | 0.67 | 1.41 |
| 35 | South Carolina profile | $24.61 | $51,200 | $33,960 | $83,730 | 700 | 0.31 | 0.64 |
| 36 | Texas profile | $24.44 | $50,840 | $35,130 | $75,310 | 5,480 | 0.39 | 0.82 |
| 37 | Mississippi profile | $23.91 | $49,740 | $29,100 | $74,880 | 580 | 0.50 | 1.06 |
| 38 | Ohio profile | $23.84 | $49,580 | $36,790 | $77,830 | 3,030 | 0.55 | 1.15 |
| 39 | Tennessee profile | $23.65 | $49,200 | $39,670 | $79,290 | 710 | 0.22 | 0.46 |
| 40 | Idaho profile | $23.33 | $48,530 | $38,230 | $69,630 | 200 | 0.24 | 0.50 |
| 41 | Arizona profile | $23.15 | $48,160 | $36,680 | $75,770 | 1,210 | 0.37 | 0.79 |
| 42 | Montana profile | $23.14 | $48,140 | $33,280 | $63,230 | 180 | 0.35 | 0.73 |
| 43 | Missouri profile | $23.05 | $47,940 | $29,950 | $85,770 | 1,060 | 0.36 | 0.77 |
| 44 | Iowa profile | $22.83 | $47,480 | $36,080 | $73,290 | 1,020 | 0.66 | 1.38 |
| 45 | Oklahoma profile | $22.45 | $46,690 | $34,630 | $82,580 | 830 | 0.49 | 1.03 |
| 46 | Louisiana profile | $22.13 | $46,030 | $30,190 | $70,750 | 690 | 0.36 | 0.75 |
| 47 | West Virginia profile | $21.95 | $45,660 | $33,500 | $75,600 | 290 | 0.41 | 0.87 |
| 48 | Arkansas profile | $21.63 | $44,990 | $28,780 | $77,850 | 1,090 | 0.83 | 1.76 |
| 49 | Kentucky profile | $21.41 | $44,530 | $31,200 | $71,300 | 1,000 | 0.50 | 1.06 |
| 50 | Alabama profile | $20.09 | $41,780 | $27,290 | $77,530 | 940 | 0.44 | 0.94 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (11-9030), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Management Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 11-9031 Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 11-9031, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 11-9031.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.