Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare
Also called: After School Site Director, Before and After School Program Director, Before and After School Site Director, Center Administrator, Center Manager, Child Care Center Administrator (Child Care Center Admin), Child Care Center Director, Child Care Director
Plan, direct, or coordinate academic or nonacademic activities of preschools or childcare centers and programs, including before- and after-school care.
What Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare do
Typical tasks
- Recruit, hire, train, and evaluate primary and supplemental staff and recommend personnel actions for programs and services.
- Confer with parents and staff to discuss educational activities and policies and students' behavioral or learning problems.
- Teach classes or courses or provide direct care to children.
- 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.
- Monitor students' progress and provide students and teachers with assistance in resolving any problems.
- Determine the scope of educational program offerings and prepare drafts of program schedules and descriptions to estimate staffing and facility requirements.
- Review and evaluate new and current programs to determine their efficiency, effectiveness, and compliance with state, local, and federal regulations and recommend any necessary modifications.
- Prepare and maintain attendance, activity, planning, accounting, or personnel reports and records for officials and agencies, or direct preparation and maintenance activities.
- Review and interpret government codes and develop procedures to meet codes and to ensure facility safety, security, and maintenance.
- Set educational standards and goals and help establish policies, procedures, and programs to carry them out.
- Prepare and submit budget requests or grant proposals to solicit program funding.
Typical path into the job (BLS)
Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare salary
The median annual wage for Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare is $59,300 (BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national). The lowest 10 percent earn less than $38,580 and the highest 10 percent earn more than $98,240. The mean annual wage is $64,800.
The mean hourly wage of $31.00 is 4.3× the federal minimum wage of $7.25. State minimums are higher in most large states. Minimum wage by state →
How does your pay compare with people your age?
Your numbers are not sent or stored. The comparison uses this occupation's BLS wage percentiles, adjusted for age with BLS median weekly earnings by age group (Q3 2026).
Pay by percentile
Annual wage percentiles from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Percentiles are a good proxy for pay by experience.
Projected pay for Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare (3, 5 and 10 years)est.
Today $59,300 → in 3 years $64,200 → in 5 years $67,600 → in 10 years $77,200 (10-year range $66,400–$89,600). The model assumes pay growth of +2.7% per year.
What drives the annual growth rate
Projected pay = current pay × (1 + annual growth)^years. The annual growth rate starts from a base wage-growth rate and adds or subtracts labor demand (BLS projected employment growth), wage momentum and AI replacement risk for each occupation. Projections are not guarantees. How it is calculated →
Outlook score for Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare
Each component is a percentile rank among all occupations in the same country (0–100). Weights: labor demand 25, wage momentum / openings 15, pay level 15, AI resistance 25, aging workforce 10 (Japan only), entry barrier 10.
Will AI replace Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare? AI replacement risk
How AI is changing this job
A written analysis for this occupation is being prepared.
AI replacement risk compares the parts of a job that are easy to hand to AI or software (processing information, documentation, repetitive computer work) with the parts that are hard to automate (physical work, working closely with people, judgment in unpredictable settings), using O*NET work activities, work context, skills and knowledge. The result is a relative position among all occupations in the country, scaled to 0–100%. Methodology →
Labor demand for Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare
Employment projections are from the BLS Employment Projections program (2025–35). Annual openings include both new jobs and replacement of workers who leave the occupation.
Skills, education and requirements for Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare
Key skills
O*NET skill level ratings (0–7).
Key knowledge areas
What the work involves
Important abilities
Training before entry
Related work experience
Job Zone 4 — considerable preparation needed (O*NET)
Difficulty of entry: ★★★☆☆ Moderate (from education, training, experience and Job Zone)
How to become Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare
A step-by-step guide for this occupation is being prepared. The education, training and experience data above show the typical path.
Career path and how to earn more as Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare
Career-path guidance is being prepared. Pay by percentile is shown in the Pay section.