What certifications should education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycares get?

Top-ROI certifications for education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycares: Bachelor's in Early Childhood Education or Child Development ($40-140k program cost; often subsidized via T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood Scholarship in 24+ states); Master's in Educational Leadership / M.Ed. Early Childhood Education / M.Ed. Educational Administration ($25-70k program cost; Section 127 subsidy $5,250/yr + employer top-up $8-15k/yr at chain employers); State Director Credential (varies by state — FL Director Credential, GA Director Approval, NC Level III, PA Director Credential, TX Director Trainer) ($500-3,000 per credential; typically employer-paid).

Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare Salary

Q: Which state pays education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycares the most?

The highest paying state for education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycares is New York at $96,810 median salary.

Q: What interview questions are asked for education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycare roles?

Common education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycare interview questions include: "Walk me through how you'd prepare for an unannounced state licensing inspection.", "Describe how you'd close a 30% teacher-turnover problem.", "Describe how you'd pursue NAEYC accreditation at a currently unaccredited center.". Interview format at top employers ranges from behavioral panels (STAR method) to technical case rounds — for example KinderCare Learning Companies (KinderCare + Champions + Crème School) typically uses 3-5 rounds over 3-5 weeks.

Q: What is the career ladder for education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycares?

The typical education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycare career ladder: Assistant Director / Program Coordinator (2-5 yrs, $38-52k salaried + benefits + child-care discount for staff (typically 50%)) → Center Director (5-10 yrs, $55-78k salaried + 8-12% bonus + benefits + child-care discount + tuition support at chains) → Multi-Site District / Area Manager (10-16 yrs, $78-115k + 12-15% bonus + car allowance + LTIP + full benefits) → Regional Director / Sr Regional Director (14-22 yrs, $105-155k + 15-18% bonus + LTIP + equity + full executive benefits).

The median education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycare salary in the United States is $59,300 per year ($28.51/hour). Salaries range from $38,580 at the entry level to $98,240+ for the top 10% of earners. There are 73,660 education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycare jobs nationwide. Employment is projected to decline 2.5% through 2034.

Last updated: June 2026 · Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Median Salary

$59,300

per year

Hourly Rate

$28.51

per hour

Employment

73,660

jobs in the U.S.

Salary Distribution

10th percentile

$38,580

25th percentile

$47,040

Median

$59,300

75th percentile

$75,500

90th percentile

$98,240

Job Growth (2024-2034)

-2.5%

Decline

Annual Openings

5,500

jobs/year (growth + replacements)

Education Required

Bachelor's degree

+ Less than 5 years experience

Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare Career Guide

Interview questions, resume templates, and a career ladder written specifically for education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycares.

Preschool and daycare administrators (BLS SOC 11-9031) run the operational, regulatory, and pedagogical side of a licensed early-childhood site — enrollment and family relations, teacher hiring and retention, ratio compliance, curriculum and assessment, state licensing inspections, food-program compliance, subsidy billing, and center P&L. Typical seats: Center Director at KinderCare, Bright Horizons (employer-sponsored on-site centers at Fortune-500 clients), Learning Care Group (La Petite Academy, Childtime, Tutor Time, The Children's Courtyard), Primrose Schools, Goddard School, Kiddie Academy, Chesterbrook Academy; Head Start / Early Head Start director at a federal grantee (community-action agency, school district, or tribal grantee); state PreK site director in the Georgia Pre-K program, Oklahoma Pre-K, NYC 3-K / Pre-K for All, New Jersey Abbott Preschool, Boston K1; church-based or independent nonprofit preschool director; family child-care home operator scaling to a group home. BLS reports 73,660 employed with a median of $59,300, p10 $34,780, p90 $101,860+. Entry Assistant Director $38-52k; established Center Director $55-78k; multi-site District / Area Manager $78-115k; Regional Director $105-155k; VP Operations at a national chain $155-285k+. The single biggest earnings lever is a Bachelor's in Early Childhood Education or Child Development + a state director credential + NAEYC-accredited-center leadership experience + moving to a Bright Horizons employer-sponsored center or a multi-site district role.

Core Skills Hiring Managers Screen For

State licensing regulations and inspection readiness

Every state runs its own child-care licensing regime under DHS / DCF / DCYF / DEL / OCFS or equivalent agency. Master ratios (typically 1:4 infants, 1:6 toddlers, 1:10 preschool, 1:12 pre-K in most states — CA and NY are stricter, TX and FL more permissive), square-footage-per-child requirements (typically 35 sq ft indoor + 75 sq ft outdoor), background-check compliance (fingerprint + FBI + state central registry + sex-offender registry under CCDBG 2014 amendments), CPR / first-aid staff-hour requirements, immunization and health-record file discipline, transportation rules if the center runs vans, and playground safety per CPSC guidelines. Unannounced inspection readiness is a monthly discipline — a single ratio violation can trigger a corrective-action plan or provisional license.

NAEYC accreditation and QRIS (Quality Rating Improvement System) navigation

NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children) accreditation is the gold-standard voluntary quality mark — 10 standards, 5-year cycle, self-study + candidacy + on-site validation visit. Roughly 6,500 accredited programs nationally. QRIS is the state-level tiered quality rating (typically 1-5 stars) that gates subsidy reimbursement rates in most states — Parent Aware (MN), Quality Counts (NC), Keystone STARS (PA), STARS to QUALITY (MT), TQRIS (CA), Step Up To Quality (OH), ExceleRate (IL). Higher star ratings unlock 5-25% higher subsidy reimbursement + differential-payment bonuses in most states. Environment Rating Scales (ECERS-3, ITERS-3, FCCERS-R, SACERS-U) and CLASS (Classroom Assessment Scoring System) are the observation tools used for QRIS scoring.

Curriculum, assessment, and developmentally appropriate practice (DAP)

Curriculum selection — Creative Curriculum by Teaching Strategies (with GOLD assessment), HighScope (with COR Advantage), Reggio Emilia-inspired, Montessori (AMS or AMI credentialed), Bank Street developmental-interaction, Waldorf, project-based. Assessment discipline — Teaching Strategies GOLD (used in most Head Start and state PreK programs), COR Advantage, Work Sampling System, Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ-3 + ASQ:SE-2) for developmental screening at 2, 4, 6, 9, 12, 18, 24, 30, 36 months. DAP framework per NAEYC position statement — knowledge of child development, individual child, and social-cultural context. Screening referrals to Part C (Early Intervention 0-3) and Part B (LEA-based 3-5) IDEA services where indicated.

Head Start Program Performance Standards (45 CFR Part 1301-1305)

For directors of federal-grantee Head Start / Early Head Start programs — Program Performance Standards under 45 CFR Part 1301 (governance), 1302 (program operations — enrollment, health, education, family services, ERSEA — Eligibility, Recruitment, Selection, Enrollment, Attendance), 1303 (financial and administrative), 1304 (federal administrative procedures), 1305 (definitions). Community assessment every 5 years. Policy Council governance with parent-majority membership. Program Information Report (PIR) annual data submission to OHS. Federal monitoring via Focus Area 1 (FA1) and Focus Area 2 (FA2) reviews. School-readiness goal-setting and reporting cadence.

Subsidy billing and CACFP food-program administration

Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) subsidy billing at the state child-care resource-and-referral agency or state DHS — attendance-based reimbursement with monthly attendance rosters, family-fee collection, and provider-agreement compliance. CACFP (Child and Adult Care Food Program under USDA FNS) — meal-pattern compliance (breakfast, AM snack, lunch, PM snack, supper), point-of-service meal counting, income-eligibility applications from families, monthly claim submission, three-year sponsoring-organization review cycle. Head Start CACFP integration for federal grantees. Cash-flow discipline — subsidy reimbursement lag of 30-60 days is standard and must be modeled in the center P&L.

Teacher hiring, retention, and workforce credentialing

Teacher qualification requirements by role — Lead Teacher typically requires CDA (Child Development Associate — Council for Professional Recognition, $425 assessment fee + 120 clock hours + 480 professional-work hours + portfolio + verification visit) or AA/BA in ECE or Child Development; Assistant Teacher typically requires a HS diploma + orientation training; state-specific requirements vary widely (NY QUALITYstarsNY, PA Keystone, CA Child Development Permit Matrix). T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood Scholarship program available in 24+ states for teacher-degree tuition support. Retention is the single hardest operational problem — industry turnover runs 25-45% annually; the strongest retention levers are wage compression closure with public-school kindergarten teachers, benefits (health + retirement + child-care discount for staff), and a documented professional-development ladder.

Family engagement, enrollment funnel, and center P&L

Enrollment funnel — inquiry (typically 30-50% from Google + Yelp + word-of-mouth), tour (target 60-75% tour-to-enrollment conversion at premium brands, 40-55% at value brands), enrollment, retention (target 85%+ annual retention past age 2). Waitlist management for high-demand ages (infants and toddlers typically waitlisted 3-9 months). Family engagement — daily communication apps (Brightwheel, HiMama / Lillio, Procare, Kaymbu), monthly parent-teacher conferences, parent orientation, family events. Center P&L — labor is typically 55-70% of revenue; the CFO metric is labor % of revenue plus enrollment-utilization %. Break-even utilization is typically 82-88% at a full-tuition center; below that, the center loses money.

Business Administration Scale (BAS) and Program Administration Scale (PAS)

BAS (McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership at National Louis University) — 10 items, 25 indicators covering fiscal management, personnel, family engagement, operations, marketing. PAS (Program Administration Scale) — center-based leadership counterpart. Both are used in some state QRIS systems and as director professional-development benchmarks. Aspire Registry (state professional-development registries — most states have one) tracks director training hours and credential progression.

How to Become a Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare

1
Complete a Bachelor's in Early Childhood Education, Child Development, or a related field
Bachelor's in ECE, Child Development, Elementary Education with ECE concentration, Family Studies, or Human Development. Strong programs: Erikson Institute (Chicago), Bank Street College (NYC), University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (Child Development), UNC Chapel Hill (FPG Child Development Institute affiliation), University of Washington (I-LABS affiliation), Vanderbilt Peabody. Some states allow an AA + significant experience path to Center Director; larger chains like Bright Horizons and KinderCare typically require a Bachelor's for director-level seats.
2
Start as an Assistant Teacher or Lead Teacher for 2-4 years at $28-42k
First seat is typically classroom-based — Assistant Teacher ($14-18/hr), Lead Teacher ($16-24/hr at chains, $22-35/hr at NAEYC-accredited employer-sponsored centers). Complete CDA (Child Development Associate) if not already Bachelor's-credentialed. Learn the operational side — ratios, meal service, daily-report app, licensing-visit response. This is the training ground for Assistant Director.
3
Promote to Assistant Director / Program Coordinator at $38-52k
2-4 years in the seat. Own scheduling, ratio coverage, teacher substitution, licensing-visit prep binder, family orientation, enrollment tours, brightwheel / HiMama app administration. This is where you learn the P&L side — labor cost management, enrollment tracking, waitlist management. Complete a state director credential — most states require 30-90 clock hours of director training (e.g., FL Director Credential, GA Director Approval, NC Level III Administration Credential, PA Director Credential, TX Director Trainer Endorsement).
4
Move into a Center Director seat at $55-78k + bonus
5-9 years in. Full P&L ownership — labor, enrollment, subsidy billing, CACFP, licensing, NAEYC / QRIS pursuit, family relations, teacher hiring and retention. Chain centers (KinderCare, Learning Care Group, Bright Horizons, Primrose, Goddard) have structured Director Onboarding programs; independents and church-based centers rely on peer networks and state director associations. Bright Horizons employer-sponsored centers (on-site at Google, Amazon, Microsoft, JPMorgan, hospital systems) pay 15-30% above chain-market for the same seat because the corporate sponsor underwrites part of the operating cost.
5
Advance to Multi-Site District / Area Manager at $78-115k + bonus + car allowance
10-15 years in. Oversee 4-12 centers in a metro region. Own regional P&L, director hiring and coaching, licensing risk across the portfolio, enrollment marketing, and community-partner relationships. This is the operator track — heavier travel, less direct classroom contact. Bright Horizons, KinderCare, Learning Care Group, and Primrose all run this layer.
6
Advance to Regional Director / VP Operations at $105-285k+ + LTIP + equity
15-25 years in. Regional Director covers 20-60 centers across multiple states at $105-155k + bonus + LTIP. VP Operations at a national chain (KinderCare, Bright Horizons, Learning Care Group) covers 100-400+ centers at $155-285k+ + LTIP + equity. Parallel exit — state-level policy at a state department of early learning ($95-155k), Head Start regional office (Region I-XII) at $115-165k federal GS-14/15, or association leadership (NAEYC, NAA, National Head Start Association) at $145-245k.

Career Progression

Assistant Director / Program Coordinator

2-5 yrs$38-52k salaried + benefits + child-care discount for staff (typically 50%)

•Own daily ratio coverage, teacher scheduling, and substitution when a teacher calls out
•Manage the licensing-visit binder (immunization records, background checks, staff files, fire-drill logs, incident reports)
•Run enrollment tours and family orientation; convert inquiries in the family CRM (Procare, Brightwheel, HiMama / Lillio)
•Administer the brightwheel / HiMama daily-report app; support CACFP meal-count point-of-service documentation

Next: Center Director at 5-9 years with a Bachelor's in ECE + state director credential.

Center Director

5-10 yrs$55-78k salaried + 8-12% bonus + benefits + child-care discount + tuition support at chains

•Own the full center P&L — labor cost management, enrollment utilization, subsidy billing, CACFP claim submission
•Own the licensing relationship — state licensing inspector, complaint response, corrective-action plans
•Own the QRIS star-rating and NAEYC accreditation cycle if the center is pursuing accreditation
•Hire, coach, and retain 12-30 classroom staff; the retention number is the single largest operator KPI

Next: Multi-Site District Manager at 10-15 years.

Multi-Site District / Area Manager

10-16 yrs$78-115k + 12-15% bonus + car allowance + LTIP + full benefits

•Oversee 4-12 centers in a metro region; direct-manage 4-12 Center Directors
•Own regional P&L — labor %, enrollment utilization %, subsidy mix, family-tuition mix, retention
•Own director hiring, onboarding, and coaching cadence; own the district professional-development calendar
•Own regional community relationships — state licensing regional office, school district Pre-K partnerships, employer-sponsored-center corporate clients

Next: Regional Director at 15-20 years.

Regional Director / Sr Regional Director

14-22 yrs$105-155k + 15-18% bonus + LTIP + equity + full executive benefits

•Own regional operations across 20-60 centers in multiple states
•Direct-manage 4-8 District / Area Managers; own regional bench planning and succession
•Own regional new-center development pipeline — real estate, buildouts, licensing approvals, hiring, opening
•Own regional employer-sponsored-center client relationships (Fortune-500 sponsors at Bright Horizons; hospital-system partners)

Next: VP Operations at 20+ years.

VP Operations / SVP Operations at national chain

20+ yrs$155-285k+ base + 20-30% bonus + LTIP + equity + full executive benefits

•Own enterprise operations at a national chain (KinderCare 1,500+ centers, Bright Horizons 1,000+ centers globally, Learning Care Group 900+, Primrose 500+, Goddard 600+)
•Direct-manage 6-12 Regional Directors covering 200-1,500+ centers
•Own enterprise operational KPIs — enrollment utilization, labor %, retention, licensing violations, NAEYC accreditation %, QRIS star mix
•Report to COO / CEO; interface with private-equity or public-market investors (KinderCare is publicly traded — KLC; Bright Horizons is BFAM)

Interview Questions & Answers

5 free questions below. Career Kit unlocks 13 total plus resume bullets for every level.

Q1. Walk me through how you'd prepare for an unannounced state licensing inspection.technical

Structured. Preparation is monthly, not the day before. (1) Staff files audit weekly — every teacher must have current CPR/first-aid, TB clearance, immunization record, background-check clearance (fingerprint + FBI + state central registry + sex-offender registry per CCDBG 2014), orientation training, annual professional-development hours. Missing one document on one teacher is a citation. (2) Child files audit weekly — enrollment application, immunization record current per state schedule, physical exam, emergency contact + pickup authorization, custody documents where applicable, medical action plans (asthma, allergy, seizure). (3) Facility walk daily — outlet covers, cleaning-solution storage locked, medications locked with individual authorization forms, fire extinguishers current, fire-drill and tornado-drill log current (monthly per most states), diapering surface sanitizing, food-preparation surfaces per CACFP standards. (4) Ratio and group-size review at every classroom transition — ratios are the fastest way to get a citation, and the licensing inspector often walks into a classroom before checking in at the front desk. (5) Playground per CPSC surface-depth and equipment-clearance standards. When the inspector arrives, walk the building with them, provide the binder, take notes on any concern raised, and follow up with a corrective-action-plan draft within 48 hours if a citation is issued. Interviewers screen for a candidate who describes this as continuous rather than event-driven.

Q2. Describe how you'd close a 30% teacher-turnover problem.case

Structured. (1) Diagnose — pull the last 24 months of teacher-exit data by tenure, classroom age group, and stated reason (compensation, workload, management, career progression, family reasons). Typical distribution: 40-55% compensation, 20-30% workload / ratio-stress, 10-20% management / relationship, 5-15% career / family. (2) Compensation floor — benchmark against the local public-school kindergarten wage + your two nearest chain competitors + your two nearest employer-sponsored centers; the wage-compression gap with kindergarten is the single largest structural driver. Advocate up the district / regional chain for a floor raise if you're 15%+ below market. (3) Benefits stack — health insurance affordability (employee-portion of premium under 6% of gross wage is the retention threshold), 401(k) match, child-care discount for staff (50-75% is table stakes), paid time off (personal + sick + planning days), tuition support for CDA / AA / BA. (4) Professional-development ladder — documented CDA → Lead Teacher → Master Teacher → Assistant Director → Director progression with tied wage jumps at each rung. (5) Workload — ratio compliance, planning-time protection (30-45 min daily off the floor for lesson planning), substitute-teacher pool so a teacher can take a sick day without triggering a ratio scramble. (6) Management culture — weekly teacher 1:1s, monthly classroom observation with growth feedback, quarterly staff-satisfaction survey, annual review with wage-jump discussion. A center that pulls all six levers can move turnover from 35-45% to 15-22% within 18 months.

Q3. Describe how you'd pursue NAEYC accreditation at a currently unaccredited center.technical

Structured across the 4 NAEYC phases. (1) Enrollment phase (3-6 months) — apply, pay enrollment fee, complete initial self-study on the 10 NAEYC standards (relationships, curriculum, teaching, assessment of child progress, health, teachers, families, community relationships, physical environment, leadership and management). Assign standard-owners on the staff team. (2) Self-Study phase (6-12 months) — collect evidence for each standard's criteria; strongest gaps typically show up in Standard 3 (Teaching) around assessment-informed individualization, Standard 4 (Assessment) around GOLD or COR usage, Standard 6 (Teachers) around teacher-qualification documentation, and Standard 10 (Leadership and Management) around fiscal and personnel policies. Address each gap with a documented improvement plan. (3) Candidacy phase (3-6 months) — submit the Program Portfolio and Class Portfolios; NAEYC reviews for eligibility to move to on-site validation. (4) Site Visit phase (typically 1-3 days on site) — assessor observes classrooms with CLASS and structured protocols, interviews staff, reviews documentation. Board review then issues accreditation (5-year cycle) or defers. Typical total timeline 18-30 months; typical total cost $2-6k in NAEYC fees + significant staff time. The single biggest ROI is on QRIS star rating (accredited programs often auto-jump to top-star tier) and family-tuition premium (accredited programs command 5-15% higher tuition).

Q4. Why preschool administration rather than staying in the classroom?culture

Honest answer. 'I loved my six years in the classroom — I trained on Creative Curriculum, ran GOLD assessment cycles, and I got two of my toddler-room families to enroll their infants at our center. But I want to make the operational and pedagogical decisions at a broader scope. As Assistant Director I saw where our labor % was drifting, where our licensing binder had gaps, and where the QRIS observation left points on the table. The Director seat lets me set the professional-development ladder, hire the teachers I want to build a team around, and pursue NAEYC accreditation. Longer-term I want to move to a Multi-Site District Manager seat at a chain like Bright Horizons or Learning Care Group, and eventually to Regional Director. Pay is real — Director at an NAEYC-accredited Bright Horizons employer-sponsored center clears $75-95k with bonus and benefits; District Manager clears $95-125k; Regional Director $135-165k.' Interviewers screen for candidates who chose administration deliberately and who don't romanticize the classroom.

Q5. Where do you see your career in 5 years?closer

Show the fork clearly. Two viable tracks. Chain operator track — Center Director → Multi-Site District Manager → Regional Director → VP Operations at KinderCare, Bright Horizons, Learning Care Group, Primrose, or Goddard. Head Start / public-sector track — Center Director → Head Start Program Director at a federal grantee → Regional Head Start staff at OHS or a state PreK program director. I'm on the chain-operator track. Currently Center Director at an NAEYC-accredited center, 4-star QRIS, 88% enrollment utilization, 19% teacher turnover FY24. Bachelor's in Early Childhood Education from [university], state director credential complete, Aspire Registry Level 12. In the next 24-36 months I'd like to move into a Multi-Site District Manager seat covering 6-10 centers, and to Regional Director within 6-8 years. Interviewers reward candidates who name the specific rung they want next, not just 'grow at your company.'

Resume Template — Center Director (5-10 yrs)

Copy these bullets into your resume as a starting point. Career Kit includes bullets for every level of the ladder.

Center Director (5-10 yrs)

▸Center Director at Bright Horizons employer-sponsored center at [Fortune-500 corporate client]; 148 licensed capacity, 88% enrollment utilization FY24 vs 82% region benchmark.
▸Delivered NAEYC accreditation on 22-month self-study cycle; QRIS 4-star (state top tier); reduced teacher turnover 34% → 19% over 18 months through documented professional-development ladder and 50% staff child-care discount.
▸Full center P&L ownership — $2.8M annual revenue, 62% labor cost, 14% operating margin; managed CACFP claim submission and CCDF subsidy billing for 22 subsidy-eligible families.
▸Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education, [university]. State Director Credential + CDA + Creative Curriculum + Teaching Strategies GOLD certified. $74k salaried + 10% target bonus + benefits + tuition support for M.Ed. in Educational Leadership.

What Gets You Rejected

✗Cannot cite the state ratio requirements for infants, toddlers, and preschool from memory — signals no operational fluency.
✗History of licensing citations for ratio, background-check, or medication-administration violations — the three highest-frequency serious citation categories.
✗Teacher turnover 40%+ for multiple years with no documented retention plan — the single largest predictor of enrollment decline and CLASS-observation score collapse.
✗Cannot describe the CACFP meal-pattern requirements or the NAEYC 10 standards — foundational knowledge for Director interviews at any accredited employer.
✗No Bachelor's in ECE / Child Development and no plan to complete one — increasingly required at KinderCare, Bright Horizons, Learning Care Group, Primrose, and Goddard Director-level seats.
✗Weak enrollment funnel discipline — no CRM, no tour-conversion tracking, no waitlist management for infant / toddler.
✗Reflexively defensive on family complaints instead of running a structured incident-response process — chain operators screen this out early.

Salary Negotiation Levers

✓Bachelor's + Master's in ECE or Educational Leadership — $8-18k premium at Center Director and $12-25k at District Manager promotion.
✓NAEYC-accredited center leadership experience — the single strongest lever at chain-operator Director hiring; adds $6-15k over unaccredited-center experience.
✓Employer-sponsored-center leadership (Bright Horizons on-site at Google, Amazon, Microsoft, JPMorgan, hospital systems) — $12-25k premium over community-center Director for the same seat.
✓QRIS top-tier rating maintained under your leadership — evidence of operational discipline; adds $4-10k at promotion.
✓State director credential + CDA + Aspire Registry Level 10+ — $3-8k premium at Assistant Director → Director promotion.
✓Multi-site oversight in current role (2-4 sister centers during Director vacancy or new-center opening) — the single strongest signal for District Manager promotion.
✓Metro premium — NYC, SF Bay Area, Seattle, Boston, DC pay 20-40% above US median for the same seat, especially at employer-sponsored centers.
✓Sign-on bonuses of $3-12k are standard at chain Director and District Manager moves, especially if you're leaving unvested LTIP or performance bonus.
✓Tuition support for M.Ed. / Ed.D. — Section 127 caps at $5,250/yr federal tax-free; Bright Horizons and KinderCare routinely top this up to $10-15k/yr for Director and above.
✓Head Start / state PreK move — federal-grantee Head Start Program Director seats pay 10-25% above equivalent chain Center Director; add full federal / state pension eligibility.

Already a Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare? Grow From Here

Free playbooks on what actually gets you promoted and raised — not motivational advice, the real mechanics.

How to Ask for a Raise The Promotion Playbook — What Actually Gets People Promoted How to Write a Self-Review That Positions You for Promotion How to Build a Promotion Packet Your Committee Can't Ignore

Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare Resume Review — $29

Personalized resume review from someone who has hired education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycares. Purchase, email your resume to support@weblabra.com, and receive detailed written feedback within 7 days.

✓ Occupation-specific critique (not generic)
✓ Rewrite suggestions for weak bullets
✓ Missing skills / keywords flagged
✓ Formatting + ATS-readability feedback
✓ 7-day turnaround, 100% refund if we miss it

Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare Career Kit — $19

✓ All 13 interview questions with expert answers
✓ 8 real questions aggregated from Glassdoor, Blind, Reddit, LinkedIn
✓ Interview format intel for 8 top employers
✓ 3 copy-paste salary negotiation emails
✓ Resume bullets for every level of the career ladder
✓ 30–60–90 day plan for your first role
✓ Cover letter templates specific to this occupation
✓ Detailed salary negotiation script
✓ Ranked list of certifications with cost + ROI
✓ Downloadable PDF for offline access
✓ Instant access, no expiration, no subscription

✓ 7-day money-back guarantee — no questions asked

One-time purchase. 7-day refund guarantee.

Sample reviews — real customer reviews will appear here as they come in.

“The interview question bank saved me. I got the exact question about 'walking through a DCF' at my Goldman Sachs superday, verbatim.”

— Anonymous, Financial Analyst

“Copy-paste negotiation emails are worth the price alone. I used the 'accepting with counter' template and got an extra $8k signing bonus.”

— Anonymous, Software Developer

“The 30-60-90 day plan for a new grad RN was better than the orientation my hospital gave. Wish I'd bought this in nursing school.”

— Anonymous, Registered Nurse

Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare Career Growth Kit — $29

Already working as a education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycare? This kit is for building your case for the next promotion or raise — not for getting hired.

✓ Self-review draft mapped to education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycare competencies
✓ Promotion packet outline with evidence appendix structure
✓ 30–60–90 day evidence-collection plan
✓ Promotion committee anticipation guide
✓ Tenure and pay reference bands by level
✓ Downloadable PDF for offline access

✓ 7-day money-back guarantee — no questions asked

One-time purchase. 7-day refund guarantee.

Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare Salary by State

Best Cities (cost-adjusted) →

Salary Map — Click a state for details

$42K

$97K■ No data

Top Paying States

Vertical line = national median. Click a state for full details.

State	Median	vs. National	Employment
New York	$96,810	+63.3%	3,950
New Jersey	$78,770	+32.8%	2,900
District of Columbia	$77,850	+31.3%	410
Alaska	$75,540	+27.4%	60
Washington	$70,470	+18.8%	1,560
Massachusetts	$70,320	+18.6%	2,260
California	$67,100	+13.2%	9,810
Hawaii	$65,080	+9.7%	260
Colorado	$64,620	+9.0%	1,150
South Dakota	$63,240	+6.6%	150

Showing 1–10 of 50

Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare Salary by Metro Area

Metro Area	Median	vs. National
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	$98,470	+66.1%
Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA	$83,600	+41.0%
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	$78,770	+32.8%
Salinas, CA	$76,620	+29.2%
Trenton-Princeton, NJ	$76,390	+28.8%
Barnstable Town, MA	$74,080	+24.9%
Vineland, NJ	$73,480	+23.9%
Visalia, CA	$73,100	+23.3%
Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY	$72,910	+23.0%
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH	$72,560	+22.4%

Showing 1–10 of 247

Data Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Data reflects the most recent annual survey.

How does this compare to pro athletes?

A education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycare earning $59,300/year would need 1005 years to match Stephen Curry's NBA salary, or 1079 yearsto match Patrick Mahomes' NFL contract.

See all sports & celebrity salaries →

📈 See how education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycare salaries have changed over the past decade.

View Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare salary trend (2011–2024) →