Explore national salary, projected growth, education requirements, and career opportunities across the United States.
A concise view of this occupation’s national scale, compensation, and projected demand.
National median annual wage for this occupation.
Estimated jobs currently supported nationwide.
Projected employment change through 2034.
Estimated openings created each year.
The typical education, prior experience, and on-the-job training associated with entry into this career.
Bachelor's degree
Less than 5 years
None
These are the highest-rated capabilities associated with success in this occupation. Scores are derived from occupational skill analysis and are measured on a 100-point scale.
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Explore the states and metropolitan areas offering the strongest combination of salary, employment, demand, and long-term opportunity.
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Understand the salary, outlook, education, and geographic opportunities shaping this career.
Education and childcare administrators in preschool and daycare settings oversee early education and care organizations and teams. Nationally, this career employs about 90,000 people, with a median annual salary of $56,270. The role typically requires strong leadership, project management, and problem-solving and decision-making abilities, alongside interpersonal strengths, creativity and innovation, customer service, and adaptability. Communication skills such as speaking and listening, plus being detail oriented and proficient in writing and reading, are also important in this field. While overall projected employment growth for this occupation is -2.5%, there are still about 6,000 annual openings nationwide, reflecting ongoing movement and replacement needs in the labor market. Opportunity varies by location, with certain states and metro areas offering higher salaries and higher CareerGPS opportunity scores. People interested in related paths might also consider social and community service managers, several types of managers, or other education administrator roles as potential alternatives.
Education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycare, earn a national median annual salary of $56,270. Pay can vary notably by location. Among the top states by CareerGPS opportunity score, New York reports the highest median salary at $96,810, followed by Washington at $70,470 and Massachusetts at $70,320. California and Colorado also exceed the national median, at $67,100 and $64,620 respectively. At the metro level, the New York–Newark–Jersey City area stands out with a median salary of $98,470, while San Francisco–Oakland–Fremont offers $78,770 and Boston–Cambridge–Newton offers $72,560. Washington–Arlington–Alexandria and San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara show median salaries of $61,960 and $62,840. These differences suggest that earnings potential is higher in certain states and metros, especially New York and several large metro areas, which may be important for professionals comparing regional opportunities within this career.
National employment for education and childcare administrators in preschool and daycare is 90,000, with projected employment growth of -2.5%. Despite this projected decline, there are still about 6,000 annual openings. This combination indicates that many opportunities are likely tied to ongoing turnover, retirements, and other replacement needs rather than net new job creation. The -2.5% projected growth rate appears consistently across the top states and metro areas listed, suggesting a relatively stable but slightly contracting employment outlook nationwide for this occupation. For prospective and current professionals, this means that while expanded hiring may be limited, positions do continue to open on a regular basis. People evaluating this career can factor in both the overall employment size and the steady annual openings when planning their job search or long-term career path, and may wish to compare this outlook with that of similar occupations such as other education or general management roles.
Location plays a significant role in opportunities for education and childcare administrators in preschool and daycare. Among states, California, Massachusetts, New York, Colorado, and Washington rank highest by CareerGPS opportunity score. New York combines a relatively high median salary of $96,810 with employment of 3,950 and an opportunity score of 65.78. California offers the largest employment among these top states at 9,810 and a median salary of $67,100, with an opportunity score of 67.38. Massachusetts, Washington, and Colorado also show median salaries above the national median of $56,270, with opportunity scores ranging from 56.29 to 65.87. At the metro level, San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara and New York–Newark–Jersey City have particularly strong opportunity scores above 77, though their median salaries differ. San Francisco–Oakland–Fremont, Washington–Arlington–Alexandria, and Boston–Cambridge–Newton also provide notable combinations of employment, salary, and opportunity scores, giving job seekers multiple strong regional options to consider.
For education and childcare administrators in preschool and daycare, the typical education requirement is a bachelor’s degree. This level of education provides a foundation for the mix of management, communication, and organizational skills associated with the role. Important skills include leadership and project management, which support planning and overseeing programs and operations. Problem solving and decision making, along with adaptability, help administrators respond to changing situations. Interpersonal skills and customer service are key for working effectively with others. Communication abilities such as speaking and listening, as well as writing and reading, are also important. Being detail oriented supports accuracy in administrative work. People considering this field can focus their education and experience on strengthening these skills, and may also explore related career paths that typically draw on similar capabilities, such as various management roles or other education administrator positions.
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