Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycares across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
National mean salary $64,800 ≈ $31/hr
National median salary $59,300
Total employment 73,660 nationwide
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Projected growth -2.5%
Decline
Annual openings 5,500 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 90,200 → 87,900 (-2,300)
Typical entry education Bachelor's degree
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- New York$98,290
- District of Columbia$89,180
- New Jersey$87,680
- Washington$79,600
- Alaska$78,830
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Alabama$47,370
- Kentucky$48,370
- Arkansas$49,050
- Louisiana$50,690
- Mississippi$50,700
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $98,290 | $96,810 | $47 | +51.7% | 3,950 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $89,180 | $77,850 | $43 | +37.6% | 410 |
| 3 | New Jersey | $87,680 | $78,770 | $42 | +35.3% | 2,900 |
| 4 | Washington | $79,600 | $70,470 | $38 | +22.8% | 1,560 |
| 5 | Alaska | $78,830 | $75,540 | $38 | +21.7% | 60 |
| 6 | California | $73,830 | $67,100 | $36 | +13.9% | 9,810 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $72,890 | $70,320 | $35 | +12.5% | 2,260 |
| 8 | Colorado | $69,590 | $64,620 | $33 | +7.4% | 1,150 |
| 9 | Hawaii | $69,240 | $65,080 | $33 | +6.9% | 260 |
| 10 | Maryland | $69,070 | $62,520 | $33 | +6.6% | 1,270 |
| 11 | Vermont | $68,160 | $63,220 | $33 | +5.2% | 190 |
| 12 | Utah | $67,970 | $60,980 | $33 | +4.9% | 400 |
| 13 | Connecticut | $66,380 | $59,760 | $32 | +2.4% | 1,290 |
| 14 | Nevada | $65,530 | $60,120 | $32 | +1.1% | — |
| 15 | Minnesota | $64,380 | $62,020 | $31 | -0.6% | 1,010 |
| 16 | Nebraska | $64,310 | $56,160 | $31 | -0.8% | 550 |
| 17 | Oregon | $63,900 | $60,250 | $31 | -1.4% | 1,230 |
| 18 | Wyoming | $62,100 | $56,170 | $30 | -4.2% | 160 |
| 19 | Delaware | $61,380 | $58,230 | $30 | -5.3% | 420 |
| 20 | South Dakota | $61,330 | $63,240 | $29 | -5.4% | 150 |
| 21 | Maine | $60,990 | $60,090 | $29 | -5.9% | 240 |
| 22 | North Carolina | $60,880 | $57,200 | $29 | -6% | 2,410 |
| 23 | Indiana | $60,250 | $58,740 | $29 | -7% | 750 |
| 24 | Illinois | $60,160 | $58,550 | $29 | -7.2% | 3,090 |
| 25 | Florida | $59,440 | $56,750 | $29 | -8.3% | 5,980 |
| 26 | Georgia | $59,280 | $60,300 | $29 | -8.5% | 1,550 |
| 27 | Michigan | $58,870 | $56,870 | $28 | -9.2% | 1,890 |
| 28 | Rhode Island | $58,770 | $55,290 | $28 | -9.3% | 390 |
| 29 | Wisconsin | $58,530 | $59,930 | $28 | -9.7% | 1,320 |
| 30 | Kansas | $58,440 | $56,970 | $28 | -9.8% | 600 |
| 31 | South Carolina | $58,290 | $51,200 | $28 | -10% | 700 |
| 32 | Virginia | $57,630 | $53,320 | $28 | -11.1% | 1,590 |
| 33 | New Hampshire | $57,140 | $55,120 | $27 | -11.8% | 410 |
| 34 | Ohio | $56,880 | $49,580 | $27 | -12.2% | 3,030 |
| 35 | North Dakota | $56,640 | $51,390 | $27 | -12.6% | 290 |
| 36 | Tennessee | $56,150 | $49,200 | $27 | -13.3% | 710 |
| 37 | Pennsylvania | $55,700 | $56,380 | $27 | -14% | 4,100 |
| 38 | Missouri | $55,500 | $47,940 | $27 | -14.4% | 1,060 |
| 39 | Texas | $55,050 | $50,840 | $26 | -15% | 5,480 |
| 40 | Oklahoma | $53,560 | $46,690 | $26 | -17.3% | 830 |
| 41 | Arizona | $53,310 | $48,160 | $26 | -17.7% | 1,210 |
| 42 | Idaho | $52,100 | $48,530 | $25 | -19.6% | 200 |
| 43 | West Virginia | $52,060 | $45,660 | $25 | -19.7% | 290 |
| 44 | Iowa | $51,980 | $47,480 | $25 | -19.8% | 1,020 |
| 45 | Montana | $51,750 | $48,140 | $25 | -20.1% | 180 |
| 46 | Mississippi | $50,700 | $49,740 | $24 | -21.8% | 580 |
| 47 | Louisiana | $50,690 | $46,030 | $24 | -21.8% | 690 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $49,050 | $44,990 | $24 | -24.3% | 1,090 |
| 49 | Kentucky | $48,370 | $44,530 | $23 | -25.4% | 1,000 |
| 50 | Alabama | $47,370 | $41,780 | $23 | -26.9% | 940 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 332 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $98,470 | $99,530 | 5,020 |
| 2 | Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | $83,600 | $84,070 | 40 |
| 3 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $78,770 | $83,040 | 1,920 |
| 4 | Salinas, CA | $76,620 | $80,060 | 120 |
| 5 | Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $76,390 | $83,620 | 160 |
| 6 | North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $74,360 | $76,960 | 60 |
| 7 | Barnstable Town, MA | $74,080 | $73,320 | 40 |
| 8 | Vineland, NJ | $73,480 | $80,750 | 60 |
| 9 | Visalia, CA | $73,100 | $82,480 | 60 |
| 10 | Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY | $72,910 | $77,230 | 150 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycares (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Offices of Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapists, and Audiologists | $98,090 | $91,610 | — |
| 2 | Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations | $95,470 | $106,700 | — |
| 3 | Offices of Other Health Practitioners | $95,310 | $90,850 | 40 |
| 4 | State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $93,030 | $99,150 | 70 |
| 5 | Elementary and Secondary Schools, Local Government Owned | $90,950 | $98,950 | 2,490 |
| 6 | Educational Services, Local Government Owned | $90,580 | $98,290 | 2,780 |
| 7 | Junior Colleges, Local Government Owned | $88,730 | $92,940 | 190 |
| 8 | Local Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $87,150 | $94,880 | 3,590 |
| 9 | Educational Support Services, Local Government Owned | $86,040 | $95,470 | 70 |
| 10 | Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS | $85,180 | $93,650 | 3,960 |
| 11 | Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Facilities | $83,940 | $87,380 | 40 |
| 12 | Residential Mental Health and Substance Abuse Facilities | $83,940 | $88,180 | 30 |
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycare make in the U.S.?
The median education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycare salary in the United States is $59,300 per year (mean $64,800), and about 80% earn between $38,580 and $98,240.
How much do education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycare make per hour?
Roughly $31 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $64,800 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycare the most?
New York has the highest average pay for education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycare at $98,290 per year (median $96,810).
What is the job outlook for education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycare?
Employment is projected to change -2.5% from 2024 to 2034 (Decline), with about 5,500 openings per year.
What People Search
Common U.S. search queries related to this occupation.
education and childcare administrators preschool and daycare salaryhow to become a daycare administrator