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Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare

Plan, direct, or coordinate academic or nonacademic activities of preschools or childcare centers and programs, including before- and after-school care.

Median salary (BLS)

$59,300

10th–90th percentile (BLS)

$39k – $98k

Job outlook

No separate BLS projection for this specific role

AI exposure

Early-career check: graduates of the matching programs below typically earn $112,000 ten years after starting college — an early-career figure, vs. the all-experience BLS median above. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard.

Plan a path to Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare

Qualification costsStack incomeBest cities/statesSchool ROIJob-posting fitTailored resume

Education

Typical entry: Bachelor's degree

Plan my path to this →

How to qualify

Estimate

Cost to qualify

$40,500–$153,000

Time to qualify

4.5 yr

Renewal

—

  1. 1

    Bachelor's degree

    Degree

    Four years at public in-state rates — average published tuition & fees ≈ $11,610/yr, plus books. Private and out-of-state run higher; grant aid lowers most students' actual net price.

    $40,000–$150,000 · 4 years source

  2. 2

    Industry certification (optional for many roles)

    Certification

    Role-dependent — e.g. CPA, Series 7/65, PMP, SHRM. Not always required, but often expected for advancement.

    $500–$3,000 · 6 months source

Estimated typical U.S. route for "Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare" — built from BLS education requirements and College Board 2024–25 average published prices (public, in-state tuition + fees + books). Not yet verified against a specific state's licensing rules — confirm with your state licensing board or program.

Typical progression

  1. Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare Intern

    Internship

    $36,000

    ~4 mos to advance

  2. Junior Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare

    Entry / Junior

    $38,580

    ~2 yrs to advance

  3. Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare

    Established

    $59,300

    ~3 yrs to advance

  4. Senior Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare

    Senior

    $78,770

Internships are a common on-ramp here — they speed up landing that first role and improve your odds, which is why the Safe and High-ceiling plans build one in.

Key skills

A typical day

  • •Confer with parents and staff to discuss educational activities and policies and students' behavioral or learning problems.
  • •Monitor students' progress and provide students and teachers with assistance in resolving any problems.
  • •Recruit, hire, train, and evaluate primary and supplemental staff and recommend personnel actions for programs and services.
  • •Teach classes or courses or provide direct care to children.
  • •Set educational standards and goals and help establish policies, procedures, and programs to carry them out.

Fields of study

Any field

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Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.