Pay by state · 52 states
Education and Childcare Administrator, Preschool and Daycare Salary by State (2026)
Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare earn the most in New York at $96,810 a year and the least in Guam at $33,030 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $59,300. All 52 states and territories with reported data are ranked below, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $96,810New York
- National median
- $59,300BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Lowest median
- $33,030Guam
- States reporting
- 52of 54 OEWS areas
All states
Education and Childcare Administrator, Preschool and Daycare salary in every state
Sort by any column. Employment is the number of education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycare OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NYNew York | $96,810 | $73,190 | $103,570 | 3,950 | $89,705 |
| 2 | NJNew Jersey | $78,770 | $59,800 | $104,570 | 2,900 | $72,396 |
| 3 | DCDistrict of Columbia | $77,850 | $56,020 | $104,390 | 410 | $70,836 |
| 4 | AKAlaska | $75,540 | $66,610 | $93,350 | 60 | $73,799 |
| 5 | WAWashington | $70,470 | $54,530 | $87,560 | 1,560 | $65,852 |
| 6 | MAMassachusetts | $70,320 | $57,090 | $79,490 | 2,260 | $66,492 |
| 7 | CACalifornia | $67,100 | $54,020 | $80,640 | 9,810 | $60,603 |
| 8 | HIHawaii | $65,080 | $58,240 | $76,420 | 260 | $59,190 |
| 9 | COColorado | $64,620 | $56,030 | $77,210 | 1,150 | $62,706 |
| 10 | SDSouth Dakota | $63,240 | $52,520 | $66,000 | 150 | $71,388 |
| 11 | VTVermont | $63,220 | $58,020 | $79,490 | 190 | $64,538 |
| 12 | MDMaryland | $62,520 | $52,030 | $75,750 | 1,270 | $59,566 |
| 13 | MNMinnesota | $62,020 | $49,650 | $72,620 | 1,010 | $62,887 |
| 14 | UTUtah | $60,980 | $45,030 | $92,280 | 400 | $61,681 |
| 15 | GAGeorgia | $60,300 | $41,200 | $69,470 | 1,550 | $62,621 |
| 16 | OROregon | $60,250 | $47,270 | $75,370 | 1,230 | $58,291 |
| 17 | NVNevada | $60,120 | $48,200 | $80,940 | N/A | $60,133 |
| 18 | MEMaine | $60,090 | $51,710 | $64,960 | 240 | $61,917 |
| 19 | WIWisconsin | $59,930 | $45,540 | $69,220 | 1,320 | $63,691 |
| 20 | CTConnecticut | $59,760 | $48,010 | $78,040 | 1,290 | $57,678 |
| 21 | INIndiana | $58,740 | $48,000 | $64,370 | 750 | $62,939 |
| 22 | ILIllinois | $58,550 | $45,720 | $71,650 | 3,090 | $58,575 |
| 23 | DEDelaware | $58,230 | $46,320 | $69,790 | 420 | $58,342 |
| 24 | NCNorth Carolina | $57,200 | $46,110 | $69,950 | 2,410 | $60,641 |
| 25 | KSKansas | $56,970 | $46,600 | $62,210 | 600 | $63,252 |
| 26 | MIMichigan | $56,870 | $46,990 | $65,600 | 1,890 | $59,106 |
| 27 | FLFlorida | $56,750 | $45,790 | $63,930 | 5,980 | $54,877 |
| 28 | PAPennsylvania | $56,380 | $46,500 | $61,790 | 4,100 | $57,783 |
| 29 | WYWyoming | $56,170 | $44,530 | $74,960 | 160 | $60,599 |
| 30 | NENebraska | $56,160 | $46,660 | $74,500 | 550 | $62,329 |
| 31 | RIRhode Island | $55,290 | $50,830 | $59,580 | 390 | $54,057 |
| 32 | NHNew Hampshire | $55,120 | $47,680 | $63,990 | 410 | $52,916 |
| 33 | VAVirginia | $53,320 | $46,410 | $62,700 | 1,590 | $52,738 |
| 34 | NDNorth Dakota | $51,390 | $39,530 | $62,340 | 290 | $57,768 |
| 35 | SCSouth Carolina | $51,200 | $43,780 | $65,710 | 700 | $54,614 |
| 36 | TXTexas | $50,840 | $42,200 | $61,040 | 5,480 | $52,382 |
| 37 | MSMississippi | $49,740 | $33,700 | $59,380 | 580 | $57,203 |
| 38 | OHOhio | $49,580 | $45,030 | $61,410 | 3,030 | $53,442 |
| 39 | TNTennessee | $49,200 | $45,900 | $60,270 | 710 | $53,554 |
| 40 | IDIdaho | $48,530 | $40,040 | $61,990 | 200 | $50,820 |
| 41 | AZArizona | $48,160 | $43,260 | $60,730 | 1,210 | $47,836 |
| 42 | MTMontana | $48,140 | $41,600 | $57,960 | 180 | $50,864 |
| 43 | MOMissouri | $47,940 | $38,880 | $59,600 | 1,060 | $52,787 |
| 44 | IAIowa | $47,480 | $40,140 | $59,630 | 1,020 | $54,101 |
| 45 | OKOklahoma | $46,690 | $38,220 | $62,400 | 830 | $53,152 |
| 46 | LALouisiana | $46,030 | $36,950 | $61,990 | 690 | $52,184 |
| 47 | PRPuerto Rico | $45,990 | $41,250 | $55,940 | 220 | N/A |
| 48 | WVWest Virginia | $45,660 | $37,900 | $60,790 | 290 | $51,018 |
| 49 | ARArkansas | $44,990 | $35,910 | $57,670 | 1,090 | $51,750 |
| 50 | KYKentucky | $44,530 | $37,290 | $58,030 | 1,000 | $49,391 |
| 51 | ALAlabama | $41,780 | $34,900 | $58,370 | 940 | $47,037 |
| 52 | GUGuam | $33,030 | $27,260 | $43,090 | 40 | N/A |
Method
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare, that changes the ranking: New York leads on raw pay at $96,810, while New York leads once prices are taken into account at $89,705.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Questions
Education and Childcare Administrator, Preschool and Daycare pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare the most?
New York reports the highest median wage for Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare at $96,810 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by New Jersey ($78,770) and District of Columbia ($77,850).
Which state pays Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare the least?
Guam reports the lowest median for Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare at $33,030 a year, $63,780 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity puts New York first at $89,705 in national-average dollars, from a raw median of $96,810. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.