Runs afterschool, summer and youth development programs for a nonprofit, school district or community organization. BLS does not publish separate figures for education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycare; it counts them within education and childcare administrator, preschool and daycare (SOC 11-9031), whose median pay is $59,300 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
- SOC 11-9031
- Management
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Youth Program Director in four numbers
- Median pay
- $59,300a year, or $28.51/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $39KTop 10% $98K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- -3.1%DecliningBLS EP, 2025–2035This career−3.1%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career −3.1% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 5,20091,900 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 202591.9K
- Projected 203589K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 91.9K Projected 2035 89K - Typical education
- Bachelor'sneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
Also advertised as: Afterschool Program Director, Youth Development Director, Out-of-School Time Director, Youth Services Director, Teen Program Director.
Pay
How much do Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare make?
Every youth program director in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$59,300
Middle half earn $47,040 to $75,500
- 10th
- $38,580
- 25th
- $47,040
- 75th
- $75,500
- 90th
- $98,240
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $38,580 |
| 25th | $47,040 |
| Median | $59,300 |
| 75th | $75,500 |
| 90th | $98,240 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $59,300
- Median hourly wage
- $28.51/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $64,800
- People employed
- 73,660
Versus all US occupations
At $59,300, Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare earn 16% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $8,320 a year.
Versus management occupations
Inside the Management group, where the middle occupation pays $126,060, this is 53% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $98,240 or more while the bottom 10% earn $38,580, a gap of 2.5×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 31% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
New York pays the most at $96,810, and still leads at $89,705 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1New York | $96,810 | $89,705 | 3,950 |
| 2New Jersey | $78,770 | $72,396 | 2,900 |
| 3District of Columbia | $77,850 | $70,836 | 410 |
| 4Alaska | $75,540 | $73,799 | 60 |
| 5Washington | $70,470 | $65,852 | 1,560 |
| 6Massachusetts | $70,320 | $66,492 | 2,260 |
| 7California | $67,100 | $60,603 | 9,810 |
| 8Hawaii | $65,080 | $59,190 | 260 |
| 9Colorado | $64,620 | $62,706 | 1,150 |
| 10South Dakota | $63,240 | $71,388 | 150 |
Job outlook
Is Youth Program Director a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Declining. -3.1% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare | −3.1% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Declining
BLS projects employment of Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare to change -3.1% over 2025–2035, while total US employment is projected to rise 3.5%. That is 2,900 fewer jobs.
Annual openings
About 5,200 openings are projected each year, 5.7% of the 91,900 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Youth Program Director
Most directors hold a bachelor's degree in education, social work, recreation, psychology or a related field, though experience counts heavily. The usual route is starting as a youth worker or site coordinator, then moving up to managing a site and then several sites. Programs licensed as child care must meet state director qualifications, which can include specific coursework in child development.
The National AfterSchool Association publishes core knowledge and competencies for youth workers and offers professional development. Many states run school-age credentials through their afterschool networks, which are often supported by the Afterschool Alliance and the Mott Foundation. Grant writing, budgeting and staff supervision experience make the biggest difference when applying for director roles.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Bachelor's degree
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
Less than 5 years
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
None
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Medium preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
The work
What does a Youth Program Director do?
Youth program directors run the programs kids attend outside the school day: afterschool clubs, summer camps, tutoring centers, teen leadership programs and youth sports leagues at organizations like YMCAs, Boys and Girls Clubs, parks departments and school districts. They design the activities, hire and train front-line staff, and make sure the program meets licensing, safety and grant requirements.
Much of the job is management. Directors build budgets, schedule staff, handle enrollment and family communication, deal with behavior incidents, and track attendance and outcomes for funders such as the federal 21st Century Community Learning Centers program. They also build partnerships with schools, local businesses and volunteers to bring in tutors, mentors and new activities.
Day-to-day tasks
- Design afterschool, summer and youth leadership activities
- Hire, train and supervise youth workers and volunteers
- Manage program budgets and grant reporting
- Maintain child safety, licensing and background check compliance
- Track attendance and youth outcomes for funders
- Communicate with families and handle behavior issues
- Build partnerships with schools and community organizations
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Youth program directors work at community centers, schools, faith-based organizations and camps. Schedules shift later in the day to match afterschool hours, and summers are the busiest season. The job mixes office work with time on the floor with kids and staff. Evening family events and occasional weekend activities are common.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayIndoors, in a climate-controlled space, every day.
Outdoors in all weather
NeverEvery day
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantConstant contact with other people.
Face-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing with the public
Not importantExtremely importantDealing with customers or the public is very important.
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayHandling conflict situations at least monthly.
Cost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Reading Comprehension4.0
- Active Listening4.0
- Speaking4.0
- Critical Thinking4.0
- Writing3.9
- Active Learning3.9
- Learning Strategies3.9
- Monitoring3.9
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 4.0 |
| Active Listening | 4.0 |
| Speaking | 4.0 |
| Critical Thinking | 4.0 |
| Writing | 3.9 |
| Active Learning | 3.9 |
| Learning Strategies | 3.9 |
| Monitoring | 3.9 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Social Perceptiveness4.0
- Coordination3.9
- Instructing3.9
- Judgment and Decision Making3.9
- Management of Personnel Resources3.9
- Service Orientation3.8
- Complex Problem Solving3.8
- Time Management3.8
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Social Perceptiveness | 4.0 |
| Coordination | 3.9 |
| Instructing | 3.9 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.9 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | 3.9 |
| Service Orientation | 3.8 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.8 |
| Time Management | 3.8 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Accounting software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software
- Desktop communications software
- Desktop publishing software
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software
- Instant messaging software
- Internet browser software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Youth Program Director?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code SEC) built on O*NET's Education and Childcare Administrator, Preschool and Daycare profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Youth Program Director |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 1 |
| Investigative | 3 |
| Artistic | 3 |
| Social | 6 |
| Enterprising | 5 |
| Conventional | 5 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around teaching, helping and working directly with other people, combined with leading, persuading, selling and making decisions.
- Social6.5
- Enterprising5.2
- Conventional4.8
- Investigative2.9
- Artistic2.8
- Realistic1.2
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Youth Program Director
O*NET related occupations
- Management
Education and Childcare Administrator, Preschool and Daycare
$59,300median a year
Most earn $39K to $98K
−3.1%Bachelor's - Management
Education Administrator, Kindergarten through Secondary
$105,870median a year
Most earn $76K to $168K
−0.3%Master's - Educational Instruction and Library
Preschool Teacher, Except Special Education
$38,140median a year
Most earn $29K to $61K
+4.5%Associate's - Management
- Educational Instruction and Library
Special Education Teacher, Kindergarten
$67,170median a year
Most earn $49K to $105K
−0.1%Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed - Educational Instruction and Library
Special Education Teacher, Secondary School
$74,260median a year
Most earn $50K to $109K
−0.2%Bachelor's
More management careers
Median annual pay, with education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycare highlighted
- IT Manager$175,140
- Marketing Manager$166,790
- Financial Manager$166,570
- Human Resources Manager$149,280
- Sales Manager$148,270
- Construction Manager$114,990
- Supply Chain Manager$107,230
- Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Manager$69,990
- Youth Program Director$59,300
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| IT Manager | $175,140 |
| Marketing Manager | $166,790 |
| Financial Manager | $166,570 |
| Human Resources Manager | $149,280 |
| Sales Manager | $148,270 |
| Construction Manager | $114,990 |
| Supply Chain Manager | $107,230 |
| Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Manager | $69,990 |
| Youth Program Director | $59,300 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Youth Program Director appears on
Questions
Youth Program Director: frequently asked questions
How much do Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare make?
BLS does not publish a separate wage for education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycare. It counts them within education and childcare administrator, preschool and daycare, whose median pay is $59,300 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $47,040 and $75,500, and the top 10% earn $98,240 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Youth Program Director?
Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as medium preparation. Employers typically expect less than 5 years of related work experience first.
Is Youth Program Director a growing career?
No. BLS projects employment to fall 3.1% over 2025–2035, a loss of 2,900 jobs (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 5,200 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Youth Program Director do?
Youth program directors run the programs kids attend outside the school day: afterschool clubs, summer camps, tutoring centers, teen leadership programs and youth sports leagues at organizations like YMCAs, Boys and Girls Clubs, parks departments and school d… A typical task: design afterschool, summer and youth leadership activities. Employers most often ask for Accounting software, Electronic mail software, Office suite software.
Which states pay Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare the most?
The highest state medians for Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare are New York ($96,810), New Jersey ($78,770), District of Columbia ($77,850) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Youth Program Director?
O*NET scores Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare highest on the Social, Enterprising and Conventional interest areas, so the work mixes teaching, helping and working directly with other people with leading, persuading, selling and making decisions. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ESFJ, ENFJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.