Center director vs assistant center director

The differences between center directors and assistant center directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a center director and an assistant center director. Additionally, a center director has an average salary of $106,505, which is higher than the $48,348 average annual salary of an assistant center director.

The top three skills for a center director include customer service, oversight and proficiency testing. The most important skills for an assistant center director are customer service, patients, and CPR.

Center director vs assistant center director overview

	Center Director	Assistant Center Director
Yearly salary	$106,505	$48,348
Hourly rate	$51.20	$23.24
Growth rate	8%	8%
Number of jobs	62,348	41,569
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	4	4

What does a center director do?

A center director is responsible for ensuring and maintaining the efficiency of child care facilities. Their role is to conduct various assessments, ensure that all aspects adhere to federal requirements, develop programs and supplemental activities in collaboration with child care experts, recruit and hire an efficient workforce, and train staff for professional development. Furthermore, a center director is also responsible for managing budgets, handling issues, meeting parents or guardians to discuss the scope of programs or any other concerns, and implementing policies and regulations.

What does an assistant center director do?

Assistant center directors oversee daycare centers or preschool facilities and watch over kids. The assistant center directors teach children how to play. They are responsible for providing children with their early childhood education. It is part of their job to see to it that the kids are in a healthy environment and are safe. They provide assistance in the development and implementation of the center's plans and goals.

Center director vs assistant center director salary

Center directors and assistant center directors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Center Director	Assistant Center Director
Average salary	$106,505	$48,348
Salary range	Between $65,000 And $172,000	Between $34,000 And $67,000
Highest paying City	Newark, DE	Portland, OR
Highest paying state	Rhode Island	Nevada
Best paying company	Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center	Chicago State University
Best paying industry	-	Health Care

Differences between center director and assistant center director education

There are a few differences between a center director and an assistant center director in terms of educational background:

	Center Director	Assistant Center Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Center director vs assistant center director demographics

Here are the differences between center directors' and assistant center directors' demographics:

	Center Director	Assistant Center Director
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 29.0% Female, 71.0%	Male, 28.6% Female, 71.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.9% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.3% Asian, 4.4% White, 64.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 11.9% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 13.6% Asian, 4.2% White, 65.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	16%	16%

Differences between center director and assistant center director duties and responsibilities

Center director example responsibilities.

Manage programs provide by SDE, DMH, DHS.
Design, implement and manage day-to-day operation of the 21st CCLC grant support afterschool program.
Manage daily operations of NAEYC accredit childcare center.
Manage daily operation for a family-own business with responsibility for sales, production, and administrative functions including payroll.
Manage delivery of quality early childhood education programs by establishing an environment of learning and maintaining the integrity of the programs.
Lead a staff of 76 FTE's.

Assistant center director example responsibilities.

Manage delivery of quality early childhood education programs by establishing an environment of learning and maintaining the integrity of the programs.
Update and maintain preschool's website and Facebook pages, verifying all information on social media are accurate and appropriate.
Develop cross-training program and revise departmental staffing model to reduce FTE requirements while promoting departmental unity.
Review Medicare and non-Medicare insurance benefits to determine coverage and resolve any potential barriers regarding claiming payments.
Deliver information presentations utilizing Microsoft PowerPoint.
Maintain financial records, supervise staff and children, and communicate with families on a regular basis, follow DPW regulations.

Center director vs assistant center director skills

Common center director skills

Customer Service, 12%
Oversight, 8%
Proficiency Testing, 6%
Center Management, 6%
State Regulations, 6%
Federal Regulations, 6%

Common assistant center director skills

Customer Service, 13%
Patients, 13%
CPR, 9%
Child Care, 7%
Patient Care, 6%
Professional Development, 6%

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Executive Management Industry
Center Director
Center Director vs Assistant Center Director

Updated January 8, 2025

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