Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Job outlook for center directors in the United States
Center director job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected center director job growth rate is 8% from 2018-2028.
About 6,200 new jobs for center directors are projected over the next decade.
Center director salaries have increased 7% for center directors in the last 5 years.
There are over 21,723 center directors currently employed in the United States.
There are 62,348 active center director job openings in the US.
The average center director salary is $106,505.
Are center director jobs in demand?
Center director job and salary trends over time
Center director jobs over time
Center director job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 21,723 | 0.01% |
| 2020 | 17,866 | 0.01% |
| 2019 | 20,156 | 0.01% |
| 2018 | 19,498 | 0.01% |
| 2017 | 18,913 | 0.01% |
Average center director salary over time
Center director salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $106,505 | $51.20 | +2.0% |
| 2024 | $104,446 | $50.21 | +0.6% |
| 2023 | $103,861 | $49.93 | +2.2% |
| 2022 | $101,587 | $48.84 | +2.4% |
| 2021 | $99,203 | $47.69 | +0.3% |
Center director jobs by state
Most common states for center directors
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 260 | 37% |
| 2 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 334 | 32% |
| 3 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 508 | 26% |
| 4 | Oklahoma | 3,930,864 | 830 | 21% |
| 5 | Kansas | 2,913,123 | 616 | 21% |
| 6 | Alabama | 4,874,747 | 886 | 18% |
| 7 | Mississippi | 2,984,100 | 546 | 18% |
| 8 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 1,167 | 17% |
| 9 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 947 | 17% |
| 10 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 1,312 | 15% |
| 11 | Missouri | 6,113,532 | 895 | 15% |
| 12 | Kentucky | 4,454,189 | 686 | 15% |
| 13 | Delaware | 961,939 | 148 | 15% |
| 14 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 1,756 | 14% |
| 15 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 1,742 | 14% |
| 16 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 1,175 | 14% |
| 17 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 284 | 14% |
| 18 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 240 | 14% |
| 19 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 795 | 12% |
| 20 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 129 | 12% |
Most common cities for center directors
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | East Point | 2 | 6% | $115,465 |
| 2 | Newark | 2 | 6% | $125,529 |
| 3 | Aberdeen | 1 | 4% | $85,277 |
| 4 | Cambridge | 2 | 2% | $113,335 |
| 5 | Gainesville | 2 | 2% | $82,952 |
| 6 | Alpharetta | 1 | 2% | $116,026 |
| 7 | Washington | 9 | 1% | $124,702 |
| 8 | Atlanta | 6 | 1% | $115,569 |
| 9 | Baltimore | 5 | 1% | $96,576 |
| 10 | Chicago | 5 | 0% | $107,043 |
| 11 | Dallas | 3 | 0% | $98,046 |
| 12 | Denver | 3 | 0% | $80,324 |
| 13 | Houston | 3 | 0% | $96,633 |
| 14 | Los Angeles | 3 | 0% | $101,074 |
| 15 | Phoenix | 3 | 0% | $113,772 |
| 16 | Miami | 2 | 0% | $78,976 |
| 17 | New York | 2 | 0% | $113,058 |
| 18 | Anchorage | 1 | 0% | $76,343 |
Center Director job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of center director experts
Medaille College
West Virginia University
Thiel College
Bluefield State College
Colleen Wilkinson
Associate Professor, Program DirectorMedaille College
Department of Education
What soft skills should all Center Directors possess?
Colleen Wilkinson: Teaching is not a silo profession. We are in constant communication and collaboration with many stakeholders. Teacher Candidates need to be flexible in order to work well with all the different players in the game to make sure the student wins!
Stephanie Lorenze
Service Associate Professor, Coordinator for Teacher EducationWest Virginia University
Department of Curriculum and Instruction/Literacy Studies
What will help Center Directors increase their earning potential?
Stephanie Lorenze: Legislators and communities who value their work through actions.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Center Director job market given the pandemic?
Mary Beth Mason Ph.D.: I think we are going to see teletherapy as a more common service delivery model across settings. I think that that will be what I call a "Pandemic Positive". I think many states will pass legislation post pandemic for teletherapy to be a reimbursable service.
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Center Directors?
Mary Beth Mason Ph.D.: I think one of the great things about being a speech-language pathologist is that we can work across the lifespan in a variety of settings. In order to have that flexibility, graduates should get their Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), professional state license, and credential to work in public school setting. It is important to get those three credentials as soon as possible after graduation because they will meet the current standards. If they wait, there might be new standards in place which means they might need additional coursework and/or pass additional tests.
What experience really stands out on Center Director resumes?
Amanda Banks Ph.D.: Adaptability and expertise in teaching diverse students in inclusive classrooms are growing focal points of many school districts nationally. With recent changes in federal education legislation (Every Student Succeeds Act, 2015), there has been a growing need for educators to universally design effective learning opportunities for a wide range of learners (Universal Design for Learning) to ensure students' academic progress regardless of their socioeconomic background or learning ability. Identifying potential teachers who can help students and schools successfully meet state and federal accountability standards is paramount to hiring committees.
Candidates should showcase any firsthand experiences they have in working with students within and outside of the classroom, especially diverse student populations (e.g., special education, bilingual education). Strong collaboration skills, content expertise, and instructional flexibility are three professional qualities that definitely set a candidate apart from the rest. Recent graduates who anticipate entering the job market in the near future should actively search for such volunteer opportunities if they didn't have these types of experiences in their preparation program.