Child care center director vs daycare manager

The differences between child care center directors and daycare managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a child care center director and a daycare manager. Additionally, a child care center director has an average salary of $66,949, which is higher than the $43,568 average annual salary of a daycare manager.

The top three skills for a child care center director include patient care, professional development and child development. The most important skills for a daycare manager are child care, customer service, and payroll.

Child care center director vs daycare manager overview

	Child Care Center Director	Daycare Manager
Yearly salary	$66,949	$43,568
Hourly rate	$32.19	$20.95
Growth rate	8%	8%
Number of jobs	109,279	2,567
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 50%	Bachelor's Degree, 39%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	4	4

Child care center director vs daycare manager salary

Child care center directors and daycare managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Child Care Center Director	Daycare Manager
Average salary	$66,949	$43,568
Salary range	Between $33,000 And $135,000	Between $26,000 And $71,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between child care center director and daycare manager education

There are a few differences between a child care center director and a daycare manager in terms of educational background:

	Child Care Center Director	Daycare Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 50%	Bachelor's Degree, 39%
Most common major	Early Childhood Education	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Child care center director vs daycare manager demographics

Here are the differences between child care center directors' and daycare managers' demographics:

	Child Care Center Director	Daycare Manager
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 16.2% Female, 83.8%	Male, 13.5% Female, 86.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.7% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 13.9% Asian, 4.3% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.4% Asian, 4.4% White, 66.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	16%	16%

Differences between child care center director and daycare manager duties and responsibilities

Child care center director example responsibilities.

Manage curriculum along with school budget, accounts receivable and payables.
Budget preparation/administration, record maintenance, purchasing, payroll, supervision of staff, development and administration of policies and procedures.
Establish and facilitate implementation of facility CQI program.

Daycare manager example responsibilities.

Manage weekly financial transactions relate to accounts receivable/payable, book keeping, payroll, inventory control and budgeting.
Staff is on alert for food allergies.
Coordinate efforts to ensure all employees are CPR certify and have food handler permits.
Provide proper training for staff, make sure all are CPR and first aid certify.
Coordinate and assist children with schedule routines -collect weekly payments -handle weekly staff payroll
Provide fitness assessment, weight management, wellness coaching, exercise instruction, and cardiopulmonary and physical rehabilitation services.

Child care center director vs daycare manager skills

Common child care center director skills

Patient Care, 16%
Professional Development, 9%
Child Development, 8%
CPR, 6%
Payroll, 5%
Educational Programs, 5%

Common daycare manager skills

Child Care, 52%
Customer Service, 16%
Payroll, 7%
Direct Care, 6%
CPR, 6%
Front Desk, 4%

Child Care Center Director vs. similar jobs

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Executive Management Industry
Child Care Center Director
Child Care Center Director vs Daycare Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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