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Child care director vs child care center director

The differences between child care directors and child care 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 child care director and a child care center director. Additionally, a child care center director has an average salary of $66,949, which is higher than the $37,471 average annual salary of a child care director.

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

Child care director vs child care center director overview

Child Care DirectorChild Care Center Director
Yearly salary$37,471$66,949
Hourly rate$18.01$32.19
Growth rate8%8%
Number of jobs79,105109,279
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 56%Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Average age4747
Years of experience44

What does a child care director do?

Child care directors manage the staff at a child care center. Their responsibilities include guiding and supporting their teaching staff and creating an environment where parents and children will feel secured and well taught. They provide their staff with constructive criticisms and suggest action plans on how they can improve. Directors continuously research new techniques to be used in educating, communicating, and rearing a child. To be an effective leader to the staff, parents, and children, they should have good communication skills and exceptional interpersonal skills.

What does a child care center director do?

Child care center directors lead the staff, supervise daily activities, prepare budgets, and design program plans that will help children learn in a fun way. Their usual tasks include meeting with parents and teachers to get updates on the students' improvement, making sure that the center is a clean and safe environment for children to be in, and hiring new staff members. Fulfilling the job requires a person to have good communication skills, interpersonal skills, and organizational skills.

Child care director vs child care center director salary

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

Child Care DirectorChild Care Center Director
Average salary$37,471$66,949
Salary rangeBetween $24,000 And $57,000Between $33,000 And $135,000
Highest paying CityEaston, PA-
Highest paying statePennsylvania-
Best paying companyAnthem-
Best paying industry--

Differences between child care director and child care center director education

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

Child Care DirectorChild Care Center Director
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 56%Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Most common majorEarly Childhood EducationEarly Childhood Education
Most common collegeUniversity of Southern CaliforniaUniversity of Pennsylvania

Child care director vs child care center director demographics

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

Child Care DirectorChild Care Center Director
Average age4747
Gender ratioMale, 16.9% Female, 83.1%Male, 16.2% Female, 83.8%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 13.7% Asian, 4.3% White, 65.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%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%
LGBT Percentage16%16%

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

Child care director example responsibilities.

  • Manage care for k-5 kids before and after school.
  • Establish cooperative relationship with state/regional USDA CACFP office.
  • Require to acquire CPR, first aid, a training.
  • Develop compliance and audit program for Medicare.
  • Certify medication & CPR, maintain portfolio for each student
  • Charge clients for daycare payments and merchandise using POS system.
  • Show more

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.

Child care director vs child care center director skills

Common child care director skills
  • Customer Service, 19%
  • Childhood, 10%
  • Critical Care, 9%
  • Child Development, 8%
  • Quality Care, 7%
  • CPR, 6%
Common child care center director skills
  • Patient Care, 16%
  • Professional Development, 9%
  • Child Development, 8%
  • CPR, 6%
  • Payroll, 5%
  • Educational Programs, 5%

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