Best states for a day care director

Q: What is the best state for day care directors?

The best state to be a day care director is Nevada based on day care director salaries and job opportunities.

Q: What is the highest paying state for day care directors?

The highest paying state for day care directors is Georgia based on Zippia’s salary database.

Q: What is the worst state for day care directors?

The worst state for day care directors is Tennessee, due to a combination of low salaries and few job opportunities.

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Do you wonder which states in the U.S. are the best for day care directors? If so, we have the full list of best to worst states for day care director jobs for you to check out and see if you think it's time to move and start anew. Not all states fare the same when it come to job opportunity and pay.Our research shows that Nevada is the best state in the country for day care directors.

Nevada is the best state for jobs for day care directors, and Tennessee is the worst. The most common pay in Nevada is $48,195, while the median pay in Tennessee is $30,450.We found that Nevada is the best state for day care director jobs, whereas Tennessee is the worst.

10 best states for day care directors in 2026

1. Nevada
Total day care director jobs: 316
Average annual salary: $48,195
Lowest 10 percent earn: $30,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $76,000
Location Quotient:
1.52
Day care director jobs in Nevada
2. Michigan
Total day care director jobs: 1,255
Average annual salary: $45,600
Lowest 10 percent earn: $29,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $70,000
Location Quotient:
1.63
Day care director jobs in Michigan
3. Delaware
Total day care director jobs: 153
Average annual salary: $49,352
Lowest 10 percent earn: $29,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $81,000
Location Quotient:
1.23
Day care director jobs in Delaware
4. Arizona
Total day care director jobs: 879
Average annual salary: $45,283
Lowest 10 percent earn: $28,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $70,000
Location Quotient:
1.51
Day care director jobs in Arizona
5. New Hampshire
Total day care director jobs: 219
Average annual salary: $45,463
Lowest 10 percent earn: $29,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $70,000
Location Quotient:
1.26
Day care director jobs in New Hampshire
6. Oregon
Total day care director jobs: 510
Average annual salary: $46,621
Lowest 10 percent earn: $31,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $69,000
Location Quotient:
1.24
Day care director jobs in Oregon
7. Ohio
Total day care director jobs: 1,428
Average annual salary: $44,282
Lowest 10 percent earn: $28,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $68,000
Location Quotient:
1.41
Day care director jobs in Ohio
8. Rhode Island
Total day care director jobs: 115
Average annual salary: $48,622
Lowest 10 percent earn: $30,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $78,000
Location Quotient:
0.95
Day care director jobs in Rhode Island
9. Maine
Total day care director jobs: 179
Average annual salary: $42,676
Lowest 10 percent earn: $29,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $62,000
Location Quotient:
1.36
Day care director jobs in Maine
10. Pennsylvania
Total day care director jobs: 224
Average annual salary: $49,089
Lowest 10 percent earn: $29,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $80,000
Location Quotient:
0.19
Day care director jobs in Pennsylvania

Day care director jobsNear Columbus, OH

How Zippia determines the best states to be a day care director

You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.

Detailed list of the best states for a day care director

Rank	State	Average salary	Lowest 10% earn	Population	Job count
1	Nevada	$48,195	$30,000	2,998,039	316
2	Michigan	$45,600	$29,000	9,962,311	1,255
3	Delaware	$49,352	$29,000	961,939	153
4	Arizona	$45,283	$28,000	7,016,270	879
5	New Hampshire	$45,463	$29,000	1,342,795	219
6	Oregon	$46,621	$31,000	4,142,776	510
7	Ohio	$44,282	$28,000	11,658,609	1,428
8	Rhode Island	$48,622	$30,000	1,059,639	115
9	Maine	$42,676	$29,000	1,335,907	179
10	Pennsylvania	$49,089	$29,000	12,805,537	224
11	Washington	$46,432	$32,000	7,405,743	807
12	New Mexico	$44,027	$28,000	2,088,070	228
13	Massachusetts	$47,159	$29,000	6,859,819	342
14	Mississippi	$38,550	$25,000	2,984,100	601
15	Vermont	$42,373	$28,000	623,657	94
16	District of Columbia	$47,672	$29,000	693,972	167
17	Iowa	$36,773	$25,000	3,145,711	966
18	West Virginia	$39,178	$24,000	1,815,857	185
19	North Dakota	$39,485	$28,000	755,393	112
20	Nebraska	$40,642	$28,000	1,920,076	219
21	New York	$45,170	$27,000	19,849,399	442
22	California	$44,719	$27,000	39,536,653	3,163
23	Connecticut	$43,411	$26,000	3,588,184	73
24	Louisiana	$36,331	$23,000	4,684,333	852
25	Wisconsin	$36,847	$24,000	5,795,483	792
26	Wyoming	$38,203	$26,000	579,315	67
27	Illinois	$36,680	$24,000	12,802,023	1,751
28	Kentucky	$36,215	$24,000	4,454,189	432
29	New Jersey	$42,219	$25,000	9,005,644	245
30	Kansas	$37,287	$25,000	2,913,123	292
31	Utah	$37,611	$25,000	3,101,833	255
32	Missouri	$34,173	$23,000	6,113,532	955
33	Texas	$38,327	$24,000	28,304,596	381
34	Virginia	$37,718	$23,000	8,470,020	1,058
35	Florida	$39,117	$24,000	20,984,400	239
36	Arkansas	$32,097	$21,000	3,004,279	493
37	South Carolina	$34,468	$22,000	5,024,369	575
38	Minnesota	$34,601	$24,000	5,576,606	827
39	North Carolina	$33,541	$21,000	10,273,419	1,393
40	Alabama	$31,242	$20,000	4,874,747	926
41	Idaho	$36,094	$24,000	1,716,943	146
42	Alaska	$36,749	$31,000	739,795	15
43	South Dakota	$32,475	$22,000	869,666	139
44	Montana	$32,817	$23,000	1,050,493	172
45	Maryland	$37,144	$22,000	6,052,177	649
46	Hawaii	$36,155	$27,000	1,427,538	84
47	Oklahoma	$29,883	$20,000	3,930,864	797
48	Colorado	$34,013	$23,000	5,607,154	617
49	Georgia	$29,859	$19,000	10,429,379	1,286
50	Indiana	$31,090	$20,000	6,666,818	141
51	Tennessee	$30,450	$20,000	6,715,984	84

Highest paying states for day care directors

Rank	State	Avg. Day Care Director Salary
1	Nevada	$48,195
2	Michigan	$45,600
3	Delaware	$49,352
4	Arizona	$45,283
5	New Hampshire	$45,463
6	Oregon	$46,621
7	Ohio	$44,282
8	Rhode Island	$48,622
9	Maine	$42,676
10	Pennsylvania	$49,089
11	Washington	$46,432
12	New Mexico	$44,027
13	Massachusetts	$47,159
14	Mississippi	$38,550
15	Vermont	$42,373
16	District of Columbia	$47,672
17	Iowa	$36,773
18	West Virginia	$39,178
19	North Dakota	$39,485
20	Nebraska	$40,642
21	New York	$45,170
22	California	$44,719
23	Connecticut	$43,411
24	Louisiana	$36,331
25	Wisconsin	$36,847
26	Wyoming	$38,203
27	Illinois	$36,680
28	Kentucky	$36,215
29	New Jersey	$42,219
30	Kansas	$37,287
31	Utah	$37,611
32	Missouri	$34,173
33	Texas	$38,327
34	Virginia	$37,718
35	Florida	$39,117
36	Arkansas	$32,097
37	South Carolina	$34,468
38	Minnesota	$34,601
39	North Carolina	$33,541
40	Alabama	$31,242
41	Idaho	$36,094
42	Alaska	$36,749
43	South Dakota	$32,475
44	Montana	$32,817
45	Maryland	$37,144
46	Hawaii	$36,155
47	Oklahoma	$29,883
48	Colorado	$34,013
49	Georgia	$29,859
50	Indiana	$31,090
51	Tennessee	$30,450

Best states for a day care director

10 best states for day care directors in 2026

1. Nevada

2. Michigan

3. Delaware

4. Arizona

5. New Hampshire

6. Oregon

7. Ohio

8. Rhode Island

9. Maine

10. Pennsylvania

Day care director jobsNear Columbus, OH

How Zippia determines the best states to be a day care director

Detailed list of the best states for a day care director

Highest paying states for day care directors

Day care director best states FAQs

What is the best state for day care directors?

What is the highest paying state for day care directors?

What is the worst state for day care directors?

Search for day care director jobs

Total day care director jobs:	316
Average annual salary:	$48,195
Lowest 10 percent earn:	$30,000
Highest 10 percent earn:	$76,000
Location Quotient:	1.52