How to hire a director of preschool

How to hire a director of preschool, step by step

Here's a step-by-step director of preschool hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a director of preschool job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new director of preschool
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The director of preschool hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A director of preschool's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, directors of preschool from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   The following list breaks down different types of directors of preschool and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Director Of Preschool	Description	Hourly rate
   Director Of Preschool		$13-33
   Youth Ministry Director	A Youth Ministry Director works with other church and community leaders to address the needs of youth and maximize their opportunities. They plan, organize, and lead complex projects and spontaneous activities related to youth ministries.	$12-33
   Child Care Director	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... Show more	$11-27

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Childhood
   • Professional Development
   • Curriculum Development
   • Staff Supervision
   • Classroom Management
   • Payroll
   • CPR
   • School Administration
   • Student Enrollment
   • Child Care
   • Preschool Program
   • Kindergarten
   • Community Outreach
   • Educational Programs

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Direct and manage every aspect of an extremely successful preschool, including enrollment, tuition, payroll, and all budgets.
   • Create and maintain a budget, this include tuition fees, payroll, insurances, supplies, etc.
   • Develop a staff of 15 through ongoing coaching, and training into a team of skil early childhood teachers.
   • Hire and train quality early childhood educators.
   • Establish continuous improvement processes which include leadership flow chart, monthly meetings which combine teaching and process analysis.
   • Handle administrative responsibilities and policy development, keep volunteer records and develop a vision manual and serve on leadership team.

   More director of preschool duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the director of preschool job description is a good way to get more applicants. A director of preschool salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a director of preschool in South Carolina may be lower than in Alaska, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level director of preschool. Additionally, a director of preschool with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average director of preschool salary

   $45,132yearly

   $21.70 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level director of preschool salary

   $29,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

   Average director of preschool salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$62,695	$30
   2	Nevada	$51,375	$25
   3	Massachusetts	$49,077	$24
   4	Maryland	$47,804	$23
   5	New York	$46,379	$22
   6	Missouri	$44,723	$22
   7	Texas	$44,543	$21
   8	Arizona	$43,632	$21
   9	Georgia	$43,058	$21
   10	Colorado	$42,738	$21
   11	Ohio	$42,314	$20
   12	Virginia	$39,639	$19
   13	Illinois	$39,509	$19
   14	Minnesota	$38,437	$18
   15	Florida	$38,385	$18
   16	Tennessee	$37,892	$18
   17	North Carolina	$35,704	$17
   18	Kansas	$31,437	$15

   Average director of preschool salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	KLA	$107,684	$51.77
   2	Action Day Primary Plus	$47,162	$22.67
   3	Children's Creative Learning Center, Inc.	$42,483	$20.42
   4	Daisy Education Corporation	$42,425	$20.40
   5	YMCA	$41,818	$20.10	10
   6	Millennium Education Foundation Inc	$41,815	$20.10
   7	First United Church of Christ	$41,815	$20.10	1
   8	Learning Care Group	$39,822	$19.15	85
   9	Cadence Education	$38,048	$18.29	164
   10	Community Care of Rutherford County	$37,683	$18.12	1
   11	The Salvation Army	$37,673	$18.11	12
   12	South Suburban Parks and Recreation	$37,572	$18.06
   13	Stepping Stone School	$37,046	$17.81	6
   14	North Country School	$36,509	$17.55
   15	YMCA of Greater New York	$32,118	$15.44	4
   16	Goddard School	$32,045	$15.41	273
   17	Children of America	$31,855	$15.31	50
   18	Ahmad, Zavitsanos, Anaipakos, Alavi & Mensing P.c. Or Aza	$29,391	$14.13
   19	YMCA of Southern Nevada	$28,296	$13.60

4. Writing a director of preschool job description

   A director of preschool job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a director of preschool job description:

   Director of preschool job description example

   • Supervise and perform administrative operations of the preschool, including registration, school calendar, scheduling of staff and programs, attendance and evaluation of children
   • Implement programming and policies that support the mission and guiding principles of the preschool
   • Maintain and evolve preschool database
   • Recruit, supervise and evaluate staff
   • Mentor preschool staff
   • Oversee staff orientation and development
   • Comply with local and state licensing requirements
   • Maintain national accreditation standards
   • Develop staff manuals, parent packets and weekly newsletters
   • Proofread weekly teacher letters
   • Meet with and enroll new families, as needed
   • Conference with staff and parents, as needed
   • Meet regularly with Parent Association Board; attend and participate in Parent Association events
   • Participate in JCC staff meetings and attend JCC events
   • Exhibit excellent oral and written communication skills
   • Be organized with good time management skills
   • Show a genuine commitment to education and learning
   • Demonstrate excellent judgment and problem solving ability

   Position Requirements

   • At least five years of experience, including leadership experience, working in early childhood education settings.
   • Florida Early Childhood Director credential
   • Understanding of current best practices in Early Childhood Education.
   • Bachelor’s Degree; Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education or related field preferred.
   • At least 3 years of administrative experience in early childhood education or related field.
   • Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications.
   • Must communicate well with both adults and children.

   Physical Requirements

   • Lifting, pushing and pulling up to 35 pounds using proper body mechanics and/or available equipment as physically required—including but not limited to helping children on and off diapering table; lifting children who may need comforting, aren’t feeling well, moving supplies and classroom furniture etc.
   • Physical stamina – must be able to bend, kneel, squat and sit on the floor, etc. as required to lead and participate in child related activities, to perform cleaning tasks and to maintain a safe learning environment.
   • Must be able to stand, walk around and remain active at least 60% of work shift as required for child and office related activities. Must be able to stand for 45 minutes consecutively while supervising children on the playground.
   • Work is mainly performed in a weather controlled, air conditioned/heated facility with some time spent outdoors supervising children on the playground and during field trips. Facility is well lit and has typical preschool environment obstacles, such as running children, small sized furniture, toys, cubbies, etc.

   Reporting Relationships

   Report directly to the Executive Director of Early Education and Youth Programs.

   Supervise Lead Teachers, Assistant Teachers, Office Staff, Substitutes and Volunteers.

   The Tampa JCCs and Federation is a “DFWP” Drug Free Workplace and an “EEOE” Equal Employment Opportunity Employer.

   The Tampa JCCs and Federation requires that all employees who work with children indoors provide proof of vaccination to Human Resources. If unable to take the vaccine, contact Human Resources.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right director of preschool for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your director of preschool job on Zippia to find and recruit director of preschool candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with director of preschool candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new director of preschool

   Once you've found the director of preschool candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new director of preschool. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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