Post job

What is an early head start director and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
introduction image
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being an early head start director. For example, did you know that they make an average of $18.97 an hour? That's $39,448 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 8% and produce 6,200 job opportunities across the U.S.
ScoreEarly Head Start DirectorUS Average
Salary
3.1

Avg. Salary $39,448

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
9.8

Growth rate 8%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
3.0
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.70%

Asian 4.34%

Black or African American 10.99%

Hispanic or Latino 14.14%

Unknown 4.00%

White 65.84%

Gender

female 89.37%

male 10.63%

Age - 47
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 47
Stress level
9.8

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
8.4

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance
7.7

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Early head start director career paths

Key steps to become an early head start director

  1. Explore early head start director education requirements

    Most common early head start director degrees

    Bachelor's

    63.6 %

    Master's

    16.5 %

    Associate

    13.9 %
  2. Start to develop specific early head start director skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Social Work14.10%
    Child Development8.38%
    Childhood8.30%
    Social Services7.99%
    Community Resources6.46%
  3. Complete relevant early head start director training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 2-4 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New early head start directors learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an early head start director based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real early head start director resumes.
  4. Research early head start director duties and responsibilities

    • Lead program development for an early childhood education initiative.
    • Provide technical assistance to EHS staff i.e.
    • Implement direct early childhood development education, health, nutrition, and social services to children and families.
    • Monitor regulations at the NAEYC accredit program sites.
  5. Get early head start director experience

    Generally, it takes 2-4 years to become an early head start director. The most common roles before becoming an early head start director include teacher, internship team lead and head start teacher.
  6. Prepare your early head start director resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your early head start director resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an early head start director resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable early head start director resume templates

    Build a professional early head start director resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your early head start director resume.
    Early Head Start Director Resume
    Early Head Start Director Resume
    Early Head Start Director Resume
    Early Head Start Director Resume
    Early Head Start Director Resume
    Early Head Start Director Resume
    Early Head Start Director Resume
    Early Head Start Director Resume
    Early Head Start Director Resume
  7. Apply for early head start director jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for an early head start director job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first early head start director job

Zippi

Are you an early head start director?

Share your story for a free salary report.

Average early head start director salary

The average early head start director salary in the United States is $39,448 per year or $19 per hour. Early head start director salaries range between $25,000 and $61,000 per year.

Average early head start director salary
$39,448 Yearly
$18.97 hourly

What am I worth?

salary-calculator

How do early head start directors rate their job?

Working as an early head start director? Share your experience anonymously.
Overall rating*
Career growth
Work/Life balance
Pay/Salary

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Browse executive management jobs