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Day care director salary
Average day care director salary
$42,010
How much does a day care director make?
The average day care director salary in the United States is $42,010. Day care director salaries typically range between $26,000 and $66,000 yearly. The average hourly rate for day care directors is $20.2 per hour.
Day care director salary is impacted by location, education, and experience. Day care directors earn the highest average salary in Delaware.
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Where can a Day Care Director earn more?
Day care director salary estimates from across the web
Average day care director salary by state
The average day care director salary in Delaware, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average day care director salary states are Arkansas, Alabama, and Indiana.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for day care directors
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | $48,195 | $23.17 |
| 2 | Michigan | $45,600 | $21.92 |
| 3 | Delaware | $49,352 | $23.73 |
| 4 | Arizona | $45,283 | $21.77 |
| 5 | New Hampshire | $45,463 | $21.86 |
| 6 | Oregon | $46,621 | $22.41 |
| 7 | Ohio | $44,282 | $21.29 |
| 8 | Rhode Island | $48,622 | $23.38 |
| 9 | Maine | $42,676 | $20.52 |
| 10 | Pennsylvania | $49,089 | $23.60 |
| 11 | Washington | $46,432 | $22.32 |
| 12 | New Mexico | $44,027 | $21.17 |
| 13 | Massachusetts | $47,159 | $22.67 |
| 14 | Mississippi | $38,550 | $18.53 |
| 15 | Vermont | $42,373 | $20.37 |
| 16 | District of Columbia | $47,672 | $22.92 |
| 17 | Iowa | $36,773 | $17.68 |
| 18 | West Virginia | $39,178 | $18.84 |
| 19 | North Dakota | $39,485 | $18.98 |
| 20 | Nebraska | $40,642 | $19.54 |
| 21 | New York | $45,170 | $21.72 |
| 22 | California | $44,719 | $21.50 |
| 23 | Connecticut | $43,411 | $20.87 |
| 24 | Louisiana | $36,331 | $17.47 |
| 25 | Wisconsin | $36,847 | $17.71 |
| 26 | Wyoming | $38,203 | $18.37 |
| 27 | Illinois | $36,680 | $17.63 |
| 28 | Kentucky | $36,215 | $17.41 |
| 29 | New Jersey | $42,219 | $20.30 |
| 30 | Kansas | $37,287 | $17.93 |
| 31 | Utah | $37,611 | $18.08 |
| 32 | Missouri | $34,173 | $16.43 |
| 33 | Texas | $38,327 | $18.43 |
| 34 | Virginia | $37,718 | $18.13 |
| 35 | Florida | $39,117 | $18.81 |
| 36 | Arkansas | $32,097 | $15.43 |
| 37 | South Carolina | $34,468 | $16.57 |
| 38 | Minnesota | $34,601 | $16.64 |
| 39 | North Carolina | $33,541 | $16.13 |
| 40 | Alabama | $31,242 | $15.02 |
| 41 | Idaho | $36,094 | $17.35 |
| 42 | Alaska | $36,749 | $17.67 |
| 43 | South Dakota | $32,475 | $15.61 |
| 44 | Montana | $32,817 | $15.78 |
| 45 | Maryland | $37,144 | $17.86 |
| 46 | Hawaii | $36,155 | $17.38 |
| 47 | Oklahoma | $29,883 | $14.37 |
| 48 | Colorado | $34,013 | $16.35 |
| 49 | Georgia | $29,859 | $14.36 |
| 50 | Indiana | $31,090 | $14.95 |
| 51 | Tennessee | $30,450 | $14.64 |
Highest paying cities for day care directors
The highest-paying cities for day care directors are Philadelphia, PA, Providence, RI, and Las Vegas, NV.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Philadelphia, PA | $49,709 | $23.90 |
| 2 | Providence, RI | $48,486 | $23.31 |
| 3 | Las Vegas, NV | $48,428 | $23.28 |
| 4 | Plymouth, MA | $47,927 | $23.04 |
| 5 | Seattle, WA | $46,568 | $22.39 |
| 6 | Pontiac, MI | $45,708 | $21.98 |
| 7 | San Francisco, CA | $45,672 | $21.96 |
| 8 | Chandler, AZ | $45,357 | $21.81 |
| 9 | New York, NY | $45,333 | $21.79 |
| 10 | Toms River, NJ | $42,352 | $20.36 |
| 11 | Hamilton, OH | $42,110 | $20.25 |
| 12 | Weslaco, TX | $41,333 | $19.87 |
| 13 | Temple Terrace, FL | $38,798 | $18.65 |
| 14 | Arlington Heights, IL | $37,084 | $17.83 |
| 15 | Kailua, HI | $36,229 | $17.42 |
| 16 | Florence, SC | $34,743 | $16.70 |
| 17 | Saint Paul, MN | $34,598 | $16.63 |
| 18 | Raleigh, NC | $34,034 | $16.36 |
Day care director salary details
A day care director's salary ranges from $26,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $66,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a day care director's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $66,000 | $5,500 | $32 |
| 75th Percentile | $53,000 | $4,417 | $25 |
| Average | $42,010 | $3,501 | $20 |
| 25th Percentile | $33,000 | $2,750 | $16 |
| 10th Percentile | $26,000 | $2,167 | $13 |
Highest paying day care director jobs
The highest paying types of day care directors are director, center director, and writing center director.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test Center Administrator | $26,135 | $2,178 | $12.57 | 95,722 |
| Day Manager | $44,969 | $3,747 | $21.62 | 280,978 |
| Parent Educator | $38,992 | $3,249 | $18.75 | 7,183 |
| Director | $113,489 | $9,457 | $54.56 | 230,711 |
| Child Care Center Director | $66,949 | $5,579 | $32.19 | 109,279 |
| Site Director | $43,762 | $3,647 | $21.04 | 21,166 |
Top companies hiring day care directors now:
Which companies pay day care directors the most?
Day care director salaries at Emanate Health and Lancaster General Health are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average day care director salary at companies like CITRUS VALLEY PHYSICIANS GROUP and Baptist Hospitals of Southeast Texas are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Emanate Health | $73,376 | $35.28 |
| 2 | Lancaster General Health | $64,610 | $31.06 |
| 3 | CITRUS VALLEY PHYSICIANS GROUP | $63,064 | $30.32 |
| 4 | Baptist Hospitals of Southeast Texas | $62,281 | $29.94 |
| 5 | Hca Hospital Services Of San Diego | $60,816 | $29.24 |
| 6 | Doctors Hospital at Renaissance Health System | $60,519 | $29.10 |
| 7 | University of California-Berkeley | $57,092 | $27.45 |
| 8 | RWJBarnabas Health | $55,793 | $26.82 |
| 9 | Hackensack Meridian Health | $55,652 | $26.76 |
| 10 | MUFG EMEA | $52,596 | $25.29 |
| 11 | Temple University | $45,875 | $22.06 |
| 12 | Brown University | $45,524 | $21.89 |
| 13 | Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital | $44,446 | $21.37 |
| 14 | Children's Health Corporation | $44,411 | $21.35 |
| 15 | MGRM Group | $44,144 | $21.22 |
| 16 | Prime Healthcare | $43,022 | $20.68 |
| 17 | OpenSquare | $43,017 | $20.68 |
| 18 | Charter Schools USA | $42,409 | $20.39 |
| 19 | John Muir Health | $41,965 | $20.18 |
| 20 | Kettering Health Network | $40,971 | $19.70 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Day care director salary trends
The average day care director salary has risen by $4,555 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average day care director earned $37,455 annually, but today, they earn $42,010 a year. That works out to a 7% change in pay for day care directors over the last decade.
Compare day care director salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average day care director salary over time
Compare day care director salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Day care director salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $42,000 | $20.20 | +1.9% |
| 2024 | $41,200 | $19.81 | +0.6% |
| 2023 | $41,000 | $19.70 | +2.2% |
| 2022 | $40,100 | $19.26 | +2.3% |
| 2021 | $39,100 | $18.81 | +0.3% |
Recently added day care director salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cedar Trails Senior Living | CDP Memory Care Director | Freeburg, IL | 06/27/2025 | $50,000 |
| CMC Claremont McKenna College | Director of The Robert Day Scholars Program | Claremont, CA | 06/12/2025 | $95,000 |
| North Shore Healthcare Support Center | Director of Nursing (DON)-Part-Time Day/Evening | Marshfield, WI | 06/07/2025 | $120,000 |
| Mount Sinai Medical Center | Director-Mount Sinai International-Corporate Days | New York, NY | 05/16/2025 | $140,000 |
| Illinois Association of School | Director of Multi-Tiered System of Supports (Mtss) and Extended Day Programs | Berwyn, IL | 05/16/2025 | $92,000 |
| Community Wellness Partners | Adult Day Health Care Director | Oswego, NY | 05/14/2025 | $41,740 |
| Cranbrook | Director-Young Authors Day Camp | Bloomfield Hills, MI | 04/25/2025 | $49,045 |
| Monroe Health Services | Director of Nursing (DON)-Part-Time Day/Evening | Madison, WI | 04/24/2025 | $130,000 |
| North Shore Healthcare Support Center | Director of Nursing (DON)-Part-Time Day/Evening | Madison, WI | 04/22/2025 | $130,000 |
| Monroe Health Services | Director of Nursing (DON)-Part-Time Day/Evening | Janesville, WI | 03/28/2025 | $120,000 |
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