Top Skills for This Career
BLS identifies these as the three highest-rated skills for this detailed occupation. TrustInEd adds the plain-language explanations so visitors understand what each skill means.
Adjusting effectively when priorities, conditions, tools, or expectations change.
Guiding people or projects, setting direction, taking responsibility, and helping others succeed.
Working effectively with people by building relationships, understanding others, and responding appropriately.
How Do You Prepare for This Career?
BLS describes the typical preparation for this occupation. Requirements can vary by employer, state, licensing rules and individual circumstances.
How to Become One
How to Become a Preschool or Childcare Center Director Preschool and childcare center directors need to be able to interact with children, staff, and parents. A bachelor’s degree and experience in early childhood
Education
are typically required to become a preschool or childcare center director. However, educational requirements vary. Additionally, some employers require these directors to have a nationally recognized credential. Education Most states require preschool and childcare center directors to have at least a bachelor’s degree, but educational requirements vary by state. Employers may prefer candidates who have a degree, or at least some postsecondary coursework, in early childhood education. These programs teach child development, provide strategies for instructing young children, and show how to observe and document children’s progress. Work Experience in a Related Occupation Most positions for preschool and childcare center directors require several years of experience in early childhood education. The length of experience required varies by job.
Training
requirement. Some states have more requirements, such as requiring staff to have certifications in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and first aid. Some employers have additional requirements such as professional credentials. Candidates may need to pay a fee, take coursework, obtain experience in the field, and be observed while working with children. Information on certifications is available from CareerOneStop.
Licenses, Certifications & Registrations
States may require childcare centers, including those in private homes, to be licensed. To qualify for licensure, staff must pass a background check and meet a minimum
Your Next Step
Compare colleges and education options that can support the typical entry-level education for this career.
Pay
the median annual wage for all workers was $50,980.
Job Outlook
Job Outlook Employment of preschool and childcare center directors is projected to grow 3 percent from 2025 to 2035, decline. About 5,200 openings for preschool and childcare center directors are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire. Employment Early childhood education is widely recognized as important for a child’s intellectual and emotional development. However, low birth rates and the rising cost of childcare may limit the demand for preschool and childcare center directors over the projections decade. Preschool and Childcare Center Directors Percent change in employment, projected 2025–35 Other management occupations 6% Total, all occupations 3% Education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycare -3% Note: All Occupations includes all occupations in the U.S. Economy.
What They Do
What Preschool and Childcare Center Directors Do
Preschool and childcare center directors supervise and lead staffs, design program plans, oversee daily activities, and prepare budgets. They are responsible for all aspects of their center’s program, which may include before- and after-school care.
Duties
Preschool and childcare center directors typically do the following:
- Supervise preschool teachers and childcare workers
- Hire and train new staff members
- Provide professional development opportunities for staff
- Establish policies and communicate them to staff and parents
- Develop educational programs and standards
- Maintain instructional excellence
- Assist staff in communicating with parents and children
- Meet with parents and staff to discuss students’ progress
- Prepare budgets and allocate program funds
- Ensure that facilities are maintained and cleaned according to state regulations
Some preschools and childcare centers are independently owned and operated. In these facilities, directors must follow the instructions and guidelines of the owner. Sometimes, the directors are the owners, so they decide how to operate them.
Other preschools and childcare centers are part of a national chain or franchise. The director of a chain or franchise must ensure that the facility meets the parent organization’s standards and regulations.
In addition, some preschools and childcare centers, such as Head Start programs, receive state and federal funding. Directors need to follow the requirements set by Department of Health and Human Services for program, staff, and facilities.
Work Environment
Work Environment
Preschool and childcare center directors held about 91,900 jobs in 2025. The largest employers of preschool and childcare center directors were as follows:
| Child daycare services | 72% |
| Religious, grantmaking, civic, professional, and similar organizations | 10 |
| Self-employed workers | 6 |
| Elementary and secondary schools; private | 3 |
| Elementary and secondary schools; local | 3 |
Although preschool and childcare center directors work in schools and childcare centers, they spend most of their day in an office. They also visit classrooms to check on students, speak to preschool teachers or childcare workers, and meet with parents.
Preschool and childcare center directors may find working in an early childhood educational environment rewarding, but they also have significant responsibilities. Coordinating and interacting with staff, parents, and children may be fast paced and stimulating but also stressful.
Work Schedules
Most preschool and childcare center directors work full time, and some work more than 40 hours per week. They are on the job while the childcare center is open and may work early in the morning and late in the evening, particularly in centers that provide before- and after-school care. In large facilities, the director and assistant directors may stagger their schedules to ensure that someone is always onsite.
Important Qualities
The following are examples of qualities that are important for these workers to perform their duties. For more information, visit the Employment Projections (EP) skills data page. Business skills. Preschool and childcare center directors manage childcare centers and need to be able to operate the business effectively. Communication skills. Directors inform parents and staff about the children’s progress. They need good writing and speaking skills to convey this information. Interpersonal skills. Preschool and childcare center directors must be able to develop relationships with parents, children, and staff. Leadership skills. Preschool and childcare center directors need leadership skills to supervise staff and inspire diligence. They also must enforce rules and regulations. Organizational skills. Directors need to maintain clear records about children and staff. In addition, they must be able to multitask when several people or situations require their attention.
More Information
More Information, Including Links to O*NET
Learn more about preschool and childcare center directors by visiting additional resources, including O*NET, a source on key characteristics of workers and occupations.
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Start with ED →Career data and occupational profile text are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook and Employment Projections program. Education requirements are typical entry-level requirements and may vary by employer, state, occupation or individual circumstance. View the official BLS profile.