Early Childhood Education Director: Salary, Requirements and Career Path

Early childhood education directors earn a national median salary of $59,300 a year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), but that single number hides a wide range. Directors in the top 10% earn more than $98,240, and the setting you work in matters as much as your title.

If you’re an experienced early childhood educator weighing whether to pursue director-level leadership, understanding how pay, credentials, and career progression work is the first step. This guide breaks down director salary by setting, the credentials states require, and how a credential such as the online Education Specialist (EdS) in Early Childhood Education, P-3 program at the University of West Alabama (UWA) can help you move from the classroom into program leadership.

Early Childhood Director Salary: What to Expect by Setting and Experience

BLS reports that median pay for education and childcare administrators varies significantly by employer type. Directors at local elementary and secondary schools earn a median of $90,270, compared to $60,680 at private schools, $59,740 at religious and civic organizations, and $53,500 at child daycare services specifically. In other words, the setting you direct in can shift your earning potential by tens of thousands of dollars a year.

Program type and scope of responsibility further change the picture. Typical salary ranges by role type look like this:

• Private childcare center director: $36,000-$69,000, based on PayScale data. Smaller, single-site operations with more limited budgets and staff.
• Public pre-K program director (Title I school): The salary is often closer to BLS’s $90,270 median for directors employed by local public school systems, reflecting public funding, compliance oversight and closer ties to K-12 systems.
• Head Start program director: $39,000-$102,000, with a median near $66,000 according to PayScale data. Federally funded programs with substantial grant compliance and family-services responsibilities layered on top of instructional leadership.
• University lab school director: BLS’s industry-specific data puts the median at $76,580 within Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools, the classification covering university-run lab schools (May 2025 estimate). Higher education settings that often combine program leadership with research or teacher-training partnerships.
• Corporate childcare program director: The same BLS industry data reports a median of $77,000 within Management of Companies and Enterprises, the classification for roles based at a corporate headquarters or holding company, which is how many employer-sponsored programs are staffed. Employer-sponsored programs, often at large companies, use competitive pay to retain experienced leadership.

Experience compounds these figures. A first-time director at a single childcare center will typically sit at the lower end of their setting’s range, while a director who has run multiple sites or oversees a Head Start grant, a Title I compliance portfolio, or a corporate benefits program moves toward the top.

Preschool Director Salary vs. Program Director: How Pay Differs by Role

“Preschool director,” “childcare director” and “early childhood education director” are often used interchangeably, but the pay gap between them usually comes down to scope, not job title. A director responsible for a single classroom-based preschool operates on a different budget and staffing scale than a program director overseeing multiple sites, a state pre-K initiative, or a multi-million-dollar Head Start grant.

That distinction shows up clearly in the BLS wage data. Directors employed by school systems, which tend to have larger budgets, more layers of administrative support, and district-level accountability, earn nearly $37,000 more per year on average than their counterparts at child daycare services. The takeaway for anyone plotting a career path is that moving from a single-site preschool director role into district-, state-, or corporate-level program administration is one of the clearest ways to increase earning potential, and it’s also where advanced credentials start to matter most.

What Credentials Do You Need to Become an Early Childhood Director?

Most states require preschool and childcare center directors to hold at least a bachelor’s degree along with several years of experience in early childhood education, though exact requirements vary by state. Alabama’s licensing standards illustrate how detailed these requirements can get.

Alabama’s childcare licensing standards show that center directors can qualify through several accepted paths:

• A Child Development Associate (CDA) credential or equivalent certification plus a high school diploma or GED and at least 12 months of experience in a licensed childcare program
• An associate degree in child development or early childhood education plus nine months of experience
• A bachelor’s degree in the field plus just six months of experience

Whichever path a director takes, the state also requires 20 clock hours of annual training in administration and management, plus four hours in quality childcare topics, every year.

These figures represent the floor, not the ceiling. An Education Specialist degree, such as UWA’s online EdS in Early Childhood Education, moves a candidate well beyond minimum state licensing requirements and into genuinely competitive territory for director-level and multi-site leadership roles. That’s because the EdS builds directly on leadership coursework, such as Leadership for Enhanced Student Achievement, Assessing Current Practices in Early Childhood Environments, and The Early Childhood Professional, alongside continued coursework in curriculum, instruction, and research shared with a standard Master of Education (MEd) program. Both degrees build instructional expertise; the EdS adds a leadership lens that graduates can apply to the advanced decision-making and program leadership responsibilities director-level roles require.

How UWA’s EdS in Early Childhood Education Prepares You for Director-Level Roles

The path to a director-level role rarely happens in one jump. It typically follows a recognizable trajectory: lead teacher, then curriculum coordinator, then assistant director, then director, and eventually regional program director for those managing multiple sites or a state-level portfolio. Each step adds supervisory responsibility and administrative scope, the exact areas where an MEd alone often leaves a gap.

UWA’s online EdS in Early Childhood Education program is designed to close that gap for working educators who already hold a master’s-level Professional Educator Certificate in Early Childhood Education. The program layers leadership coursework, such as Leadership for Enhanced Student Achievement and The Early Childhood Professional, onto continued study in curriculum, instruction, family and community partnerships, and current trends in early childhood systems, delivered in a flexible online format designed for educators who work full time. Graduates leave with the credential and a leadership foundation they can apply to program director, curriculum coordinator, instructional coach, or state pre-K administrator roles, as well as to the higher end of the salary ranges for those positions.

If you’re ready to move from the classroom into early childhood leadership, UWA’s online EdS in Early Childhood Education program gives you the credential that makes that transition possible. It builds on the master’s-level certificate you’ve already earned, adding the leadership coursework that hiring committees look for in director-level candidates.

Lead the Future of Early Education at UWA.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do early childhood education directors make?

Nationally, the median annual salary for preschool and childcare center directors is $59,300, according to BLS. Pay varies widely by setting, from $53,500 in child daycare services to $90,270 for directors employed by local public school systems.

Do I need a specific degree to become a director?

Most states require at least a bachelor’s degree plus several years of experience in early childhood education, though exact requirements vary. Some states, like Alabama, also accept a CDA credential or an associate degree in child development combined with supervised experience in place of a bachelor’s degree.

Is an EdS worth it if I already have a master’s degree?

An EdS builds on a master’s-level teaching credential with additional leadership coursework, which can help you stand out for director-level and multi-site roles. It’s a post-master’s credential, not a replacement for one; most programs, including UWA’s, require you to hold a master’s-level certificate.

What’s the difference between a preschool director and a program director?

The titles are often used interchangeably, but pay and scope usually track responsibility rather than title. A preschool director typically runs a single site, while a program director may oversee multiple locations, a state pre-K initiative, or a large, grant-funded portfolio such as Head Start.

About the University of West Alabama

The University of West Alabama traces its roots to 1835, when it was chartered in Livingston as a church-related academy for young women. Under the direction of noted educator and reformer Julia S. Tutwiler in the late 1800s, the school secured state funding to establish normal school training for girls, a role that shaped its long-standing focus on preparing teachers. The state assumed full control of the institution in 1907, and it adopted its current name in 1995 as its mission grew into that of a regional university.

Today, UWA offers more than 70 online programs to over 4,000 online students, building on its teacher-preparation heritage with degrees such as the online EdS in Early Childhood Education. For an experienced early childhood educator weighing their next career step, that combination of a long history in teacher training and a flexible, fully online delivery format makes UWA a practical option for earning a post-master’s credential without stepping away from the classroom.