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Education Administrators, Postsecondary vs Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare: what changes?

Consider Education Administrators, Postsecondary if you want to plan, direct, or coordinate student instruction, administration, and services, as well as other research and educational activities, at postsecondary institutions, including universities, colleges, and junior…. Consider Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare if you would rather plan, direct, or coordinate academic or nonacademic activities of preschools or childcare centers and programs, including before- and after-school care. Entry credentials differ: Education Administrators, Postsecondary, master's degree; Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare, bachelor's degree. Prior experience in a related occupation is typically needed for Education Administrators, Postsecondary (less than 5 years) and Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare (less than 5 years).

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Education Administrators, Postsecondary and Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences
What this means in practice

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Start with earnings, the route into the job, training, available openings, and a day-to-day reality.

Education Administrators, Postsecondary

National median pay (2025)
$104,590
Route into the job
Master's degree; Prior related experience: less than 5 years
Prior related experience
Prior related experience: less than 5 years.
Training and licensing
BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate
Design or use assessments to monitor student learning outcomes.
Annual openings (2025–2035)
14,500
Know before you choose

BLS lists less than 5 years of related experience. This is normally reached through feeder roles, not directly from school.

See the full Education Administrators, Postsecondary brief

Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare

National median pay (2025)
$59,300
Route into the job
Bachelor's degree; Prior related experience: less than 5 years
Prior related experience
Prior related experience: less than 5 years.
Training and licensing
BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate
Confer with parents and staff to discuss educational activities and policies and students' behavioral or learning problems.
Annual openings (2025–2035)
5,200
Know before you choose

BLS lists less than 5 years of related experience. This is normally reached through feeder roles, not directly from school.

See the full Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare brief
See scores, detailed data, and how the comparison works

How the national numbers differ

1

Education Administrators, Postsecondary has the edge on median pay

Education Administrators, Postsecondary is at $104,590, compared with $59,300 for Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare.

2

Education Administrators, Postsecondary has the edge on annual openings

Education Administrators, Postsecondary is at 14,500 annual openings, compared with 5,200 annual openings for Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare.

3

Education Administrators, Postsecondary has the edge on projected growth

Education Administrators, Postsecondary is at 1.8% projected growth, compared with -3.1% projected growth for Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare.

4

Typical preparation differs.

Education Administrators, Postsecondary: Master's degree; Prior related experience: less than 5 years Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare: Bachelor's degree; Prior related experience: less than 5 years Preparation categories do not establish admission difficulty, calendar time, tuition, time without earnings, or licensing difficulty.

58.4/ 100

Education Administrators, Postsecondary

vs
38.2/ 100

Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence

Education Administrators, Postsecondary vs Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare

DimensionEducation Administrators, PostsecondaryEducation and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare
Median pay (2025)$104,590$59,300
Pay percentile85.4 percentile46.5 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)1.8%-3.1%
Annual openings (2025–2035)14,5005,200
2025 employment231,80091,900
How you qualifyMaster's degree; Prior related experience: less than 5 yearsBachelor's degree; Prior related experience: less than 5 years
O*NET preparation groupJob Zone 5Job Zone 4
Related work experiencePrior related experience: less than 5 years.Prior related experience: less than 5 years.
On-the-job trainingBLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.

The table reports national benchmarks and reviewed work descriptions. It does not rate personal suitability, job security, or physical safety.