Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare vs Facilities Managers: $59K vs $107K Median Pay

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

Consider Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare if you want to plan, direct, or coordinate academic or nonacademic activities of preschools or childcare centers and programs, including before- and after-school care. Consider Facilities Managers if you would rather plan, direct, or coordinate operations and functionalities of facilities and buildings. Both list bachelor's degree; compare training and prior experience separately. Prior experience in a related occupation is typically needed for Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare (less than 5 years) and Facilities Managers (less than 5 years).

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare and Facilities Managers. 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

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

Facilities Managers

National median pay (2025): $106,660
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: Monitor the facility to ensure that it remains safe, secure, and well-maintained.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 14,200

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 Facilities Managers brief

How the national numbers differ

Facilities Managers has the edge on projected growth

Facilities Managers is at 4.6% projected growth, compared with -3.1% projected growth for Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare.

Facilities Managers has the edge on median pay

Facilities Managers is at $106,660, compared with $59,300 for Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare.

Facilities Managers has the edge on annual openings

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

Typical preparation differs.

Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare: Bachelor's degree; Prior related experience: less than 5 years Facilities Managers: 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.

38.2/ 100

Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare

71.8/ 100

Facilities Managers

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 and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare vs Facilities Managers

Dimension	Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare	Facilities Managers
Median pay (2025)	$59,300	$106,660
Pay percentile	46.5 percentile	87 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)	-3.1%	4.6%
Annual openings (2025–2035)	5,200	14,200
2025 employment	91,900	165,900
How you qualify	Bachelor's degree; Prior related experience: less than 5 years	Bachelor's degree; Prior related experience: less than 5 years
O*NET preparation group	Job Zone 4	Job Zone 3
Related work experience	Prior related experience: less than 5 years.	Prior related experience: less than 5 years.
On-the-job training	BLS 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.

Read Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare brief Read Facilities Managers brief

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

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare

Facilities Managers

How the national numbers differ

Facilities Managers has the edge on projected growth

Facilities Managers has the edge on median pay

Facilities Managers has the edge on annual openings

Typical preparation differs.

Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare vs Facilities Managers

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