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Salary comparison

Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare vs. General and Operations Managers: Who Earns More?

General and Operations Managerss out-earn Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycares by $46K a year at the national median, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycares land at $59,300 and General and Operations Managerss at $105,770. The education gap is real: education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycare programs typically require bachelor's degree, while general and operations manager programs require bachelor's degree. Top-paying state for Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycares is New York ($96,810); for General and Operations Managerss it's New Jersey ($173,690).

Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare
General and Operations Managers
Median salary
$59,300
$105,770
Hourly rate
$28.51/hr
$50.85/hr
Entry level (10th %)
$38,580
$50,090
Senior level (90th %)
$98,240
$253,390
Education required
Bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
U.S. employment
73,660
3,503,020
Job growth (10-year)
N/A
4.4%
Category
Management
Management
Top-paying state
New York
New Jersey

Pay by state

States where both occupations have BLS data, sorted by Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare median pay.

State
Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare
General and Operations Managers
New York
$96,810
$130,860
New Jersey
$78,770
$173,690
District of Columbia
$77,850
$168,000
Washington
$70,470
$133,750
Massachusetts
$70,320
$127,220
California
$67,100
$124,390
Colorado
$64,620
$131,840
South Dakota
$63,240
$137,400
Maryland
$62,520
$117,930
Wisconsin
$59,930
$118,730
Connecticut
$59,760
$137,220
Delaware
$58,230
$137,220
Rhode Island
$55,290
$117,380
New Hampshire
$55,120
$124,680
Virginia
$53,320
$122,080

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025. Highlighted value is higher in each row.

Common questions

Who earns more, Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycares or General and Operations Managerss?

General and Operations Managerss earn more nationally. The median is $59,300 for Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycares versus $105,770 for General and Operations Managerss, a difference of $46K. Per BLS OEWS May 2025.

Which has better job growth, Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare or General and Operations Managers?

BLS Employment Projections data is not available for one or both occupations. Check the individual career pages for current outlook figures.

Which requires more education, Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare or General and Operations Managers?

Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare typically requires bachelor's degree. General and Operations Managers requires bachelor's degree. Education requirements vary by employer and state licensing board.

Where do Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycares get paid the most?

New York is the top-paying state for Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycares at $96,810/year, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Major metro areas within that state typically pay even more than the state average.

How does Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare vs. General and Operations Managers pay differ by state?

The gap varies significantly by state. In New York, Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycares earn $96,810 vs. $130,860 for General and Operations Managerss. See the state comparison table on this page for the full picture.

Full Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare salary breakdownView →Full General and Operations Managers salary breakdownView →Best cities for Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycares by take-home payExplore →Best cities for General and Operations Managerss by take-home payExplore →How to become a education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycareGuide →How to become a general and operations managersGuide →