Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare Salary
In Boulder, CO, education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycares earn $69,900 at the median, or about $33.61 an hour. The range runs from $49K at the entry level to $108K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 105.2), so that salary is closer to $66,445 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,033/month, about 43.4% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $70K actually covers in Boulder, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Boulder’s Regional Price Parity (105.2). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycares
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Boulder
Boulder sits well above the national pay line for education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycare, local pay runs about 18% higher than the U.S. median of $59K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,033/month, which is 44.8% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 5% above the national average (BEA RPP 105.2), so groceries and services cost more too. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycares in metros near Boulder, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial | $69K | $65K |
| Colorado Springs | $64K | $63K |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler | $49K | $47K |
| Oklahoma City | $47K | $52K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Boulder, CO
Entry-level education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycares (10th percentile) start around $49K. Mid-career wages sit at $70K. Top earners bring in $108K or more, a $59K spread from bottom to top.
Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | $97K | +63% | 3,950 |
| New Jersey | $79K | +33% | 2,900 |
| District of Columbia | $78K | +31% | 410 |
| Alaska | $76K | +27% | 60 |
| Washington | $70K | +19% | 1,560 |
| Massachusetts | $70K | +19% | 2,260 |
| California | $67K | +13% | 9,810 |
| Hawaii | $65K | +10% | 260 |
| Colorado | $65K | +9% | 1,150 |
| South Dakota | $63K | +7% | 150 |
| Vermont | $63K | +7% | 190 |
| Maryland | $63K | +5% | 1,270 |
| Minnesota | $62K | +5% | 1,010 |
| Utah | $61K | +3% | 400 |
| Georgia | $60K | +2% | 1,550 |
| Oregon | $60K | +2% | 1,230 |
| Nevada | $60K | +1% | N/A |
| Maine | $60K | +1% | 240 |
| Wisconsin | $60K | +1% | 1,320 |
| Connecticut | $60K | +1% | 1,290 |
| Indiana | $59K | -1% | 750 |
| Illinois | $59K | -1% | 3,090 |
| Delaware | $58K | -2% | 420 |
| North Carolina | $57K | -4% | 2,410 |
| Kansas | $57K | -4% | 600 |
| Michigan | $57K | -4% | 1,890 |
| Florida | $57K | -4% | 5,980 |
| Pennsylvania | $56K | -5% | 4,100 |
| Wyoming | $56K | -5% | 160 |
| Nebraska | $56K | -5% | 550 |
| Rhode Island | $55K | -7% | 390 |
| New Hampshire | $55K | -7% | 410 |
| Virginia | $53K | -10% | 1,590 |
| North Dakota | $51K | -13% | 290 |
| South Carolina | $51K | -14% | 700 |
| Texas | $51K | -14% | 5,480 |
| Mississippi | $50K | -16% | 580 |
| Ohio | $50K | -16% | 3,030 |
| Tennessee | $49K | -17% | 710 |
| Idaho | $49K | -18% | 200 |
| Arizona | $48K | -19% | 1,210 |
| Montana | $48K | -19% | 180 |
| Missouri | $48K | -19% | 1,060 |
| Iowa | $47K | -20% | 1,020 |
| Oklahoma | $47K | -21% | 830 |
| Louisiana | $46K | -22% | 690 |
| West Virginia | $46K | -23% | 290 |
| Arkansas | $45K | -24% | 1,090 |
| Kentucky | $45K | -25% | 1,000 |
| Alabama | $42K | -30% | 940 |
Showing 1–10 of 50 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycare salary changes
BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Boulder numbers change.
Related careers in Management
Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycare afford a 2BR apartment alone in Boulder?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $70K, rent takes 44.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,033/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,400/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycares in Boulder?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycares typically earn — is $49K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,250/month. At HUD’s $2,033/month FMR, rent would take 63% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycare a high-paying job in Boulder?
Local pay is 18% above the national median — $70K here vs. $59K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 5% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does Boulder compare to the national average for education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycares?
Boulder pays $70K median vs. the U.S. average of $59K — that’s +18%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 105.2), the purchasing-power equivalent is $66K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycares make in Boulder, CO?
The median is $69,900 a year, that works out to about $34 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $48,670, and experienced education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycares can clear $107,750. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $70K enough to live in Boulder?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,540/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,033/month, which eats 44.8% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycare salary go in Boulder?
Boulder has a Regional Price Parity of 105.2 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycare salary is worth about $66,445 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycares get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.