Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare Salary
In Dothan, AL, education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycares earn $36,450 at the median, or about $17.52 an hour. The range runs from $29K at the entry level to $72K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 83.83), which stretches that salary to about $43,481 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $950/month, about 38.2% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $36K get you in Dothan?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Dothan’s Regional Price Parity (83.83). 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.
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What this looks like in Dothan
Pay for education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycare in Dothan runs about 39% below the U.S. median of $59K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $950/month, which is 38.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 83.83 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 16% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycares.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycares in metros near Dothan, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Birmingham | $44K | $49K |
| Huntsville | $42K | $45K |
| Montgomery | $46K | $52K |
| Auburn-Opelika | $45K | $52K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Dothan, AL
Entry-level education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycares (10th percentile) start around $29K. Mid-career wages sit at $36K. Top earners bring in $72K or more, a $43K 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
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycare salary changes
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Frequently asked questions
Can a education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycare afford a 2BR apartment alone in Dothan?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $36K, rent takes 38.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $950/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $700/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 Dothan?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycares typically earn — is $29K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,729/month. At HUD’s $950/month FMR, rent would take 55% 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 Dothan?
Local pay runs 39% below the national median — $36K here vs. $59K nationally. Cost of living is 16% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Dothan compare to the national average for education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycares?
Dothan pays $36K median vs. the U.S. average of $59K — that’s -39%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 83.83), the purchasing-power equivalent is $43K — below the national median.
How much do education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycares make in Dothan, AL?
The median is $36,450 a year, that works out to about $18 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $28,810, and experienced education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycares can clear $71,540. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $36K enough to live in Dothan?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,472/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $950/month, which eats 38.4% 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 Dothan?
Dothan has a Regional Price Parity of 83.83 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycare salary is worth about $43,481 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.