Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare Salary
In Fort Smith, AR-OK, education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycares earn $40,420 at the median, or about $19.43 an hour. The range runs from $30K at the entry level to $67K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 85.89), which stretches that salary to about $47,060 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $937/month, about 34% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $40K actually covers in Fort Smith, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Fort Smith’s Regional Price Parity (85.89). 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
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What this looks like in Fort Smith
Pay for education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycare in Fort Smith runs about 32% below the U.S. median of $59K. Rent runs $937/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 34% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 85.89 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 14% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycares in metros near Fort Smith, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway | $47K | $52K |
| Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers | $46K | $50K |
| Jonesboro | $48K | $56K |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $54K | $54K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Fort Smith, AR-OK
Entry-level education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycares (10th percentile) start around $30K. Mid-career wages sit at $40K. Top earners bring in $67K or more, a $37K 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 Fort Smith numbers change.
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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 Fort Smith?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $40K, rent takes 34% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $937/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $800/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 Fort Smith?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycares typically earn — is $30K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,079/month. At HUD’s $937/month FMR, rent would take 45% 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 Fort Smith?
Local pay runs 32% below the national median — $40K here vs. $59K nationally. Cost of living is 14% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Fort Smith compare to the national average for education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycares?
Fort Smith pays $40K median vs. the U.S. average of $59K — that’s -32%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 85.89), the purchasing-power equivalent is $47K — below the national median.
How much do education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycares make in Fort Smith, AR-OK?
The median is $40,420 a year, that works out to about $19 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $29,740, and experienced education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycares can clear $66,830. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $40K enough to live in Fort Smith?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,759/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $937/month, which eats 34% 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 Fort Smith?
Fort Smith has a Regional Price Parity of 85.89 (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 $47,060 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.