Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare Salary
In Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA, education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycares earn $48,710 at the median, or about $23.42 an hour. The range runs from $38K at the entry level to $67K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.65), that's roughly $49,377 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,493/month, about 44.1% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $49K get you in Harrisburg-Carlisle?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Harrisburg-Carlisle’s Regional Price Parity (98.65). 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 Harrisburg-Carlisle
Pay for education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycare in Harrisburg-Carlisle runs about 18% below the U.S. median of $59K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,493/month, which is 45.1% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 98.65) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. 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 Harrisburg-Carlisle, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $59K | $57K |
| Pittsburgh | $49K | $52K |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton | $49K | $49K |
| Scranton--Wilkes-Barre | $50K | $53K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA
Entry-level education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycares (10th percentile) start around $38K. Mid-career wages sit at $49K. Top earners bring in $67K or more, a $29K 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 quarterly. We'll email you when Harrisburg-Carlisle numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycare afford a 2BR apartment alone in Harrisburg-Carlisle?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $49K, rent takes 45.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,493/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/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 Harrisburg-Carlisle?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycares typically earn — is $38K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,287/month. At HUD’s $1,493/month FMR, rent would take 65% 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 Harrisburg-Carlisle?
Local pay runs 18% below the national median — $49K here vs. $59K nationally.
How does Harrisburg-Carlisle compare to the national average for education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycares?
Harrisburg-Carlisle pays $49K median vs. the U.S. average of $59K — that’s -18%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.65), the purchasing-power equivalent is $49K — below the national median.
How much do education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycares make in Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA?
The median is $48,710 a year, that works out to about $23 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $38,110, and experienced education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycares can clear $66,900. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $49K enough to live in Harrisburg-Carlisle?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,307/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,493/month, which eats 45.1% 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 Harrisburg-Carlisle?
Harrisburg-Carlisle has a Regional Price Parity of 98.65 (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 $49,377 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.