Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare Salary
In Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN, education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycares earn $59,160 at the median, or about $28.44 an hour. The range runs from $37K at the entry level to $88K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.43), which stretches that salary to about $63,320 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,242/month, about 31.4% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $59K get you in Lafayette-West Lafayette?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Lafayette-West Lafayette’s Regional Price Parity (93.43). 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 Lafayette-West Lafayette
Education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycare pay in Lafayette-West Lafayette tracks closely to the national median, $59K locally vs. $59K nationwide, a 0% difference. Rent runs $1,242/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 31.2% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.43 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 7% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycares in metros near Lafayette-West Lafayette, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood | $59K | $61K |
| Fort Wayne | $54K | $58K |
| South Bend-Mishawaka | $59K | $63K |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $59K | $57K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN
Entry-level education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycares (10th percentile) start around $37K. Mid-career wages sit at $59K. Top earners bring in $88K or more, a $51K 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 Lafayette-West Lafayette?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $59K, rent takes 31.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,242/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,200/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 Lafayette-West Lafayette?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycares typically earn — is $37K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,221/month. At HUD’s $1,242/month FMR, rent would take 56% 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 Lafayette-West Lafayette?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $59K locally vs. $59K nationally, a 0% difference.
How does Lafayette-West Lafayette compare to the national average for education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycares?
Lafayette-West Lafayette pays $59K median vs. the U.S. average of $59K — that’s +0%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.43), the purchasing-power equivalent is $63K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycares make in Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN?
The median is $59,160 a year, that works out to about $28 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $37,010, and experienced education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycares can clear $88,390. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $59K enough to live in Lafayette-West Lafayette?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,981/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,242/month, which eats 31.2% 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 Lafayette-West Lafayette?
Lafayette-West Lafayette has a Regional Price Parity of 93.43 (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 $63,320 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.