Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare Salary
In Salinas, CA, education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycares earn $76,620 at the median, or about $36.84 an hour. The range runs from $47K at the entry level to $141K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 109.04), so that salary is closer to $70,268 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,684/month, about 53.7% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $77K get you in Salinas?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Salinas’s Regional Price Parity (109.04). 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 Salinas
Salinas sits well above the national pay line for education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycare, local pay runs about 29% 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 $2,684/month, which is 54.6% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 9% above the national average (BEA RPP 109.04), 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 Salinas, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $67K | $59K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $79K | $68K |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $63K | $56K |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara | $63K | $57K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Salinas, CA
Entry-level education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycares (10th percentile) start around $47K. Mid-career wages sit at $77K. Top earners bring in $141K or more, a $93K 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 Salinas numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycare afford a 2BR apartment alone in Salinas?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $77K, rent takes 54.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,684/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,500/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 Salinas?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycares typically earn — is $47K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,837/month. At HUD’s $2,684/month FMR, rent would take 95% 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 Salinas?
Local pay is 29% above the national median — $77K here vs. $59K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 9% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does Salinas compare to the national average for education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycares?
Salinas pays $77K median vs. the U.S. average of $59K — that’s +29%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 109.04), the purchasing-power equivalent is $70K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycares make in Salinas, CA?
The median is $76,620 a year, that works out to about $37 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $47,280, and experienced education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycares can clear $140,630. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $77K enough to live in Salinas?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,919/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,684/month, which eats 54.6% 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 Salinas?
Salinas has a Regional Price Parity of 109.04 (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 $70,268 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.