Prevailing Wage for Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare
The prevailing wage for Childcare Director positions sets the minimum salary a U.S. employer must pay when sponsoring a visa. DOL establishes four experience-based wage levels, and the floor shifts significantly by city. Whether your offer covers an Early Head Start Director or Education Coordinator role, the right benchmark depends on your experience level and worksite location.
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Entry-level Childcare Directors with limited supervisory experience and a bachelor's degree in early childhood education or a related field. Typically new to administrative responsibility, working under close oversight with a narrow program scope.
The most common filing level for sponsored Childcare Director roles. Applies to candidates with a few years of center administration experience, some independent decision-making, and responsibility for day-to-day program operations without full senior oversight.
Experienced Education Directors managing multiple classrooms or program sites, mentoring junior staff, and contributing to curriculum or budget decisions. Typically several years of progressive administrative experience in early childhood or childcare settings.
Fully competent Education Site Managers or senior Preschool Directors overseeing large or multi-site operations, holding full programmatic and financial accountability, and setting organizational policy with minimal supervision.
Prevailing Wage for Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare by OES area
Each shape is a DOL OES area, the unit prevailing wage is published for.
What’s an OES area?
The Department of Labor publishes prevailing wages for geographic zones called OES areas. Every U.S. county belongs to exactly one, and the wage floor applies across the whole area. A worker in Oakland gets the San Francisco metro wage, not a separate Oakland wage.
Top 10 cities · Level 1
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See which U.S. employers are actively hiring for Childcare Director and sponsoring H-1B, OPT, and green card visas at or above the prevailing wage.
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Confirm your title maps to this SOC
Titles like Education Coordinator or Early Head Start Director sometimes get filed under instructional or social services SOC codes instead of 11-9031, which sets a different wage floor. Verify your employer's LCA lists SOC 11-9031 before accepting a sponsored offer.
Watch how California metros shift your floor
Childcare Director wages in Modesto, San Jose, and Merced run well above the national median at every level. If your worksite is in California, benchmark against local OES data rather than the national figures, as the gap between national and metro floors is especially wide for this occupation.
Separate stipends and benefits from your base wage
Childcare employers occasionally offer housing stipends or tuition assistance as part of total compensation. DOL prevailing wage compliance is calculated on the base wage only, so those add-ons do not count toward meeting the floor on your LCA.
Find sponsors with a childcare hiring track record
Migrate Mate filters jobs by visa type and shows which employers have sponsored Education Director and Preschool Director roles before, letting you focus applications on organizations with a demonstrated history of sponsoring this occupation rather than those new to the process.
Jobs for Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare are hiring across the US. Find yours.
Find Jobs for Childcare DirectorPrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 11-9031.00 alongside Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Childcare Director Prevailing Wage
Childcare Director Prevailing Wage
Childcare Director positions fall under SOC 11-9031.00 (Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Early Head Start Director Prevailing Wage
Early Head Start Director Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Early Head Start Director for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 11-9031.00 (Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Education Coordinator Prevailing Wage
Education Coordinator Prevailing Wage
Education Coordinator is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 11-9031.00 (Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Education Director Prevailing Wage
Education Director Prevailing Wage
Education Director positions fall under SOC 11-9031.00 (Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Education Site Manager Prevailing Wage
Education Site Manager Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Education Site Manager for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 11-9031.00 (Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Preschool Director Prevailing Wage
Preschool Director Prevailing Wage
Preschool Director is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 11-9031.00 (Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Preschool Program Director Prevailing Wage
Preschool Program Director Prevailing Wage
Preschool Program Director positions fall under SOC 11-9031.00 (Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Principal Prevailing Wage
Principal Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Principal for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 11-9031.00 (Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Site Coordinator Prevailing Wage
Site Coordinator Prevailing Wage
Site Coordinator is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 11-9031.00 (Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does DOL set the prevailing wage for a Childcare Director role?
DOL uses Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics to calculate prevailing wages by SOC code and geographic area. For Childcare Director positions filed under SOC 11-9031, OFLC publishes wage tables that reflect actual pay reported by employers in each metro area, updated annually. Employers sponsoring a visa must certify they will pay at least the applicable prevailing wage on the Labor Condition Application.
What do the four wage levels mean, and how do I know which one applies to my offer?
DOL defines Level 1 as entry-level with routine tasks and close supervision, Level 2 as qualified with some independent work, Level 3 as experienced with broader responsibility, and Level 4 as fully competent with the highest independence and scope. Your level should reflect the actual duties in the job description. If a Preschool Director role involves managing multiple sites and setting program policy, filing at Level 1 or 2 would likely understate the position and could draw DOL scrutiny.
Why does the prevailing wage for this role vary so much from city to city?
OFLC derives wages from regional Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics surveys, so the floor reflects what employers in each metro actually pay. A Childcare Director worksite in San Jose or New York falls in a labor market where wages are significantly higher than in Joplin or Lawton. The worksite listed on the LCA, not the employer's headquarters, determines which metro wage applies, so remote or multi-site arrangements require careful worksite classification.
What happens if a sponsored Childcare Director offer is below the prevailing wage?
OFLC will not certify an LCA where the offered wage falls below the prevailing wage for the role, level, and worksite combination. For H-1B petitions, USCIS uses the certified LCA to verify wage compliance. If the offer is underpaid, the employer must either increase the wage before filing or reclassify the position at a lower level that accurately reflects the duties. A mismatch between stated level and actual job scope creates compliance risk at both the DOL and USCIS stages.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for a specific Childcare Director location?
Use the OFLC Wage Search tool to look up current prevailing wages by SOC code 11-9031 and your target metro area. Enter the worksite city and select the experience level that matches your role's actual duties. Migrate Mate also lets you filter Childcare Director and Education Director job postings by location and visa type, so you can identify which employers are actively sponsoring the role in the metro you are considering.
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