Early education and childcare services managers: pay and what the work involves

Occupation 2324 · Professional occupations

Early education and childcare services managers

Early education and childcare services managers plan, organise, direct and co-ordinate the administration, support systems and activities that facilitate the effective running of nurseries and early education centres.

How people enter it

Entrants will usually have a degree or level 3 qualification in childcare and significant relevant experience. Early years teacher status may be required. An additional management qualification may also be required by some employers. Entry is possible with a variety of academic qualifications, professional qualifications and/or relevant experience. A DBS check is mandatory.

What the work involves

directs and co-ordinates the day-to-day activities of nurseries and early years education centres
helps create a friendly, secure atmosphere to encourage the development of social and language skills and other learning
determines staffing, financial, material and other short- and long-term requirements and ensures facility meets health, safety, Ofsted and other standards
writes reports on children’s development and maintains awareness of health and safety issues
communicates with parents and colleagues on children’s development and well-being

Also called

After school club manager · Childcare manager (day nursery) · Nursery manager (day nursery) · Pre-school manager

What it pays

Measure	Hours	Basis	Period	Value	Source
2324 : Early education and childcare services managers	None	None	2026-03	22,000.00	ONS, Annual Population Survey - employment by occupation (SOC 2020)
2324 : Early education and childcare services managers	None	None	2026-03	24,100.00	ONS, Annual Population Survey - employment by occupation (SOC 2020)
2324 : Early education and childcare services managers	None	None	2026-03	27,000.00	ONS, Annual Population Survey - employment by occupation (SOC 2020)
2324 : Early education and childcare services managers	None	None	2026-03	—	ONS, Annual Population Survey - employment by occupation (SOC 2020) Not published: Estimate is less than 500
2324 : Early education and childcare services managers	None	None	2026-03	2,900.00	ONS, Annual Population Survey - employment by occupation (SOC 2020)
2324 : Early education and childcare services managers	None	None	2026-03	27,400.00	ONS, Annual Population Survey - employment by occupation (SOC 2020)
2324 : Early education and childcare services managers	None	None	2026-03	2,000.00	ONS, Annual Population Survey - employment by occupation (SOC 2020)

Every regional figure

ONS does not publish occupational pay below region. Cells the survey could not support are shown as withheld, with its reason — adding a region split to a specific occupation leaves roughly a tenth of cells publishable.

Region	Measure	Hours	Value	Period
East	2324 : Early education and childcare services managers	None	2,000.00	2026-03
East Midlands	2324 : Early education and childcare services managers	None	2,900.00	2026-03
London	2324 : Early education and childcare services managers	None	2,200.00	2026-03
North East	2324 : Early education and childcare services managers	None	1,100.00	2026-03
North West	2324 : Early education and childcare services managers	None	2,200.00	2026-03
Northern Ireland	2324 : Early education and childcare services managers	None	withheld	2026-03
Scotland	2324 : Early education and childcare services managers	None	2,900.00	2026-03
South East	2324 : Early education and childcare services managers	None	4,700.00	2026-03
South West	2324 : Early education and childcare services managers	None	2,000.00	2026-03
Wales	2324 : Early education and childcare services managers	None	2,000.00	2026-03
West Midlands	2324 : Early education and childcare services managers	None	2,800.00	2026-03
Yorkshire and The Humber	2324 : Early education and childcare services managers	None	2,200.00	2026-03

Common questions

Does pay for early education and childcare services managers vary by region?

ONS publishes regional pay for this occupation where the survey sample supports it — 11 of 12 cells on this page. The rest are withheld by ONS, and are shown as withheld with the reason, rather than left out.

Where do these pay figures come from?

The Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, published by the Office for National Statistics. Figures are shown exactly as ONS publishes them — we do not adjust, model or fill them in, and every number on this page carries the series and period it came from.

Classified alongside this

Education advisers and school inspectors · Education managers · Head teachers and principals · Other educational professionals n.e.c