SOC 2324 Teaching and other educational professionals

Early education and childcare services managers Salary

Median salary £28,511 per year (2025). Based on ONS ASHE data.

Gross pay, before deductions. See take-home pay on £29,000 after tax and National Insurance →

For early education and childcare services managers, £30,140 is the typical (median) pay. That is below the UK full-time median of £39,039 — -23% versus the national average. Experienced early education and childcare services managers (top 25%) earn over £34,490.

About this role

Early education and childcare services managers lead nurseries, children's centres, pre-school settings and childcare organisations. They oversee EYFS delivery, manage staff, ensure safeguarding compliance and drive quality in early years provision.

Key responsibilities

Managing early years settings and ensuring EYFS statutory framework compliance
Leading and developing early years practitioners
Overseeing safeguarding procedures and Ofsted readiness
Managing budgets, funding claims and business operations
Building relationships with parents, carers and external agencies

Qualifications and entry routes

Requires a Level 5 or 6 qualification in early years (e.g., Early Years Teacher Status, Foundation Degree, BA in Early Childhood Studies). Ofsted-registered managers must meet specific qualification requirements. Safeguarding training is mandatory.

Career outlook

Significant sector growth driven by government childcare expansion (30 hours funded childcare). Recruitment and retention challenges persist due to comparatively low pay across the sector.

Key skills

EYFS knowledge Safeguarding Staff management Business management Parent communication

Common industries

Private nurseries
Pre-schools
Children's centres
Maintained nursery schools
Childcare chains

Data coverage

SOC code 2324

Data source ONS ASHE

Years available 2021–2025

Estimated jobs 23,000

Median Salary

£28,511

Mean Salary

£27,940

Jobs (000s)

23k

Data Years

5 years

Salary Range (2025)

P25: £20,927Median: £28,511P75: £34,490

P10: --P25: £21kMedian: £29kP75: £34kP90: --

Estimated Career Progression

Based on salary percentile distribution for this occupation

Entry Level

£20,927

0-2 years

Mid Level

£20,927

3-7 years

Senior

£34,490

8-15 years

Potential career growth: +65% from entry to leadership

Salary Trend (2021-2025)

Adjust for inflation

Nominal growth: +37.3%Real growth: +11.0%

Gender Pay Comparison (2025)

Gender pay gap: 1.9%

Full-time vs All Employees (2025)

All Employees

£28,511

Full-time Only

£30,140

Full-time premium: +£1,629

Early education and childcare services managers salary: common questions

How much do early education and childcare services managers earn in the UK?

Early education and childcare services managers earn a median of £30,140 a year (ONS ASHE 2025). The middle half earn between £20,927 and £34,490.

Is £30,140 a good salary in the UK?

What is the starting salary for early education and childcare services managers?

Entry-level early education and childcare services managers typically start near the lower end of the range. The bottom 25% earn up to £20,927, though this varies by employer and region.

Have early education and childcare services managers salaries kept up with inflation?

Since 2021, median early education and childcare services managers pay has risen from £23,510 to £30,140 — +28% in cash terms, or +4.0% after CPIH inflation. That is ahead of inflation over the period.

Is there a gender pay gap for early education and childcare services managers?

Male early education and childcare services managers earn a median £28,877 and female early education and childcare services managers £28,338 — a gap of +2.0% in 2025.

Figures: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, gross annual pay. UK full-time median £39,039 (2025).