Early education and childcare services proprietors: average salary and pay in the UK
What the figures show
Pay distribution, 2025 provisional
| Gross pay | All, hourly |
|---|---|
| Median (50th percentile) | £18.84 |
| Mean | £21.65 |
Pay since 2021
| ASHE year | Full-time, annual median | Full-time, weekly median | Full-time, hourly median | All, weekly median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 revised | – | £487.70 | £13.58 | £487.70 |
| 2023 revised | – | £522.10 | £13.90 | £522.10 |
| 2024 revised | £24,389 | £733.10 | £18.99 | – |
What early education and childcare services proprietors do
Early childhood and childcare services proprietors plan, organise, direct and co-ordinate the activities and resources of residential or day nurseries, play groups, and similar establishments. (ONS SOC 2020, 1233)
Also covers: director (children's nursery), owner (nursery: children’s), children's nursery director and children's nursery owner.
- Determines staffing, financial, material and other short- and long-term requirements
- Plans work schedules, assigns tasks and delegates responsibilities of staff
- Oversees the learning of young children and ensures that Early Years Foundation Stage and OFSTED standards are met
- Provides leadership and management to staff to ensure services are delivered to a high quality
- Develops relationships with children's parents and other educational establishments
- Ensures the facilities are well maintained and that health and safety standards and other relevant regulations are met
Whilst no formal academic qualifications are required by proprietors in this area, a range of relevant courses in early years childcare and management are available. A DBS check is necessary if you run or own a childcare organisation.
Related
Managers and proprietors in health and care services (median £42,745) · Residential, day and domiciliary care managers and proprietors · Health care practice managers · salary percentile · UK average weekly earnings growth · Median
ASHE Table 14: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · coding index · notes · 15 October 2026 · not yet listed for search engines (too few reliable values)