Preschool and childcare center directors supervise and lead their staffs, design program plans, oversee daily activities and prepare budgets. They also handle enrollment, licensing rules and families. AI tools can help with scheduling, paperwork and newsletters. Running a safe center and leading the people in it stays with the director.
The short answer: AI is not what is shrinking this job. The ILO's 2025 index rates child care service managers at minimal exposure with a score of 0.30. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 3 percent decline from 2025 to 2035, but still about 5,200 openings a year. Projections are estimates, not guarantees.
How exposed childcare center directors are
The International Labour Organization scores occupations' tasks from 0 (cannot be automated with generative AI) to 1 (could be done without a human operator), and groups them into gradients from 1 to 4, with 4 the most exposed; below them sit minimal exposure and not exposed (ILO Working Paper 140, 2025).
| Occupation (ISCO-08) | ILO category | Mean task score (0 to 1) |
|---|---|---|
| Child Care Service Managers | Minimal exposure | 0.30 |
What the BLS projects
| Occupation | Projected change 2025 to 2035 | Openings a year |
|---|---|---|
| Preschool and childcare center directors | Decline 3% | About 5,200 |
The BLS expects all openings to come from replacing directors who move to other jobs or retire. Its outlook does not mention AI or automation as a cause of the decline.
Where AI is helping
- Building staff schedules and keeping ratios on track.
- Drafting newsletters, parent messages and policies.
- Organizing enrollment, billing and licensing records.
What stays with childcare center directors
- Safety and licensing: keeping children safe and the center compliant.
- Leading staff: hiring, training and supporting teachers.
- Families: building trust and handling concerns in person.
- Checking AI help: generated policies and messages can be wrong, which NIST calls confabulation (NIST AI 600-1). See checking AI output.
How the job is changing
Admin software and AI can take some paperwork off a director's desk. The core of the role, leading staff and keeping children safe, does not move to software. This page is general information, not career advice.
See also will AI replace childcare workers?, will AI replace principals? and will AI replace teachers?
Pay and how to get in
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the median annual pay for preschool and childcare center directors at $59,300 in May 2025, against $50,980 for all workers. The typical education needed to enter is: bachelor's degree. See how this job compares in AI exposure by pay and AI exposure by education level.
Questions and answers
Will AI replace childcare center directors?
Not on current evidence. The BLS projects a 3 percent decline from 2025 to 2035 but does not cite AI, and expects about 5,200 openings a year.
How exposed are childcare center directors to AI?
The ILO rates child care service managers at minimal exposure with a score of 0.30.
Where do the openings come from?
The BLS expects all of them to come from replacing directors who change jobs or retire.
What can AI help with?
Scheduling, parent communication and records, with the director checking the results.