What are the top 10 cities with the highest pay for Head Start Program Director?

We've identified 10 cities in the United States where Head Start Program Director jobs typically pay above the area average. Topping the list is Nome, AK (24.0% above average), followed by Redwood City, CA and Sitka, AK. City Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage Nome, AK $97,001 $8,083 $1,865 $46.64 Redwood City, CA $95,739 $7,978 $1,841 $46.03 Sitka, AK $94,201 $7,850 $1,811 $45.29 Wyoming, WY $93,258 $7,771 $1,793 $44.84 San Francisco, CA $92,128 $7,677 $1,771 $44.29 Santa Clara, CA $91,836 $7,653 $1,766 $44.15 Arlington, VA $90,103 $7,508 $1,732 $43.32 Oakland, CA $89,460 $7,455 $1,720 $43.01 Anacostia, DC $89,366 $7,447 $1,718 $42.96 Morgan Hill, CA $89,184 $7,432 $1,715 $42.88

Head Start Program Director

Head Start Program Director Salary

Q: How much does a Head Start Program Director make?

The average annual pay for a head start program director in the United States is $78,196 a year — that works out to approximately $37.59 an hour. The middle 80% of Head Start Program Directors earn between $42,000 (10th percentile) and $137,000 (90th percentile) per year, depending on experience and employer.

Q: What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Head Start Program Director Jobs in the United States?

We found several jobs related to Head Start Program Director in the United States that pay more on average. Topping the list is Head Of Creative Director Design at $57,567 (73.6%) above Head Start Program Director. Job Title Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage Head Of Creative Director Design $135,763 $11,313 $2,610 $65.27 Learning Center Director $91,932 $7,661 $1,767 $44.20 Faculty Director $83,592 $6,966 $1,607 $40.19 Head Of Global Partnerships $63,862 $5,321 $1,228 $30.70 Head Start Assistant Teacher $34,262 $2,855 $658 $16.47

$29.5K

$70K

$137.5K

$78,196

/year

$37.59

/hour

Head Start Program Director Salary Comparison by Location

Nationwide

United States

$78,196

Columbus

Ohio

$75,529

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How much does a Head Start Program Director make?

As of Sep 1, 2026, the average annual pay for a Head Start Program Director in the United States is $78,196 a year.

Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $37.59 an hour. This is the equivalent of $1,503/week or $6,516/month.

While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $137,500 and as low as $29,500, the majority of Head Start Program Director salaries currently range between $53,000 (25th percentile) to $92,500 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $137,000 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Head Start Program Director varies greatly (by as much as 39500), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.

A Head Start Program Director in your area makes on average $75,529 per year, or $2,667 (3.411%) less than the national average annual salary of $78,196. Ohio ranks number 30 out of 50 states nationwide for Head Start Program Director salaries.

To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Head Start Program Director jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.

Find your next high paying job as a Head Start Program Director on ZipRecruiter today.

What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Head Start Program Director Jobs

We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Head Start Program Director job is above the national average. Topping the list is Nome, AK, , with Redwood City, CA, and Sitka, AK, close behind in the second and third positions. Sitka, AK, beats the national average by $16,005 (20.5%), and Nome, AK, furthers that trend with another $18,805 (24.0%) above the $78,196 average.

With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Head Start Program Director appears to be exceedingly fruitful.

Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 8% between Nome, AK, and Morgan Hill, CA, , reinforcing the limited potential for much wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may be the best factor to use when considering location and salary for a Head Start Program Director role.

City	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
Nome, AK	$97,001	$8,083	$1,865	$46.64
Redwood City, CA	$95,739	$7,978	$1,841	$46.03
Sitka, AK	$94,201	$7,850	$1,811	$45.29
Wyoming, WY	$93,258	$7,771	$1,793	$44.84
San Francisco, CA	$92,128	$7,677	$1,771	$44.29
Santa Clara, CA	$91,836	$7,653	$1,766	$44.15
Arlington, VA	$90,103	$7,508	$1,732	$43.32
Oakland, CA	$89,460	$7,455	$1,720	$43.01
Anacostia, DC	$89,366	$7,447	$1,718	$42.96
Morgan Hill, CA	$89,184	$7,432	$1,715	$42.88

What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Head Start Program Director Jobs in the U.S.

We found a few related jobs that pay more than jobs in the Head Start Program Director category.

For example Head Of Creative Director Design jobs pay as much as $57,567 (73.6%) more than the average Head Start Program Director salary of $78,196. If you're qualified, finding work as a Head Of Creative Director Design may help you make more money than that of the average Head Start Program Director position.

Job Title	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
Head Of Creative Director Design	$135,763	$11,313	$2,610	$65.27
Learning Center Director	$91,932	$7,661	$1,767	$44.20
Faculty Director	$83,592	$6,966	$1,607	$40.19
Head Of Global Partnerships	$63,862	$5,321	$1,228	$30.70
Head Start Assistant Teacher	$34,262	$2,855	$658	$16.47

About Our Data

ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.

Infographic detailing Head Start Program Director salary across the United States as of August 2026. Displays a bar chart with salary percentiles, a national average salary of $78,196 per year or $37.59 an hour, and a color-coded map showing state-by-state salary variations.

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