jobfacts

Early education and childcare services proprietors

SOC 2020 1233

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.

Also calledOwnerChildren's nursery ownerDirectorChildren's nursery director
Demand for workersNot high
New adverts a month13↑ 21%on last year · 412th of 412

Pay

ONS · ASHE 2025
Typical pay by regionUK median —
North EastNot published by ONS–
North WestNot published by ONS–
Yorkshire and The HumberNot published by ONS–
East MidlandsNot published by ONS–
West MidlandsNot published by ONS–
East of EnglandNot published by ONS–
LondonNot published by ONS–
South EastNot published by ONS–
South WestNot published by ONS–
ScotlandNot published by ONS–
WalesNot published by ONS–
Show as table
UK median, —
North EastNot published by ONS
North WestNot published by ONS
Yorkshire and The HumberNot published by ONS
East MidlandsNot published by ONS
West MidlandsNot published by ONS
East of EnglandNot published by ONS
LondonNot published by ONS
South EastNot published by ONS
South WestNot published by ONS
ScotlandNot published by ONS
WalesNot published by ONS

Jobs and demand

ONS · Textkernel adverts · DfE

About 13 jobs for early education and childcare services proprietors are advertised each month. The Department for Education rates demand for workers as not high.

New job adverts a month, Jan 2017 to Aug 2026
New advertsMonth not published by ONS (3 in all)
Show as table
Aug 202610
Jul 2026Not published
Jun 2026Not published
May 202614
Apr 202622
Mar 2026Not published
Feb 202613
Jan 202613
Dec 20257
Nov 20259
Oct 202518
Sept 202515
Aug 20257
Jul 202515
Jun 202516
May 202518
Apr 20259
Mar 202514
Feb 202517
Jan 20256
Dec 202411
Nov 202412
Oct 202411
Sept 20249
Aug 20249
Jul 20249
Jun 20247
May 202411
Apr 202417
Mar 202415
Feb 202414
Jan 202411
Dec 202311
Nov 202311
Oct 20239
Sept 202319
Aug 202321
Jul 202314
Jun 202315
May 202318
Apr 202310
Mar 202314
Feb 20239
Jan 202333
Dec 20229
Nov 202214
Oct 202214
Sept 202225
Aug 202214
Jul 202214
Jun 202219
May 202214
Apr 202232
Mar 202220
Feb 202216
Jan 202213
Dec 202111
Nov 202119
Oct 202123
Sept 202120
Aug 202116
Jul 20219
Jun 202111
May 202115
Apr 202114
Mar 202113
Feb 20215
Jan 202111
Dec 202015
Nov 202020
Oct 202011
Sept 20209
Aug 202021
Jul 202013
Jun 20208
May 202018
Apr 202030
Mar 202032
Feb 202024
Jan 202033
Dec 201917
Nov 201925
Oct 201923
Sept 201921
Aug 201916
Jul 201921
Jun 201916
May 201923
Apr 201919
Mar 20196
Feb 20197
Jan 201919
Dec 20188
Nov 201812
Oct 201813
Sept 201819
Aug 201813
Jul 201815
Jun 201820
May 201815
Apr 201816
Mar 201815
Feb 201816
Jan 20189
Dec 201715
Nov 201715
Oct 201713
Sept 201710
Aug 201713
Jul 201717
Jun 201724
May 201720
Apr 201724
Mar 201712
Feb 20176
Jan 201713
Is there a shortage of early education and childcare services proprietors?
Not high

The Department for Education rates demand as not high, elevated or critical, using five indicators. This is its 2025 assessment.

  • Visas grantedUsual
  • Online job advertsUsual
  • Wage growthAbove usual
  • Pay against similar jobsAbove usual
  • Hours workedAbove usual
Vacancies hard to fill because of skills
24%against 27% for all jobs
Broader groupFigure for other managers and proprietors, which includes early education and childcare services proprietors. DfE Employer Skills Survey 2024.
Where the most jobs are advertisedadverts a quarter
London8
Somerset3
Birmingham3
Cardiff2
County Durham1
Doncaster1
Fareham1
Gateshead1
Knowsley1
Liverpool1
London is published as one area. Averages leave out quarters ONS withheld.

Recruitment from abroad. Fewer than 10 sponsored work visas were granted for this job from July 2025 to June 2026. Home Office

Who does it

ONS · Annual Population Survey · April 2025 to March 2026
WomenToo few in the survey to give a reliable figure
Age of early education and childcare services proprietors
12%!
n/p
n/p
43%!
n/p
!Small sample: treat with cautionn/p: too few in the survey to publish
Show as table
25–3412% (small sample)
35–44Not published
45–54Not published
55–6443% (small sample)
65+Not published
Highest qualification
Degree or equivalent!67%
Higher education below degree!32%
A levels or equivalent!15%
GCSEs or equivalent–
Not published
No qualifications–
Not published
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
Degree or equivalent67% (small sample)
Higher education below degree32% (small sample)
A levels or equivalent15% (small sample)
GCSEs or equivalentNot published
No qualificationsNot published

Main employers: child day-care activities (82%), pre-primary education (35%).

How to get in

Hold a degree
67%
as their highest qualification
Apprenticeships
None
none leads directly into this work

The work

ONS · ESCO · O*NET

Typical tasks

  • 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

Skills

  • implement care programmes for children
  • support children's wellbeing
  • maintain relations with children's parents
  • apply organisational techniques
  • apply person-centred care
  • assess the development of youth
  • assist in the organisation of school events
  • contribute to the safeguarding of children
  • manage budgets
  • manage children's problems
  • manage staff
  • promote inclusion
  • promote the safeguarding of young people
  • provide after school care

Knowledge

  • child protection
  • kindergarten school procedures
  • project management
  • business management principles
  • children's physical development

Suits people who like

  • Helping and caring for people
  • Leading and persuading

Outlook

DfE · Skills Imperative 2035
Broader groupThese projections are for other managers and proprietors, a group of 22 jobs that includes early education and childcare services proprietors.
Change in jobs, 2020 to 2035↑ 43%about 494,000 more jobs
Workers needed by 20351.3 millionincluding people replacing those who retire or leave

Sources

Pay
ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025 provisional
People in the job, who does it
ONS, Annual Population Survey, April 2025 to March 2026
Job adverts
ONS, online job adverts (Textkernel), to Aug 2026
Demand, skill shortages
Department for Education and Skills England, Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey
Outlook
The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE
Routes in
National Careers Service job profiles
Apprenticeships, qualifications
Skills England occupational maps
Skills, interests
ESCO classification of the European Commission; O*NET data, U.S. Department of Labor (CC BY 4.0, modified)
Visas
Home Office, immigration system statistics

Figures as of 10 October 2026.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey: Department for Education and Skills England. Immigration system statistics: Home Office. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Source: The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE.

This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission.

This service includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. This service has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. CC BY 4.0 licence.

jobfacts is independent. It is not part of, affiliated with or endorsed by the Office for National Statistics, the Department for Education, Skills England, the National Careers Service, the Home Office, the European Commission or the U.S. Department of Labor.