Attend to children at schools, businesses, private households, and childcare institutions. Perform a variety of tasks, such as dressing, feeding, bathing, and overseeing play. Excludes “Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education” (25-2011) and “Teaching Assistants, Preschool, Elementary, Middle, and Secondary School, Except Special Education” (25-9042).
National median · BLS
$34,980
▲ +9.14%YoY
H-1B sponsor median
—
Too few H-1B filings
Average salary · BLS
$35,030
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
518,910
Jobs (BLS)
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Pay range for Childcare Workers
Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation.
Percentile
All U.S. workers (BLS)
10th — entry pay
$24,260
25th
$29,360
Median (50th)
$34,980
75th
$38,570
90th — top pay
$46,010
Hourly ⇄ annual pay
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Monthly—
Every 2 weeks—
Weekly—
Daily—
Based on
hrs/week ×
weeks/year
= 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035
Job outlook for Childcare Workers
BLS projects employment of childcare workers to decline 2% from 2025 to 2035, while employment across all occupations grows 3.5%.
About 150,300 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.
Jobs 2025 → 2035
1,010,300 → 990,400
-19,900 jobs
Projected change
-2%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
150,300
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent
No related experience required
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
Self-employed
24.2% of workers (2025)
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 2)
Very Little to Some Preparation Needed. Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
BLS state medians, plus the same figure adjusted for local prices (BEA Regional Price Parities). Tap a state for its full range and H-1B pay.
State
Median
Jobs
Cost-adjusted
Profile
Childcare Workers salaries by metro area
Search by city, ZIP code or metro name. Tap a metro for its full range.
Metro area
Median
Jobs
Cost-adjusted
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Skills & tools
Skills needed for Childcare Workers
How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.
Top skills
Monitoring3.5
Service Orientation3.4
Social Perceptiveness3.3
Active Listening3.1
Coordination3.1
Critical Thinking3.1
Speaking3.1
Active Learning3.0
Complex Problem Solving3.0
Instructing3.0
Top knowledge areas
Customer and Personal Service3.7
English Language3.5
Education and Training3.4
Public Safety and Security3.2
Psychology3.0
Administration and Management2.9
Personnel and Human Resources2.6
Mathematics2.5
Software and technology used
Microsoft Office softwareMicrosoft WordEducational softwareGoogle ClassroomNearpodScheduling softwareSchoologySeesawTadpolesWeb browser software
Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).
Source: 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.
About the job
What childcare workers do
Maintain a safe play environment.
Observe and monitor children's play activities.
Communicate with children's parents or guardians about daily activities, behaviors, and related issues.
Support children's emotional and social development, encouraging understanding of others and positive self-concepts.
Care for children in institutional setting, such as group homes, nursery schools, private businesses, or schools for people with disabilities.
Sanitize toys and play equipment.
Dress children and change diapers.
Keep records on individual children, including daily observations and information about activities, meals served, and medications administered.
Also called
Child Care WorkerChildcare ProviderInfant TeacherToddler TeacherCaregiverChild CaregiverChildcare WorkerDaycare TeacherDaycare Worker
Specialties within this occupation
Nannies
More job titles for this occupation (66)
After School CoordinatorAfter School CounselorAttendantBaby AttendantBaby SitterBabysitterBefore and After School Daycare WorkerBoarding MotherCare AttendantCare ProviderChild AttendantChild Care AideChild Care AssistantChild Care AttendantChild Care Development SpecialistChild Care ProfessionalChild Care ProviderChild Care SitterChild Care SpecialistChild Care TeacherChild Daycare WorkerChild Life SpecialistChild MonitorChild's NurseChildcare AideChildcare AssistantChildcare AttendantChildren's AideChildren's AttendantChildren's Institution AttendantClassroom MonitorDay Care AideDay Care AssistantDay Care AttendantDay Care Home MotherDay Care Home ProviderDay Care WorkerDaycare AideDaycare AssistantDaycare ProviderFamily AssistantFamily Day Care ProviderFamily ManagerGovernessHome Child Care ProviderHouse ManagerHousehold ManagerIn-Home Care ProviderIn-Home CaregiverInfant and Toddler TeacherInfant Childcare ProviderInfant Room TeacherNannyNursemaidNursery AttendantNursery Day Care WorkerNursery HelperNursery School AttendantNursery SupervisorNursery WorkerParent AideSchool Childcare AttendantSitterSpecial Needs NannyToddler CaregiverTravel Nanny
Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.
Similar jobs and how they pay
Occupations O*NET lists as closely related to Childcare Workers, with BLS national medians compared with this occupation's $34,980.
