State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
Childcare Worker Salary (2026): Data, Outlook & How to Become One
Childcare Workers earn a median of $34,980 per year ($16.82/hr) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Employment is projected to fall 2.9% through 2034, with about 160,200 openings a year (BLS EP, 2024–2034). Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
SOC 39-9011Personal Care and ServiceLast updated August 23, 2026
- Median pay
- $34,980
- Projected growth
- -2.9%
- Openings a year
- 160,200
- Typical education
- High school
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
Also advertised as: Caregiver, Child Care Worker, Child Caregiver, Childcare Provider, Childcare Worker, Daycare Teacher.
How much do Childcare Workers make?
10th percentile$24,260
Entry / lowest-paid tenth
25th percentile$29,360
Lower quartile
Median (50th)$34,980
Half earn more, half earn less
75th percentile$38,570
Upper quartile
90th percentile$46,010
Top-paid tenth
| Median annual wage | $34,980 |
|---|---|
| Median hourly wage | $16.82/hr |
| Mean annual wage | $35,030 |
| People employed | 518,910 |
Versus all US occupations
At $34,980, Childcare Workers earn 31% below the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $16,000 a year.
Versus personal care and service occupations
Inside the Personal Care and Service group, where the middle occupation pays $38,120, this is 8% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $46,010 or more while the bottom 10% earn $24,260, a gap of 1.9×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 2% of the 923 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
District of Columbia pays the most at $47,340, and still leads at $43,075 once local prices are taken into account.
Which states pay Childcare Workers the most?
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $47,340 | $43,075 | 1,350 |
| Washington | $41,680 | $38,949 | 4,340 |
| Massachusetts | $40,900 | $38,674 | 13,140 |
| Colorado | $40,750 | $39,543 | 13,310 |
| California | $40,020 | $36,145 | 52,780 |
| Oregon | $38,650 | $37,393 | 5,240 |
| Vermont | $38,030 | $38,823 | N/A |
| New York | $37,590 | $34,831 | 44,020 |
| New Hampshire | $37,080 | $35,597 | 2,820 |
| Hawaii | $37,030 | $33,679 | 1,870 |
Is Childcare Worker a growing career?
Childcare Workers-2.9%
All US occupations3.1%
-2.9% projected growth vs 3.1% for all occupations.
Declining
BLS projects employment of Childcare Workers to change -2.9% over 2024–2034, while total US employment is projected to rise 3.1%. That is 29,200 fewer jobs.
Annual openings
About 160,200 openings are projected each year, 16.2% of the 991,600 jobs that existed in 2024. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Parents or guardians who work will continue to need the assistance of childcare workers. However, slowing birth rates will result in fewer young children requiring childcare. In addition, the increasing cost of childcare is expected to limit demand for these workers.
How to become a Childcare Worker
In most states the individual is not licensed; the facility is. What attaches to the person is a comprehensive background check and a set of health and safety training topics that federal law requires states to mandate for providers receiving Child Care and Development Fund money. The main portable credential is the Child Development Associate, which BLS names as the one states most often require, and staff-to-child ratios and annual training hours are set state by state and vary widely.
The credential path, step by step
- Meet the education floor, which is usually low
BLS records that requirements range from no formal education to a certification in early childhood education, and puts typical entry-level education at a high school diploma or equivalent with short-term on-the-job training. The employer's licence, not your credential, is what the state is checking.
- Clear the federal background check
Under 45 CFR 98.43, staff at providers receiving Child Care and Development Fund money must clear an FBI fingerprint check using Next Generation Identification, a search of the National Crime Information Center's National Sex Offender Registry, and searches of the state criminal registry, state sex offender registry and state child abuse and neglect registry in the state where you live and every state you have lived in during the preceding five years. The request must be made before you become a staff member and at least once every five years afterwards. You may begin work on qualifying results from the FBI or state criminal check, but must be supervised at all times until every component comes back.
- Complete the required health and safety training
The eleven mandatory topics are listed at 45 CFR 98.41(a)(1): prevention and control of infectious diseases including immunizations; prevention of sudden infant death syndrome and safe sleep practices; administration of medication consistent with standards for parental consent; prevention of and response to emergencies due to food and allergic reactions; building and physical premises safety including hazards, bodies of water and vehicular traffic; prevention of shaken baby syndrome, abusive head trauma and child maltreatment; emergency preparedness and response planning; handling and storage of hazardous materials and disposal of biocontaminants; precautions in transporting children; pediatric first aid and CPR; and recognition and reporting of child abuse and neglect.
- Get through pre-service or orientation before working unsupervised
Federal rules require the state to set pre-service or orientation training that is completed within three months, and to specify which critical health and safety training must be completed before a caregiver, teacher or director may care for children unsupervised. Texas, for example, requires orientation within 7 days of employment and before unsupervised access to a child, plus 24 clock hours of pre-service training.
- Earn the Child Development Associate credential if you want something portable
The CDA requires 120 hours of formal early childhood education training with no fewer than 10 hours in each of eight subject areas, 480 hours of professional experience with children within the three years before applying, a professional portfolio with family questionnaires, a verification visit conducted by a CDA Professional Development Specialist, and a 65-question exam at a Pearson VUE test centre taken in up to 1 hour 45 minutes. There are five settings: preschool, infant-toddler, birth to five, family child care and home visitor.
- Keep up the state's annual training hours
Federal rules require states to set a minimum annual number of hours but do not set one themselves, so the figure is genuinely local. Texas requires 24 clock hours of annual training per caregiver per 12-month period, at least 6 of them in specified topics, and 30 hours for a centre director. North Carolina scales the annual requirement to your credential, from 5 hours for a four-year degree in a child-care-related field up to 20 hours for everyone else.
Exams you have to pass
Child Development Associate credential exam (CDA)
65 multiple-choice questions (60 standard and 5 scenario) in up to 1 hour 45 minutes, taken alongside a verification visit that includes portfolio review, observation and a reflective dialogue. Both the visit and the exam must happen within six months of application approval. Fees are $525 online or $600 by paper.
Administered by Council for Professional Recognition, delivered at Pearson VUE.
- Program accreditation
NAEYC · National Association for the Education of Young Children accreditation
Program-level, not individual. Eligible programs must be centre or school based, serve children from birth through age 8, and already be regulated by the appropriate licensing or regulatory body. It is a quality mark for the employer, not a credential you can hold.
- How long the training takes
There is no required programme. The CDA is built from 120 hours of formal training plus 480 hours of work experience gained within the previous three years. Pre-service requirements are set by the state and must be completed within three months of hire under federal rules.
- Continuing education
Required to stay credentialed
Federal rules require each state to set a minimum annual number of training hours, so the number is local rather than national: 24 clock hours a year in Texas, and 5 to 20 hours in North Carolina depending on the credential you hold. The CDA is renewed every three years, which requires 4.5 CEUs or a 3-credit college course or 45 clock hours of early childhood training, membership of a national or local early childhood organisation, at least 80 hours working with children in the previous year, and a reviewer recommendation. First aid and CPR are expressly not part of CDA renewal, and there are no extensions: an expired CDA means applying again from scratch.
Licensing and state variation
Not a state license
The individual is not licensed in most states; the facility is, and the person is background-checked and trained to state-set standards. The concrete things that differ are ratios, group size and annual training hours. Texas caps children per caregiver at 4 for infants under 12 months, 11 for two-year-olds and 18 for four-year-olds, with a relaxed 1:16 ratio allowed for children 18 months and older during the 45 minutes after opening and before closing. North Carolina sets 1:5 with a group of 10 for children up to 12 months and 1:15 with a group of 25 for three- to four-year-olds, and publishes voluntary enhanced tiers below those minimums. Both are well above the national professional recommendation in Caring for Our Children, which sets 3:1 with a group of 6 for children under 12 months. That document is guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Public Health Association and the National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care and Early Education, not law.
Who governs the credential
- Council for Professional Recognition — Awards and renews the Child Development Associate credential, the credential BLS says states most often require.
- Administration for Children and Families, Office of Child Care (ACF) — Administers the Child Care and Development Fund, whose regulations at 45 CFR part 98 set the background-check and health-and-safety training requirements states must impose, and publishes the National Database of Child Care Licensing Regulations.
Credential detail for childcare workers is researched by hand from the bodies that issue it, not derived from BLS or O*NET. Sources last checked August 23, 2026. Requirements change: confirm with your own state board before enrolling in anything.
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Childcare Workers · checked August 23, 2026
- eCFR: 45 CFR 98.43, Criminal background checks · checked August 23, 2026
- eCFR: 45 CFR 98.41, Health and safety requirements · checked August 23, 2026
- eCFR: 45 CFR 98.44, Training and professional development · checked August 23, 2026
- Council for Professional Recognition: 5 steps to obtain a CDA credential · checked August 23, 2026
- Council for Professional Recognition: CDA Renewal Guide, June 2026 · checked August 23, 2026
- Texas HHS: Minimum Standards for Child-Care Centers, 26 TAC chapter 746 · checked August 23, 2026
- North Carolina Division of Child Development and Early Education: staff-child ratios · checked August 23, 2026
- Caring for Our Children, 4th edition (AAP, APHA and the National Resource Center) · checked August 23, 2026
- NAEYC Early Learning Program Accreditation eligibility requirements · checked August 23, 2026
- ACF National Database of Child Care Licensing Regulations · checked August 23, 2026
What the federal data says
Education and training requirements vary by setting, state, and employer. They range from no formal education to a certification in early childhood education.
| Typical entry-level education | High school diploma or equivalent |
|---|---|
| Preparation needed (O*NET job zone) | Little or no preparation |
| Work experience in a related occupation | None |
| Typical on-the-job training | Short-term on-the-job training |
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as childcare workers.
- High School Diploma38.5%
- Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)22.7%
- Less than a High School Diploma14.3%
- Some College Courses10.2%
- Bachelor's Degree8.7%
What does a Childcare Worker do?
Attend to children at schools, businesses, private households, and childcare institutions. Perform a variety of tasks, such as dressing, feeding, bathing, and overseeing play.
Childcare workers attend to children's needs while helping to foster early development. They may help younger children prepare for kindergarten or assist older children with homework.
Day-to-day tasks
- Observe and monitor children's play activities.
- Maintain a safe play environment.
- Organize and store toys and materials to ensure order in activity areas.
- Sanitize toys and play equipment.
- Discipline children and recommend or initiate other measures to control behavior, such as caring for own clothing and picking up toys and books.
- Read to children and teach them simple painting, drawing, handicrafts, and songs.
- Support children's emotional and social development, encouraging understanding of others and positive self-concepts.
- Communicate with children's parents or guardians about daily activities, behaviors, and related issues.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Working conditions and hours
Childcare workers’ schedules vary, and part-time work is common.
Childcare centers usually are open year round, with long hours so that parents or guardians can drop off and pick up their children before and after work. Some centers employ full-time and part-time staff with staggered shifts to cover the entire day.
Working with people
- Constant contact with other people
- Face-to-face discussions every day
Autonomy
- A lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first
Schedules: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2024–2034 edition. Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey, showing only the signals people in the job report decisively one way or the other.
Where childcare workers work
| Child daycare services | 31% |
|---|---|
| Self-employed workers | 21% |
| Private households | 18% |
| Elementary and secondary schools; local | 8% |
| Religious, grantmaking, civic, professional, and similar organizations | 7% |
BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2024–2034 edition.
Core skills
- Monitoring3.5/5
- Active Listening3.1/5
- Speaking3.1/5
- Critical Thinking3.1/5
- Reading Comprehension3.0/5
- Writing3.0/5
- Active Learning3.0/5
- Learning Strategies3.0/5
Transferable skills
- Service Orientation3.4/5
- Social Perceptiveness3.3/5
- Coordination3.1/5
- Instructing3.0/5
- Complex Problem Solving3.0/5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.0/5
- Persuasion2.9/5
- Time Management2.9/5
Tools and software
- Office suite software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Calendar and scheduling software
- Computer based training software
- Desktop communications software
- Internet browser software
- Multi-media educational software
- Project management software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
What personality type suits a Childcare Worker?
Interest profile: O*NET Occupational Interests, scored 1–7
Realistic3.1
Investigative1.5
Artisticprimary3.6
Socialprimary6.2
Enterprising2.8
Conventionalprimary3.4
Day to day this is work built around teaching, helping and working directly with other people, combined with creating, designing and working without a fixed set of rules.
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Childcare Worker: frequently asked questions
How much do Childcare Workers make?
Childcare Workers earn a median of $34,980 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 31% below the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $16.82/hr. The middle half earn between $29,360 and $38,570. The top 10% earn $46,010 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Childcare Worker?
No. A bachelor's degree is not the norm: BLS reports a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education for Childcare Workers. BLS also lists short-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 38.5% hold high school diploma.
Is Childcare Worker a growing career?
No. BLS projects employment to fall 2.9% over 2024–2034, a loss of 29,200 jobs (BLS EP, 2024–2034). BLS still projects about 160,200 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Childcare Worker do?
Childcare workers attend to children's needs while helping to foster early development. A core O*NET task: observe and monitor children's play activities. Employers most often ask for Office suite software, Word processing software.
Which states pay Childcare Workers the most?
The highest state medians for Childcare Workers are District of Columbia ($47,340), Washington ($41,680), Massachusetts ($40,900) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Childcare Worker?
O*NET scores Childcare Workers highest on the Social, Artistic and Conventional interest areas, so the work mixes teaching, helping and working directly with other people with creating, designing and working without a fixed set of rules. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ESFP, ESFJ, ENFJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 923 occupations in the bank.
How long does it take to become a Childcare Worker?
There is no required programme. The CDA is built from 120 hours of formal training plus 480 hours of work experience gained within the previous three years. Pre-service requirements are set by the state and must be completed within three months of hire under federal rules.
Do you need a license to work as a Childcare Worker?
Not a state license. The individual is not licensed in most states; the facility is, and the person is background-checked and trained to state-set standards. The concrete things that differ are ratios, group size and annual training hours. Texas caps children per caregiver at 4 for infants under 12 months, 11 for two-year-olds and 18 for four-year-olds, with a relaxed 1:16 ratio allowed for children 18 months and older during the 45 minutes after opening and before closing. North Carolina sets 1:5 with a group of 10 for children up to 12 months and 1:15 with a group of 25 for three- to four-year-olds, and publishes voluntary enhanced tiers below those minimums. Both are well above the national professional recommendation in Caring for Our Children, which sets 3:1 with a group of 6 for children under 12 months. That document is guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Public Health Association and the National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care and Early Education, not law.
What exams and certifications apply to a Childcare Worker?
The CDA (Child Development Associate credential exam). 65 multiple-choice questions (60 standard and 5 scenario) in up to 1 hour 45 minutes, taken alongside a verification visit that includes portfolio review, observation and a reflective dialogue. Both the visit and the exam must happen within six months of application approval. Fees are $525 online or $600 by paper.