Pay by state · 54 areas
Childcare Worker Salary by State (2026)
Childcare Workers earn the most in District of Columbia at $47,340 a year and the least in Mississippi at $22,050 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $34,980. The table below covers all 50 states, DC, U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Guam, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $47,340District of Columbia
- National median
- $34,980BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Lowest median
- $22,050Mississippi
- Areas reporting
- 54of 54 OEWS areas
Top and bottom
Highest- and lowest-paying states for childcare workers
Ranked on the state median among the 50 states and DC. Territories are in the full table but not ranked here.
Highest median pay
- 1District of Columbia$47,340
- 2Washington$41,680
- 3Massachusetts$40,900
- 4Colorado$40,750
- 5California$40,020
Lowest median pay
- 1Mississippi$22,050
- 2Alabama$22,720
- 3Louisiana$22,900
- 4West Virginia$27,710
- 5Oklahoma$27,730
All states
Childcare Worker salary in every state
Sort by any column. Employment is the number of childcare workers OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DCDistrict of Columbia | $47,340 | $40,300 | $56,040 | 1,350 | $43,075 |
| 2 | WAWashington | $41,680 | $37,460 | $44,770 | 4,340 | $38,949 |
| 3 | MAMassachusetts | $40,900 | $37,330 | $47,920 | 13,140 | $38,674 |
| 4 | COColorado | $40,750 | $36,990 | $46,260 | 13,310 | $39,543 |
| 5 | CACalifornia | $40,020 | $37,600 | $46,320 | 52,780 | $36,145 |
| 6 | OROregon | $38,650 | $35,620 | $43,620 | 5,240 | $37,393 |
| 7 | VTVermont | $38,030 | $36,420 | $42,330 | N/A | $38,823 |
| 8 | NYNew York | $37,590 | $35,420 | $43,730 | 44,020 | $34,831 |
| 9 | NHNew Hampshire | $37,080 | $30,950 | $39,580 | 2,820 | $35,597 |
| 10 | HIHawaii | $37,030 | $32,050 | $42,950 | 1,870 | $33,679 |
| 11 | RIRhode Island | $36,940 | $31,930 | $38,290 | 1,800 | $36,117 |
| 12 | CTConnecticut | $36,660 | $35,730 | $38,370 | 12,020 | $35,383 |
| 13 | NJNew Jersey | $36,390 | $34,170 | $38,400 | 25,070 | $33,445 |
| 14 | MEMaine | $36,350 | $34,770 | $37,630 | 4,990 | $37,455 |
| 15 | AKAlaska | $36,200 | $35,100 | $37,190 | 1,340 | $35,366 |
| 16 | MDMaryland | $36,030 | $34,250 | $37,970 | 9,750 | $34,328 |
| 17 | NMNew Mexico | $35,840 | $31,240 | $36,940 | 4,120 | $38,867 |
| 18 | ILIllinois | $35,830 | $32,510 | $37,980 | 23,900 | $35,845 |
| 19 | MNMinnesota | $35,520 | $30,340 | $38,490 | 11,570 | $36,017 |
| 20 | MTMontana | $35,120 | $29,020 | $36,310 | 2,190 | $37,107 |
| 21 | AZArizona | $35,100 | $32,560 | $38,320 | 5,530 | $34,864 |
| 22 | VAVirginia | $34,330 | $29,540 | $37,200 | 13,930 | $33,955 |
| 23 | FLFlorida | $34,210 | $30,290 | $37,110 | 21,760 | $33,081 |
| 24 | DEDelaware | $33,210 | $31,200 | $35,710 | 1,230 | $33,274 |
| 25 | WIWisconsin | $32,460 | $29,360 | $36,720 | 5,560 | $34,497 |
| 26 | UTUtah | $31,630 | $29,530 | $35,380 | 4,830 | $31,993 |
| 27 | MIMichigan | $30,970 | $28,850 | $36,010 | 14,010 | $32,188 |
| 28 | MOMissouri | $30,790 | $29,000 | $35,670 | 12,430 | $33,903 |
| 29 | NENebraska | $30,740 | $29,150 | $35,290 | 9,390 | $34,117 |
| 30 | NDNorth Dakota | $30,290 | $29,150 | $36,000 | 4,030 | $34,049 |
| 31 | INIndiana | $30,180 | $28,030 | $34,860 | 8,280 | $32,337 |
| 32 | IDIdaho | $30,160 | $27,330 | $36,180 | 4,430 | $31,583 |
| 33 | PAPennsylvania | $30,140 | $27,040 | $35,970 | 13,000 | $30,890 |
| 34 | NVNevada | $29,740 | $28,800 | $35,360 | 3,740 | $29,746 |
| 35 | OHOhio | $29,680 | $27,540 | $36,450 | 11,300 | $31,992 |
| 36 | TNTennessee | $29,660 | $26,910 | $35,200 | 13,650 | $32,285 |
| 37 | SCSouth Carolina | $29,650 | $25,130 | $34,120 | 10,660 | $31,627 |
| 38 | KSKansas | $29,240 | $27,520 | $34,900 | 7,430 | $32,464 |
| 39 | NCNorth Carolina | $29,140 | $24,270 | $35,480 | 12,550 | $30,893 |
| 40 | KYKentucky | $28,920 | $24,500 | $35,060 | 5,820 | $32,077 |
| 41 | TXTexas | $28,570 | $23,370 | $31,920 | 34,160 | $29,436 |
| 42 | ARArkansas | $28,450 | $26,750 | $30,470 | 5,400 | $32,725 |
| 43 | IAIowa | $28,420 | $25,790 | $31,730 | 6,020 | $32,383 |
| 44 | WYWyoming | $28,250 | $23,250 | $35,460 | 1,110 | $30,478 |
| 45 | GAGeorgia | $28,020 | $23,940 | $31,200 | 21,040 | $29,099 |
| 46 | VIU.S. Virgin Islands | $28,010 | $26,300 | $29,040 | 50 | N/A |
| 47 | SDSouth Dakota | $27,940 | $27,270 | $30,010 | 2,370 | $31,540 |
| 48 | OKOklahoma | $27,730 | $23,170 | $34,340 | 7,590 | $31,568 |
| 49 | WVWest Virginia | $27,710 | $23,470 | $28,640 | 1,930 | $30,962 |
| 50 | LALouisiana | $22,900 | $21,390 | $28,600 | 8,000 | $25,962 |
| 51 | ALAlabama | $22,720 | $21,540 | $28,090 | 4,580 | $25,579 |
| 52 | PRPuerto Rico | $22,600 | $22,100 | $23,460 | 1,960 | N/A |
| 53 | MSMississippi | $22,050 | $19,750 | $26,540 | 5,420 | $25,359 |
| 54 | GUGuam | $22,020 | $22,020 | $25,710 | N/A | N/A |
Method
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For childcare workers, the adjustment does not change the leader: District of Columbia is first on raw pay and still first once prices are taken into account, at $43,075.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Questions
Childcare Worker pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays childcare workers the most?
District of Columbia reports the highest median wage for childcare workers at $47,340 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by Washington ($41,680) and Massachusetts ($40,900).
Which state pays childcare workers the least?
Among the 50 states and DC, Mississippi reports the lowest median for childcare workers at $22,050 a year, $25,290 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Among the territories, U.S. Virgin Islands reports $28,010, Puerto Rico reports $22,600 and Guam reports $22,020.
Is the highest-paying state the best for childcare workers after cost of living?
Yes. District of Columbia stays first after dividing each state median by its BEA Regional Price Parity, at $43,075 in national-average dollars from a raw $47,340. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024; the adjustment is NueCareer's calculation.