SalariesWhat the occupation covers
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).
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 39-9011.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $24,260 | $2,022 | $467 | $11.66 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $29,360 | $2,447 | $565 | $14.12 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $34,980 | $2,915 | $673 | $16.82 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $38,570 | $3,214 | $742 | $18.55 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $46,010 | $3,834 | $885 | $22.12 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Childcare Workers is $34,980, which is 31% lower. Among the 32 occupations of the field Personal Care and Service, it ranks number 27 by median pay. With 518,910 jobs, it makes up about 33 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Childcare Workers pay by state
The highest median pay was in District of Columbia ($47,340), Washington ($41,680) and Massachusetts ($40,900). The lowest was in Guam ($22,020), Mississippi ($22,050) and Puerto Rico ($22,600). The most jobs were in California (52,780), New York (44,020) and Texas (34,160). The occupation is most concentrated in North Dakota, where its share of all jobs is 2.8 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 1,350 | $47,340 | $48,360 | $22.76 |
| Washington | 4,340 | $41,680 | $42,400 | $20.04 |
| Massachusetts | 13,140 | $40,900 | $42,580 | $19.66 |
| Colorado | 13,310 | $40,750 | $42,410 | $19.59 |
| California | 52,780 | $40,020 | $42,790 | $19.24 |
| Oregon | 5,240 | $38,650 | $39,170 | $18.58 |
| Vermont | not published | $38,030 | $39,380 | $18.29 |
| New York | 44,020 | $37,590 | $39,690 | $18.07 |
| New Hampshire | 2,820 | $37,080 | $36,360 | $17.83 |
| Hawaii | 1,870 | $37,030 | $38,210 | $17.80 |
| Rhode Island | 1,800 | $36,940 | $36,530 | $17.76 |
| Connecticut | 12,020 | $36,660 | $38,190 | $17.63 |
| New Jersey | 25,070 | $36,390 | $37,640 | $17.49 |
| Maine | 4,990 | $36,350 | $37,280 | $17.47 |
| Alaska | 1,340 | $36,200 | $37,640 | $17.40 |
| Maryland | 9,750 | $36,030 | $38,030 | $17.32 |
| New Mexico | 4,120 | $35,840 | $35,510 | $17.23 |
| Illinois | 23,900 | $35,830 | $36,560 | $17.23 |
| Minnesota | 11,570 | $35,520 | $35,720 | $17.08 |
| Montana | 2,190 | $35,120 | $33,540 | $16.89 |
| Arizona | 5,530 | $35,100 | $36,350 | $16.88 |
| Virginia | 13,930 | $34,330 | $35,070 | $16.51 |
| Florida | 21,760 | $34,210 | $35,830 | $16.45 |
| Delaware | 1,230 | $33,210 | $34,450 | $15.97 |
| Wisconsin | 5,560 | $32,460 | $33,420 | $15.61 |
| Utah | 4,830 | $31,630 | $32,710 | $15.21 |
| Michigan | 14,010 | $30,970 | $33,100 | $14.89 |
| Missouri | 12,430 | $30,790 | $33,240 | $14.80 |
| Nebraska | 9,390 | $30,740 | $32,670 | $14.78 |
| North Dakota | 4,030 | $30,290 | $32,000 | $14.56 |
| Indiana | 8,280 | $30,180 | $31,330 | $14.51 |
| Idaho | 4,430 | $30,160 | $31,600 | $14.50 |
| Pennsylvania | 13,000 | $30,140 | $31,510 | $14.49 |
| Nevada | 3,740 | $29,740 | $32,030 | $14.30 |
| Ohio | 11,300 | $29,680 | $31,930 | $14.27 |
| Tennessee | 13,650 | $29,660 | $30,720 | $14.26 |
| South Carolina | 10,660 | $29,650 | $30,600 | $14.26 |
| Kansas | 7,430 | $29,240 | $30,430 | $14.06 |
| North Carolina | 12,550 | $29,140 | $30,940 | $14.01 |
| Kentucky | 5,820 | $28,920 | $30,520 | $13.90 |
| Texas | 34,160 | $28,570 | $29,050 | $13.73 |
| Arkansas | 5,400 | $28,450 | $28,930 | $13.68 |
| Iowa | 6,020 | $28,420 | $29,280 | $13.66 |
| Wyoming | 1,110 | $28,250 | $31,340 | $13.58 |
| Georgia | 21,040 | $28,020 | $28,770 | $13.47 |
| Virgin Islands | 50 | $28,010 | $28,880 | $13.47 |
| South Dakota | 2,370 | $27,940 | $29,720 | $13.43 |
| Oklahoma | 7,590 | $27,730 | $29,170 | $13.33 |
| West Virginia | 1,930 | $27,710 | $27,310 | $13.32 |
| Louisiana | 8,000 | $22,900 | $25,470 | $11.01 |
| Alabama | 4,580 | $22,720 | $25,120 | $10.92 |
| Puerto Rico | 1,960 | $22,600 | $24,180 | $10.86 |
| Mississippi | 5,420 | $22,050 | $24,310 | $10.60 |
| Guam | not published | $22,020 | $23,970 | $10.59 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Funeral Attendants$35,680 a year
- Animal Caretakers$35,360 a year
- Gambling and Sports Book Writers and Runners$34,980 a year
- Gambling Dealers$34,320 a year
- Ushers, Lobby Attendants, and Ticket Takers$32,910 a year
- Entertainment Attendants and Related Workers, All Other$32,640 a year
Common questions
How much do Childcare Workers earn in the United States?
The median pay was $34,980 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $24,260 and the highest-paid 10% more than $46,010.
How many people work as Childcare Workers?
About 518,910 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.