Childcare workers

Detailed Occupation

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2024 Workforce

686k

Average Age

36.2

Estimated Job Growth

−2.94%

10-year projection

Average Salary

$22,370

Average Male Salary

$24,131

Average Female Salary

$22,217

About

Childcare workers are most often employed by the Child day care services industry. The average yearly wage for Childcare workers was $22,370 in 2024.

The locations that employ the most Childcare workers are NYC-Bronx Community District 4--Highbridge & Concourse PUMA, NY, NYC-Brooklyn Community District 5--East New York & Cypress Hills PUMA, NY, and NYC-Brooklyn Community District 17--East Flatbush PUMA, NY. The locations with a relatively high concentration of Childcare workers are NYC-Bronx Community District 4--Highbridge & Concourse PUMA, NY, NYC-Bronx Community Districts 1 & 2--Melrose, Mott Haven, Longwood, & Hunts Point PUMA, NY, and NYC-Brooklyn Community District 17--East Flatbush PUMA, NY.

Photo by Kids Work Chicago Daycare

Service Occupations Personal Care & Service Occupations

Employment

Employment and salary information for the Childcare workers workforce. Childcare workers workforce in 2024 was 686,077 people, of which 92% were women and 7.98% were men.

Childcare workers are paid most in Lee County (Southeast)--Bonita Springs City & Estero (East) PUMA, FL but are relatively concentrated in NYC-Bronx Community District 4--Highbridge & Concourse PUMA, NY.

Employment Over Time

Metric

Grouping

54,742

Male Workforce

± 5.74k

631,335

Female Workforce

± 19.5k

The Childcare workers workforce in 2024 was 686,077 people (92% women and 7.98% men). This implies an average annual growth of −25.2% between 2014 (917,229) and 2024 (686,077).

Employment by Location

Level

Metric

This map shows the states in the United States shaded by average wage for Childcare workers.

During 2024, the states that concentrated the best average annual wage were Rhode Island ($45,594), Delaware ($30,966), and Montana ($30,710).

Yearly Wage Ranking

$22,370

AVERAGE WAGE

#467 in the ranking (2014)

$69,878

NATIONAL AVERAGE WAGE

For all occupations across the US

In 2024, Childcare workers earned an average of $22,370, $47,508 less than the average national salary of $69,878

The graph shows the ranking of Childcare workers in relation to all Detailed Occupation in 2014.

In 2024, Childcare workers had a wage GINI coefficient of 0.488, which is higher than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed less evenly for Childcare workers (shown in red) than for the overall labor force (shown in gray).

The graphic shows the distribution of average salaries by buckets for Childcare workers compared to the entire workforce in the country.

Industry

Information on the industries that employ Childcare workers and on wages for those in the field. Child day care services is the industry that employs the most Childcare workers, both by share and by number, though the highest paid industry for Childcare workers, by average wage, is Offices of physicians ($121,273).

Occupations by Industries

Metric

Value

686k

2024 Workforce

± 20,291

−2.36%

1 YEAR GROWTH

± 4.26%

This graphic shows the share of Childcare workers employed by various industries. Child day care services employs the largest share of Childcare workers at 59.1%, followed by Elementary & secondary schools with 19% and Private households with 18.8%.

Diversity

Demographic information on Childcare workers in the US. The workforce of Childcare workers in 2024 was 686,077 people, with 92% woman, and 7.98% men. The average age of male Childcare workers in the workforce is 32.8 and of female Childcare workers is 36.5, and the most common race/ethnicity for Childcare workers is White.

Gender and Age

Metric

The workforce of Childcare workers in 2024 was 686,077 people, with 92% woman, and 7.98% men.

The age ranges that concentrated the largest workforce were 20 to 24 years (151,830 people), 16 to 19 years (93,495 people), and 25 to 29 years (77,002 people). Among them they concentrated 47% of the total workforce.

Ethnicity

Gender

In 2024, 25% of Childcare workers workers were Hispanic and 75% non-Hispanic.

The treemap shows the distribution of Hispanic workers according to their origin, highlighting Mexican (53%), Puerto Rican (9.17)%, and Dominican (6.03)%

You can review this information by gender using the selectors above.

Races

In 2024, 55.6% of the Childcare workers workforce were White, of which 92.5% were women and 7.46% men. Other races that concentrated a significant number of workers were Black (14.8%) and Two or More Races (14.1%).

Education & Skills

Data on higher education choices for Childcare workers from The Department of Education and Census Bureau. The most common major for Childcare workers is Education but the most specialized major according to RCA in 2024 were Human Sciences.

Among the necessary skills for Childcare workers, Social Perceptiveness stands, but the revealed comparative advantage (RCA) shows that Childcare workers need more than the average amount of Service Orientation.

Majors

ACS PUMS data only shows the major for bachelor's degrees. However, we can filter the data based on highest degree obtained.

Type of Majors

Degree

The most common majors achieved by Childcare workers in 2024 (counting all academic degrees) were Education (25,993 people), Business (17,419 people), and Psychology (12,544 people).

You can review this information for different academic grades by modifying the option selected in the selector above.

Education Levels

Metric

The main educational levels achieved by the Childcare workers workers were High School or Equivalent (209,019 people), Some college (192,378 people), and Bachelors Degree (101,638 people).

The graphic shows the Childcare workers workforce by gender and educational level.

Skills

Chart

Value

Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for Childcare workers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Childcare workers need many skills, but most especially Social Perceptiveness, Monitoring, Service Orientation.

Projections

Projections on job growth for Childcare Workers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The 10-year national workforce is projected to grow 3.07%, but Childcare Workers are expected to see a growth of −2.94% over the same period. This occupation is expected to grow less than the national average.

Job Growth

−2.94%

Estimated Job Growth

10-year Projection

3.07%

National Growth

10-year Projection

This line chart shows the projected 10-year growth in the number of jobs for Childcare workers. This profession is expected to grow less than than 3.07%, the average rate of national job growth.