The average wage for a childcare worker in the United States is around $10.60 per hour.
Avg Wage
Childcare workers earn an average hourly wage of $10.60.
Salaries typically start from $7.87 per hour and go up to $14.26 per hour.
66% below national average Updated in 2019
Childcare worker earnings by seniority
90th percentile
Top-level childcare worker earnings begin at:
$14.26 per hour
$29,665 per year
75th percentile
Senior-level childcare worker earnings begin at:
$12.39 per hour
$25,769 per year
50th percentile
Mid-level childcare worker earnings begin at:
$10.60 per hour
$22,038 per year
25th percentile
Junior-level childcare worker earnings begin at:
$9.06 per hour
$18,846 per year
10th percentile
Starting level childcare worker earnings begin at:
$7.87 per hour
$16,371 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Childcare worker salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $30,880 |
| Hawaii | $27,721 |
| Massachusetts | $27,680 |
| Vermont | $27,600 |
| Washington | $27,270 |
| Colorado | $26,880 |
| New York | $26,780 |
| New Jersey | $26,450 |
| Minnesota | $26,128 |
| Alaska | $25,953 |
| Maryland | $25,895 |
| California | $25,704 |
| Connecticut | $25,519 |
| Rhode Island | $25,280 |
| Oregon | $24,680 |
| Illinois | $24,250 |
| Maine | $24,030 |
| North Carolina | $24,004 |
| New Hampshire | $23,940 |
| Wyoming | $23,940 |
| Arizona | $23,930 |
| Missouri | $23,490 |
| North Dakota | $23,450 |
| Florida | $23,416 |
| Pennsylvania | $22,920 |
| Nebraska | $22,510 |
| Utah | $22,420 |
| Texas | $22,336 |
| Kansas | $22,308 |
| Virginia | $22,210 |
| Georgia | $21,810 |
| Kentucky | $21,540 |
| Michigan | $21,493 |
| Nevada | $21,320 |
| Wisconsin | $21,300 |
| Tennessee | $21,270 |
| Montana | $21,140 |
| Ohio | $20,820 |
| Delaware | $20,560 |
| Oklahoma | $20,440 |
| Indiana | $20,275 |
| South Dakota | $20,230 |
| Virgin Islands, U.S. | $20,190 |
| West Virginia | $20,180 |
| Iowa | $19,766 |
| New Mexico | $19,730 |
| Arkansas | $19,640 |
| South Carolina | $19,570 |
| Guam | $18,920 |
| Louisiana | $18,790 |
| Alabama | $18,770 |
| Mississippi | $18,560 |
| Puerto Rico | $18,010 |
| Idaho | $17,500 |
How do childcare worker salaries compare to similar careers?
Childcare workers earn 32% less than similar careers in the United States. On average, they make less than childcare program administrators.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Childcare program administrator salary | $47K |
| Teacher salary | $42K |
| Nanny salary | $29K |
| Library assistant salary | $27K |
| Preschool teacher salary | $24K |
| Childcare worker salary | $22K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)