Childcare Workers Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for childcare workerss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
National mean salary $35,030 ≈ $17/hr
National median salary $34,980
Total employment 518,910 nationwide
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Projected growth -2.9%
Decline
Annual openings 160,200 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 991,600 → 962,400 (-29,200)
Typical entry education High school diploma or equivalent
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- District of Columbia$48,360
- California$42,790
- Massachusetts$42,580
- Colorado$42,410
- Washington$42,400
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Mississippi$24,310
- Alabama$25,120
- Louisiana$25,470
- West Virginia$27,310
- Georgia$28,770
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $48,360 | $47,340 | $23 | +38.1% | 1,350 |
| 2 | California | $42,790 | $40,020 | $21 | +22.2% | 52,780 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $42,580 | $40,900 | $20 | +21.6% | 13,140 |
| 4 | Colorado | $42,410 | $40,750 | $20 | +21.1% | 13,310 |
| 5 | Washington | $42,400 | $41,680 | $20 | +21% | 4,340 |
| 6 | New York | $39,690 | $37,590 | $19 | +13.3% | 44,020 |
| 7 | Vermont | $39,380 | $38,030 | $19 | +12.4% | — |
| 8 | Oregon | $39,170 | $38,650 | $19 | +11.8% | 5,240 |
| 9 | Hawaii | $38,210 | $37,030 | $18 | +9.1% | 1,870 |
| 10 | Connecticut | $38,190 | $36,660 | $18 | +9% | 12,020 |
| 11 | Maryland | $38,030 | $36,030 | $18 | +8.6% | 9,750 |
| 12 | Alaska | $37,640 | $36,200 | $18 | +7.5% | 1,340 |
| 13 | New Jersey | $37,640 | $36,390 | $18 | +7.5% | 25,070 |
| 14 | Maine | $37,280 | $36,350 | $18 | +6.4% | 4,990 |
| 15 | Illinois | $36,560 | $35,830 | $18 | +4.4% | 23,900 |
| 16 | Rhode Island | $36,530 | $36,940 | $18 | +4.3% | 1,800 |
| 17 | New Hampshire | $36,360 | $37,080 | $17 | +3.8% | 2,820 |
| 18 | Arizona | $36,350 | $35,100 | $17 | +3.8% | 5,530 |
| 19 | Florida | $35,830 | $34,210 | $17 | +2.3% | 21,760 |
| 20 | Minnesota | $35,720 | $35,520 | $17 | +2% | 11,570 |
| 21 | New Mexico | $35,510 | $35,840 | $17 | +1.4% | 4,120 |
| 22 | Virginia | $35,070 | $34,330 | $17 | +0.1% | 13,930 |
| 23 | Delaware | $34,450 | $33,210 | $17 | -1.7% | 1,230 |
| 24 | Montana | $33,540 | $35,120 | $16 | -4.3% | 2,190 |
| 25 | Wisconsin | $33,420 | $32,460 | $16 | -4.6% | 5,560 |
| 26 | Missouri | $33,240 | $30,790 | $16 | -5.1% | 12,430 |
| 27 | Michigan | $33,100 | $30,970 | $16 | -5.5% | 14,010 |
| 28 | Utah | $32,710 | $31,630 | $16 | -6.6% | 4,830 |
| 29 | Nebraska | $32,670 | $30,740 | $16 | -6.7% | 9,390 |
| 30 | Nevada | $32,030 | $29,740 | $15 | -8.6% | 3,740 |
| 31 | North Dakota | $32,000 | $30,290 | $15 | -8.6% | 4,030 |
| 32 | Ohio | $31,930 | $29,680 | $15 | -8.8% | 11,300 |
| 33 | Idaho | $31,600 | $30,160 | $15 | -9.8% | 4,430 |
| 34 | Pennsylvania | $31,510 | $30,140 | $15 | -10% | 13,000 |
| 35 | Wyoming | $31,340 | $28,250 | $15 | -10.5% | 1,110 |
| 36 | Indiana | $31,330 | $30,180 | $15 | -10.6% | 8,280 |
| 37 | North Carolina | $30,940 | $29,140 | $15 | -11.7% | 12,550 |
| 38 | Tennessee | $30,720 | $29,660 | $15 | -12.3% | 13,650 |
| 39 | South Carolina | $30,600 | $29,650 | $15 | -12.6% | 10,660 |
| 40 | Kentucky | $30,520 | $28,920 | $15 | -12.9% | 5,820 |
| 41 | Kansas | $30,430 | $29,240 | $15 | -13.1% | 7,430 |
| 42 | South Dakota | $29,720 | $27,940 | $14 | -15.2% | 2,370 |
| 43 | Iowa | $29,280 | $28,420 | $14 | -16.4% | 6,020 |
| 44 | Oklahoma | $29,170 | $27,730 | $14 | -16.7% | 7,590 |
| 45 | Texas | $29,050 | $28,570 | $14 | -17.1% | 34,160 |
| 46 | Arkansas | $28,930 | $28,450 | $14 | -17.4% | 5,400 |
| 47 | Georgia | $28,770 | $28,020 | $14 | -17.9% | 21,040 |
| 48 | West Virginia | $27,310 | $27,710 | $13 | -22% | 1,930 |
| 49 | Louisiana | $25,470 | $22,900 | $12 | -27.3% | 8,000 |
| 50 | Alabama | $25,120 | $22,720 | $12 | -28.3% | 4,580 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $24,310 | $22,050 | $12 | -30.6% | 5,420 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 513 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL | $47,300 | $52,680 | 1,530 |
| 2 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $45,720 | $48,450 | 3,090 |
| 3 | Northwest Colorado nonmetropolitan area | $44,580 | $45,590 | 760 |
| 4 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $44,540 | $46,100 | 8,260 |
| 5 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $44,320 | $43,760 | 7,870 |
| 6 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $43,710 | $44,390 | 2,520 |
| 7 | Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area | $43,530 | $45,090 | 110 |
| 8 | Barnstable Town, MA | $43,480 | $42,580 | 270 |
| 9 | Boulder, CO | $43,380 | $44,280 | 1,060 |
| 10 | Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $43,030 | $42,790 | 200 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing childcare workerss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Food and Beverage Retailers | $61,240 | $59,940 | — |
| 2 | Food and Beverage Retailers (4451 and 4452 only) | $61,240 | $59,940 | — |
| 3 | Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals | $60,880 | $60,360 | 50 |
| 4 | Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals, Privately Owned | $60,880 | $60,960 | 50 |
| 5 | Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services | $48,210 | $49,480 | 220 |
| 6 | Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability Facilities | $46,440 | $45,060 | — |
| 7 | Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $45,540 | $41,530 | — |
| 8 | Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals | $45,500 | $42,720 | 80 |
| 9 | Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals, Privately Owned | $45,170 | $42,480 | 80 |
| 10 | Real Estate | $44,900 | $47,410 | — |
| 11 | Sector 53 - Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | $44,900 | $47,410 | — |
| 12 | Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Facilities | $43,470 | $42,300 | 2,000 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Top Skills
Most important skills for this role (O*NET importance, 1–5 scale).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do childcare workers make in the U.S.?
The median childcare workers salary in the United States is $34,980 per year (mean $35,030), and about 80% earn between $24,260 and $46,010.
How much do childcare workers make per hour?
Roughly $17 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $35,030 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays childcare workers the most?
District of Columbia has the highest average pay for childcare workers at $48,360 per year (median $47,340).
What is the job outlook for childcare workers?
Employment is projected to change -2.9% from 2024 to 2034 (Decline), with about 160,200 openings per year.