Child Care Workers
Overview
Introduction
Child care workers are employed by day care centers, preschools, and other child-care facilities and work with infants, toddlers, and preschool-aged children. While parents and guardians are at work, child-care providers watch the children and help them develop skills through games and activities. Approximately 1.2 million child care workers are employed in the United States.
Quick Facts
Median Salary
Employment Prospects
Minimum Education Level
Experience
Skills
Personality Traits
Earnings
Earnings for child care workers depend on their education level, the type of employer, the number of children being cared for, and geographic location. Those in formal child-care settings usually earn higher wages. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the median annual earnings for child care workers in May 2018 were $23,240 for full-time work, or approximately $11.17 per hour. The depart...
Work Environment
Child care workers spend much of their work day on their feet in a classroom or on a playground. Facilities vary from a single room to large buildings. Class sizes also vary; some child-care centers serve only a handful of children, while others serve several hundred. Classrooms may be crowded and noisy, but those who love children enjoy all the activity.
Part-time employees generally wo...
Outlook
Employment of child care workers is projected to grow by 2 percent from 2018 to 2028, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. This is more slowly than the average for all occupations. Growth has slowed because the cost of child care is expensive in many areas and more people are working at home (which reduces, in some instances, the need for childcare services).
But many parents will...
