National » Personal Care and Service » Childcare Workers

Childcare Worker Salary in U.S.

The salary statistics of childcare workers are shown in Table 1. In the next few tables we compare the average salaries of childcare workers within different industry sectors and in the 50 states of the United States. The childcare workers annual salary statistics are from the national compensation survey conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2022 and published in April 2023 [1].

Table 1. Childcare Worker Salary in U.S. (2022 survey)

Percentile BracketAverage Annual Salary
10th Percentile Wage
$21,250
25th Percentile Wage
$23,530
50th Percentile Wage
$28,520
75th Percentile Wage
$33,870
90th Percentile Wage
$39,090

Table 1 shows the average annual salary for childcare workers. The average annual salary for the 90th percentile (the top 10 percent of the highest paid) childcare workers is $39,090. The median annual salary (50th percentile) is $28,520. The average annual salary for the bottom 10 percent is $21,250. It is noted that in the United States, the annual salary of the 90th percentile (the top 10 percent of the highest paid) is almost 83% higher than that of the bottom 10 percent.

Median salary trend (2012 to 2022)

The table and chart below show the trend of the median salary of childcare workers from 2012 to 2022.

YearMedian SalaryYearly Growth10-Year Growth
2022
$28,520
3.61% 31.59%
2021
$27,490
7.38% -
2020
$25,460
4.83% -
2019
$24,230
4.09% -
2018
$23,240
4.09% -
2017
$22,290
5.02% -
2016
$21,170
4.02% -
2015
$20,320
2.90% -
2014
$19,730
0.66% -
2013
$19,600
0.46% -
2012
$19,510
- -

Table 2. Childcare Worker Salary by Industry Sector (2022 survey)

The average salaries of childcare workers in 17 major industry sectors are shown in Table 2. We note that the salaries vary considerably within different industry sectors. The highest paying industry sector for childcare workers occupations is the wholesale trade sector with an annual salary $41,550. The lowest paying sector is the construction sector (annual salary $21,880).

Industry Sector Median Annual Salary
Wholesale Trade
$41,550
Finance and Insurance
$40,020
Management of Companies and Enterprises
$33,630
Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services
$33,510
Retail Trade
$33,060
Transportation and Warehousing
$32,120
Educational Services
$31,200
Real Estate and Rental and Leasing
$30,920
Federal, State, and Local Government
$30,460
Information
$30,010
Manufacturing
$29,260
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
$29,000
Other Services (except Federal, State, and Local Government)
$28,260
Health Care and Social Assistance
$27,940
Accommodation and Food Services
$26,990
Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation
$23,800
Construction
$21,880

Table 3. Median Annual Wage of Childcare Workers by States (2022 survey)

From the above tables we note that not only childcare workers salaries vary considerably based on one's education and experience, and the industry sectors, they also change considerably from state to state. In the following table we compare the median salary of childcare workers in all 50 states of the United States. We note that the median annual salaries range from $18,920 to $38,070. The highest paying state for childcare workers is Massachusetts with a median annual salary of $38,070. The lowest paying state is Puerto Rico with a median annual salary of $18,920. For more salary information of childcare workers profession in a specific state, use the links in the table.

State Name Median Annual Salary
Massachusetts
$38,070
District of Columbia
$35,940
California
$35,740
Washington
$35,260
Colorado
$34,830
New York
$34,040
Oregon
$33,700
Vermont
$32,090
Arizona
$31,630
Alaska
$31,500
Maine
$30,870
Connecticut
$30,530
Hawaii
$30,290
New Jersey
$29,690
Maryland
$29,160
Minnesota
$29,120
Rhode Island
$29,050
Illinois
$28,780
Missouri
$28,090
Virginia
$28,040
Florida
$27,940
Nevada
$27,860
Nebraska
$27,740
Ohio
$27,340
New Hampshire
$27,010
Michigan
$26,960
Utah
$26,770
North Carolina
$26,770
North Dakota
$26,750
Montana
$26,720
Delaware
$26,710
Pennsylvania
$26,520
Wisconsin
$26,320
New Mexico
$25,880
Kentucky
$25,770
Indiana
$25,730
Arkansas
$25,700
Wyoming
$24,920
South Dakota
$24,900
Georgia
$24,360
Virgin Islands
$24,200
Texas
$23,530
Tennessee
$23,500
Kansas
$23,440
Iowa
$22,860
South Carolina
$22,740
Oklahoma
$22,560
Idaho
$21,970
West Virginia
$21,780
Alabama
$21,460
Louisiana
$20,850
Mississippi
$20,450
Guam
$20,340
Puerto Rico
$18,920