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The national median salary for Childcare Workers is $34,986 per year ($16.82/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $29,370 and $38,584 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $46,010 per year. There are approximately 518,910 childcare workers employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
Attend to children at schools, businesses, private households, and childcare institutions. Perform a variety of tasks, such as dressing, feeding, bathing, and overseeing play.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
-2.9%
Slower than average
Annual openings
160K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
992K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
0% from new growth100% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
High school diploma or equivalent
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Child Care Services
NAICS 624400
270K
$34,170
Elementary and Secondary Schools
NAICS 611100
113K
$37,020
Other Amusement and Recreation Industries
NAICS 713900
30K
$29,100
Civic and Social Organizations
NAICS 813400
24K
$32,220
Individual and Family Services
NAICS 624100
18K
$36,990
Wage range across top 5 industries: $29,100 to $37,020 (27% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$11.66
$24,253
P25
$14.12
$29,370
P50MEDIAN
$16.82
$34,986
P75
$18.55
$38,584
P90
$22.12
$46,010
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · retail sector
Active
Openings Rate
4.6%
Quits Rate
3.1%
Retail openings rose to 737K (+52K) in March, rate up to 4.6%. Hires increased to 684K (+73K). Frontline turnover persists with quit rate at 3.1%.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average childcare workers salary?
The national median salary for Childcare Workers is $34,986 per year ($16.82/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $29,370 and $38,584 annually.
How much do top-earning childcare workers make?
The 90th percentile salary for Childcare Workers is $46,010 per year ($22.12/hr). The 75th percentile is $38,584 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for childcare workers?
Entry-level Childcare Workers (10th percentile) earn approximately $24,253 per year ($11.66/hr). The 25th percentile is $29,370 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
Built and maintained by Falcon Incentives, a compensation strategy and incentive design consultancy.