Childcare Workers is a dynamic career path with diverse opportunities. The field has seen strong growth, with employment increasing by 25.9% over recent years. Professionals in this field are primarily employed in industries such as Cross-industry and Cross-industry, Private Ownership only.

Key Statistics

47,190
2023 Workforce
None
Average Age
$42,433
Average Salary

Employment

Employment and salary information for the Childcare Workers workforce.

Employment Over Time

47,190 Workforce in 2023

The Childcare Workers workforce has been growing over time.

Historical employment trends for Childcare Workers.

Yearly Wage Ranking

$42,433 Average Wage

In 2023, Childcare Workers earned an average of $42,433.

Wage ranking compared to other occupations.

Wage Distribution

This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Childcare Workers.

Salary distribution for Childcare Workers.

Employment Growth Projections

-1.1% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)

177,651 Projected Employment (5 years)

Projected growth: -5.4%

167,996 Projected Employment (10 years)

Projected growth: -10.6%

This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.

Historical employment trends and future projections for Childcare Workers.

Industry

Information on the industries that employ Childcare Workers and on wages for those in the field.

Occupations by Industries

This graphic shows the share of Childcare Workers employed by various industries.

Industry distribution for Childcare Workers.

Wage Trends by Industry

1.2% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate

Historical wage growth trends by industry for Childcare Workers.

Geographic Distribution

Employment and wage information by geographic location for Childcare Workers.

Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).

Top States by Employment

Top States by Employment:

  • CA: 43,900 employees, $42,498 avg wage

Top 10 states by employment for Childcare Workers.

Top Metropolitan Areas

Top Metropolitan Areas:

  • Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 14,640 employees, $41,301 avg wage
  • Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 4,480 employees, $41,540 avg wage
  • Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 4,030 employees, $41,106 avg wage
  • San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 3,800 employees, $41,672 avg wage
  • Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 3,170 employees, $47,467 avg wage
  • San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA: 2,440 employees, $47,915 avg wage
  • San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD: 2,170 employees, $49,729 avg wage
  • Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 1,840 employees, $40,561 avg wage
  • Bakersfield-Delano MSA: 1,230 employees, $38,813 avg wage
  • Fresno MSA: 1,190 employees, $38,988 avg wage

Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Childcare Workers.

Diversity

Demographic information on Childcare Workers in the US.

Gender and Age

The workforce of Childcare Workers in 2023 was 47,190 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.

Gender and age distribution for Childcare Workers.

Races

Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.

Race and ethnicity distribution for Childcare Workers.

Education & Skills

Data on higher education choices and required skills for Childcare Workers.

Majors

The most common majors achieved by Childcare Workers in 2023 were Business Administration, Business, Social Sciences.

Common majors for Childcare Workers.

Education Levels

The main educational levels achieved by Childcare Workers workers.

Education level distribution for Childcare Workers.

Skills

Childcare Workers need many skills, but most especially Monitoring, Service Orientation, Social Perceptiveness, Speaking, Coordination.

Required skills for Childcare Workers.

Knowledge & Abilities

Knowledge areas and abilities required for Childcare Workers.

Knowledge Areas

The most important knowledge areas for Childcare Workers include Customer and Personal Service, English Language, Education and Training, Public Safety and Security, Psychology.

Knowledge areas required for Childcare Workers.

Abilities

Key abilities needed for Childcare Workers include Oral Comprehension, Oral Expression, Problem Sensitivity, Written Comprehension, Deductive Reasoning.

Required abilities for Childcare Workers.

Work Activities

Common work activities performed by Childcare Workers.

Daily Activities

Childcare Workers spend their time on activities such as Assisting and Caring for Others, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Thinking Creatively, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Getting Information.

Most important work activities for Childcare Workers.

About

Childcare Workers

The average yearly wage for Childcare Workers was $42,433 in 2023.

SOC Code

39-9011 - Childcare Workers

Insights and Analysis

Compensation snapshot: Childcare Workers reports an average salary of $42,433.

Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 47,190 workers, indicating sustained demand.

Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -1.1%, which should inform long-term career planning.

Data Sources

This page uses data from the following sources:

  • College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
    • Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
    • Data years: 2015-2024
    • Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
  • Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
    • Employment and wage data by occupation
    • Latest data: May 2024
    • Source: bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
    • Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
    • Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
    • Source: onetcenter.org
  • IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
    • Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
    • Data years: 2015-2024
    • Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
  • Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
    • Demographic and workforce data
    • Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
    • Source: census.gov/acs

Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.

Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.

Methodology

Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.

All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.