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What is a Childcare Worker?
Childcare Worker Example Attend to children at schools, businesses, private households, and childcare institutions. Perform a variety of tasks, such as dressing, feeding, bathing, and overseeing play.
Life As a Childcare Worker: What Do They Do?
- Discipline children and recommend or initiate other measures to control behavior, such as caring for own clothing and picking up toys and books.
- Keep records on individual children, including daily observations and information about activities, meals served, and medications administered.
- Assist in preparing food and serving meals and refreshments to children.
- Observe and monitor children’s play activities.
- Care for children in institutional setting, such as group homes, nursery schools, private businesses, or schools for the handicapped.
- Perform housekeeping duties, such as laundry, cleaning, dish washing, and changing of linens.
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Childcare Worker Skills
Childcare Workers state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Types of Childcare Worker Jobs
- Playground Monitor
- Toddler Caregiver
- Day Care Home Mother
- Lunchroom Mother
- Daycare Teacher
Job Demand for Childcare Workers
There were about 1,216,600 jobs for Childcare Worker in 2016 (in the United States). New jobs are being produced at a rate of 6.9% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 84,300 new jobs for Childcare Worker by 2026. There will be an estimated 189,100 positions for Childcare Worker per year.
The states with the most job growth for Childcare Worker are Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. Watch out if you plan on working in Wyoming, Maine, or Vermont. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Childcare Worker Salary
Childcare Workers make between $17,750 and $34,430 a year.
Childcare Workers who work in District of Columbia, Massachusetts, or Vermont, make the highest salaries.
Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Childcare Workers in different U.S. states.
| State | Annual Mean Salary |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $19,920 |
| Alaska | $27,900 |
| Arizona | $25,160 |
| Arkansas | $20,900 |
| California | $28,630 |
| Colorado | $28,770 |
| Connecticut | $27,400 |
| Delaware | $22,300 |
| District of Columbia | $33,110 |
| Florida | $23,590 |
| Georgia | $21,810 |
| Hawaii | $26,090 |
| Idaho | $21,740 |
| Illinois | $24,250 |
| Indiana | $21,620 |
| Iowa | $21,540 |
| Kansas | $20,650 |
| Kentucky | $21,540 |
| Louisiana | $19,820 |
| Maine | $25,010 |
| Maryland | $25,980 |
| Massachusetts | $30,090 |
| Michigan | $23,670 |
| Minnesota | $25,820 |
| Mississippi | $19,310 |
| Missouri | $23,490 |
| Montana | $22,380 |
| Nebraska | $23,980 |
| Nevada | $22,280 |
| New Hampshire | $23,940 |
| New Jersey | $26,450 |
| New Mexico | $21,940 |
| New York | $28,820 |
| North Carolina | $22,940 |
| North Dakota | $25,190 |
| Ohio | $22,740 |
| Oklahoma | $20,440 |
| Oregon | $26,740 |
| Pennsylvania | $22,920 |
| Rhode Island | $27,560 |
| South Carolina | $21,030 |
| South Dakota | $21,330 |
| Tennessee | $21,270 |
| Texas | $22,150 |
| Utah | $22,420 |
| Vermont | $29,430 |
| Virginia | $24,620 |
| Washington | $29,430 |
| West Virginia | $21,490 |
| Wisconsin | $22,630 |
| Wyoming | $24,840 |
What Tools do Childcare Workers Use?
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Childcare Workers:
- Microsoft Word
- Web browser software
- Scheduling software
- Educational software
Becoming a Childcare Worker
What education is needed to be a Childcare Worker?
How many years of work experience do I need?
Where do Childcare Workers Work?
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Similar Careers
Career changers with experience as a Childcare Worker sometimes find work in one of the following fields:
References:
Image Credit: Jsonin via Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
More about our data sources and methodologies.