What You Need to Know About Childcare Worker
Job Description: 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
- Help children with homework and school work.
- 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.
- Perform general personnel functions, such as supervision, training, and scheduling.
- Instruct children in health and personal habits, such as eating, resting, and toilet habits.
- Sterilize bottles and prepare formulas.
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Skills Needed to be a Childcare Worker
When polled, Childcare Workers say the following skills are most frequently used in their jobs:
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
- Childcare Aide
- Child Monitor
- Lunchroom Mother
- Bus Escort
- Infant Room Teacher
Job Demand for Childcare Workers
In 2016, there was an estimated number of 1,216,600 jobs in the United States for Childcare Worker. 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. The BLS estimates 189,100 yearly job openings in this field.

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.
Average Childcare Workers Salary
The salary for Childcare Workers ranges between about $17,750 and $34,430 a year.

Childcare Workers who work in District of Columbia, Massachusetts, or Vermont, make the highest salaries.
How much do Childcare Workers make 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 |
Tools & Technologies Used by Childcare Workers
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
How do I Become a Childcare Worker?
Learn what Childcare Worker education requirements there are.

How Long Does it Take to Become a Childcare Worker?

Who Employs Childcare Workers?

Below are examples of industries where Childcare Workers work:

You May Also Be Interested In…
Are you already one of the many Childcare Worker in the United States? If you’re thinking about changing careers, these fields are worth exploring:
References:
Image Credit: Jsonin via Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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