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Childcare Workers in Iowa

Want to work as a Childcare Workers in Iowa? Here’s what the data says. Attend to children at schools, businesses, private households, and childcare institutions. Perform a variety of tasks, such as dressing, feeding, bathing, and overseeing play. Excludes “Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education” (25-2011) and “Teaching Assistants, Preschool, Elementary, Middle, and Secondary School, Except Special Education” (25-9042).

What do Childcare Workers Make in Iowa?

For a childcare workers working in Iowa, the median annual wage is $27,930 per year (or roughly $13.43/hour).Pay can range from $20,390 at the 10th percentile to $42,650 at the 90th percentile.

Wage Statistic	Annual	Hourly
10th percentile	$20,390	$9.80
25th percentile	$22,800	$10.96
Median (50th)	$27,930	$13.43
75th percentile	$31,070	$14.94
90th percentile	$42,650	$20.50

The job concentration index in Iowa nationwide is 1.11, suggesting that childcare workers are more concentrated here than the national average.

National Wage Comparison

Nationally, childcare workers earn a median of $50,186 per year ($24.13/hour), lower than the Iowa median.

Employment Outlook

Nationally, total employment in this occupation is 395,644 childcare workers nationwide. In Iowa alone, approximately 5,870 people work in this role. That trails the typical state, which employs around 6,200 childcare workers.

Top Iowa Metros for Childcare Workers

These are the Iowa metros with the most childcare workers in Iowa.

Metro Area	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA	1,460	$30,560
Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL	710	$30,850
Iowa City, IA	440	$27,910
Cedar Rapids, IA	410	$29,080
Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA	410	$27,380
Dubuque, IA	350	$30,260
Sioux City, IA-NE-SD	270	$27,900
Ames, IA	200	$27,580

Top States for Childcare Workers Employment

These states have the highest employment of childcare workers work.

State	Number Employed
California	47,190
Texas	45,020
New York	42,780
Georgia	25,650
New Jersey	23,680
Illinois	22,540
Florida	21,790
Michigan	14,760
Pennsylvania	14,410
Virginia	14,150
Tennessee	13,190
Ohio	12,580
Massachusetts	12,370
North Carolina	12,200
South Carolina	11,570
Colorado	11,560
Minnesota	10,910
Missouri	10,600
Connecticut	9,630
Oklahoma	9,550

Highest-Paying States for Childcare Workers

These states pay the most for childcare workers.

State	Annual Median Salary
District of Columbia	$45,400
Massachusetts	$39,290
Colorado	$38,410
California	$38,220
Vermont	$37,830
Washington	$37,800
New York	$36,630
Hawaii	$36,440
Oregon	$36,250
Connecticut	$35,290

Skills

Top childcare workers skills, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Knowledge Areas

Key knowledge areas for this occupation, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Abilities

Top abilities for childcare workers, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Daily Tasks

Childcare Workers typically:

• Maintain a safe play environment.
• Observe and monitor children's play activities.
• Communicate with children's parents or guardians about daily activities, behaviors, and related issues.
• Support children's emotional and social development, encouraging understanding of others and positive self-concepts.
• Care for children in institutional setting, such as group homes, nursery schools, private businesses, or schools for people with disabilities.
• Sanitize toys and play equipment.
• Dress children and change diapers.
• Keep records on individual children, including daily observations and information about activities, meals served, and medications administered.
• Identify signs of emotional or developmental problems in children and bring them to parents' or guardians' attention.
• Instruct children in health and personal habits, such as eating, resting, and toilet habits.
• Organize and store toys and materials to ensure order in activity areas.
• Perform general administrative tasks, such as taking attendance, editing internal paperwork, and making phone calls.

Work Activities

• Assisting and Caring for Others
• Making Decisions and Solving Problems
• Thinking Creatively
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
• Getting Information
• Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others
• Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
• Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
• Performing General Physical Activities
• Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
• Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards

Tools & Technology

Common tools and software used in this occupation include: Hot technologies: Microsoft Office software

Related Careers

Related occupations to childcare workers include:

• Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare
• Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary
• Medical and Health Services Managers
• Social and Community Service Managers
• Child, Family, and School Social Workers
• Health Education Specialists

Also Known As

After School Coordinator, After School Counselor, Attendant, Baby Attendant, Baby Sitter, Before and After School Daycare Worker, Boarding Mother, Care Provider, Caregiver, Child Attendant, Child Care Aide, Child Care Assistant, Child Care Attendant, Child Care Development Specialist, Child Care Professional.

References

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — https://www.bls.gov/oes/
• O*NET Online — https://www.onetonline.org/
• BLS Employment Projections — https://www.bls.gov/emp/
• O*NET-SOC code: 39-9011.00