What Does a Childcare Worker Do?
Parents who drop off a baby or preschooler on the way to work are trusting someone to keep that child safe, fed and busy all day. Childcare workers earn that trust in childcare centers, preschools and home-based programs, where they feed and change infants, supervise play indoors and out and tell parents at pickup how the day went.
Also known as: Child Development Aide
Other Job Titles for This Work
Workers in this occupation report titles such as Caregiver, Child Care Worker, Child Caregiver, Childcare Provider, Daycare Teacher, Daycare Worker, Infant Teacher, Toddler Teacher.
Childcare Worker Duties and Responsibilities
The primary responsibilities of a childcare worker include:
- Supervise infants, toddlers or preschoolers indoors and outdoors, keeping every child in sight.
- Change diapers, help with toilet training and keep hand-washing routines consistent.
- Prepare and serve meals and snacks that follow allergy lists and feeding plans.
- Lead songs, stories, art and outdoor play planned around each age group.
- Record meals, naps, diapers and milestones in a daily report for parents.
- Settle children for naps and check sleeping infants as often as state rules require.
- Sanitize toys, cribs and surfaces on a daily cleaning schedule.
- Tell parents at pickup about the child's day, including any injuries or worries.
- Watch for signs of illness, developmental delays or possible abuse and report them properly.
- Comfort upset children and help them learn to share, wait their turn and use words.
Required Skills and Qualifications
To succeed as a childcare worker, you will need the following skills and qualifications:
- Infant and child CPR and first aid
- Patience and a calm voice
- Knowledge of early childhood development stages
- Safe sleep practices for infants
- Parent communication apps such as Brightwheel or Procare
- Stamina for lifting, bending and floor play
- Mandated reporter training
- Progress toward a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential
Education and Training
A background check is required in most states before a new worker can start. Beyond that, the usual minimum is a high school diploma, and the first weeks of training happen on the job. Newcomers who hold a Child Development Associate credential or have taken early childhood classes at a community college begin a step ahead, and campus child development centers often prefer staff studying early childhood education.
Salary and Job Outlook
Typical pay: $29,360 - $38,570 per year, with a median of $34,980.
The range covers the middle half of earners nationwide. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Childcare Workers.
BLS projects employment of childcare workers to decline about 2 percent from 2025 to 2035. Even so, high turnover in the field should leave roughly 150,300 openings a year. And, as long as parents work, trained caregivers will be needed to make sure young children are safe, fed and learning.
Outlook source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, Childcare workers.
Childcare Worker Pay Range
| Earners | Annual pay |
|---|---|
| Bottom 10% earn less than | $24,260 |
| Bottom 25% earn less than | $29,360 |
| Median (half earn more, half less) | $34,980 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $38,570 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $46,010 |
Highest-Paying States for Childcare Workers
The states with the highest median pay for this occupation are District of Columbia ($47,340), Washington ($41,680), Massachusetts ($40,900), Colorado ($40,750), California ($40,020). Pay is lowest in Louisiana ($22,900), Alabama ($22,720), Mississippi ($22,050).
Median pay in all 51 states with BLS data
| State | Median annual pay |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $22,720 |
| Alaska | $36,200 |
| Arizona | $35,100 |
| Arkansas | $28,450 |
| California | $40,020 |
| Colorado | $40,750 |
| Connecticut | $36,660 |
| Delaware | $33,210 |
| District of Columbia | $47,340 |
| Florida | $34,210 |
| Georgia | $28,020 |
| Hawaii | $37,030 |
| Idaho | $30,160 |
| Illinois | $35,830 |
| Indiana | $30,180 |
| Iowa | $28,420 |
| Kansas | $29,240 |
| Kentucky | $28,920 |
| Louisiana | $22,900 |
| Maine | $36,350 |
| Maryland | $36,030 |
| Massachusetts | $40,900 |
| Michigan | $30,970 |
| Minnesota | $35,520 |
| Mississippi | $22,050 |
| Missouri | $30,790 |
| Montana | $35,120 |
| Nebraska | $30,740 |
| Nevada | $29,740 |
| New Hampshire | $37,080 |
| New Jersey | $36,390 |
| New Mexico | $35,840 |
| New York | $37,590 |
| North Carolina | $29,140 |
| North Dakota | $30,290 |
| Ohio | $29,680 |
| Oklahoma | $27,730 |
| Oregon | $38,650 |
| Pennsylvania | $30,140 |
| Rhode Island | $36,940 |
| South Carolina | $29,650 |
| South Dakota | $27,940 |
| Tennessee | $29,660 |
| Texas | $28,570 |
| Utah | $31,630 |
| Vermont | $38,030 |
| Virginia | $34,330 |
| Washington | $41,680 |
| West Virginia | $27,710 |
| Wisconsin | $32,460 |
| Wyoming | $28,250 |
What the Work Is Like
O*NET surveys people who work as childcare workers about their daily conditions. Of those surveyed:
- 89% say teamwork is very or extremely important in their job
- 77% work indoors in a climate-controlled space every day
- 48% spend more than half the workday on their feet
- 47% say being exact and accurate is very or extremely important
- 44% wear safety gear such as gloves, safety glasses or a hard hat every day
- 41% deal with rude or angry people at least once a week
- 40% are exposed to disease or infection every day
Education Workers Say the Job Needs
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| High school diploma or GED | 39% |
| Associate's degree | 23% |
| Less than high school | 14% |
| Some college | 10% |
Tools and Software Childcare Workers Use
Tools and equipment
Software
Is This Job a Good Fit for You?
People who do well in this job tend to enjoy helping, teaching or caring for people as well as organized work with data, records and clear procedures.
Skills O*NET rates most important: Monitoring, Service Orientation, Social Perceptiveness, Active Listening, Speaking, Critical Thinking.
Knowledge areas used most: Customer and Personal Service, English Language, Education and Training, Public Safety and Security, Psychology.
Preparation: O*NET places this occupation in Job Zone 2 of 5, which means some preparation.
Related Careers
These jobs use similar skills, according to O*NET's related-occupation data:
Applying for a Childcare Worker Job
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Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
- O*NET 30.1 Database, occupation 39-9011.00 (Childcare Workers). View on O*NET OnLine.
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. The Job Explorer has modified some of the information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these changes.