Childcare Worker Salary

Childcare Workers earn a median $34,980 a year nationally. Personal Care and Service Occupations

U.S. median

$34,980

$16.82 per hour

Range

$24,260 – $46,010

10th to 90th percentile

Employed

518,910

across the U.S.

Childcare Worker take-home pay calculator

Starts at the national median. Pick your state to see your real paycheck.

Your take-home pay

$30,286

per year · effective tax rate 13.4%

$2,524Monthly

$1,262Twice a month

$1,165Every 2 weeks

$14.56Hourly

Federal income tax$2,018
Social Security (6.2%)$2,169
Medicare (1.45%)$507
Texas income tax$0
Take-home pay$30,286

Marginal rate: 12% federal + 0.00% state

Pay by experience

Percentile	Salary	Hourly	Take-home (no state tax)
10th percentile (entry level)	$24,260	$11.66	$21,588
25th percentile	$29,360	$14.12	$25,771
Median (50th)	$34,980	$16.82	$30,286
75th percentile	$38,570	$18.54	$33,171
90th percentile (top earners)	$46,010	$22.12	$39,149

Best cities for childcare workers (after tax & cost of living)

#	Metro area	Median	Take-home	Real value*	Jobs
1	North Port, FL	$47,300	$40,186	$39,237	1,530
2	Denver, CO	$44,320	$36,549	$34,552	7,870
3	Boulder, CO	$43,380	$35,836	$34,064	1,060
4	San Jose, CA	$45,720	$37,504	$33,964	3,090
5	Seattle, WA	$43,710	$37,301	$33,564	2,520
6	Modesto, CA	$41,920	$34,652	$33,284	660
7	St. Cloud, MN	$34,030	$28,521	$32,546	480
8	Las Cruces, NM	$34,270	$29,210	$32,379	610
9	Albuquerque, NM	$36,340	$30,784	$32,219	2,190
10	Billings, MT	$35,740	$29,974	$32,049	440
11	Binghamton, NY	$35,890	$29,677	$31,957	640
12	Rochester, MN	$34,510	$28,881	$31,800	650
13	Santa Rosa, CA	$41,260	$34,156	$31,690	620
14	San Francisco, CA	$44,540	$36,618	$31,673	8,260
15	Stockton, CA	$40,010	$33,218	$31,610	810
16	Lexington, KY	$35,100	$29,272	$31,513	850
17	Utica, NY	$35,190	$29,152	$31,455	530
18	Green Bay, WI	$34,650	$29,278	$31,452	460
19	Springfield, MA	$36,910	$30,212	$31,451	600
20	Riverside, CA	$40,210	$33,368	$31,349	5,110
21	Worcester, MA	$39,300	$32,013	$31,225	1,230
22	Boston, MA	$41,590	$33,738	$31,162	10,440
23	Visalia, CA	$37,190	$31,102	$31,156	680
24	Nashville, TN	$34,450	$29,861	$30,996	5,280
25	Champaign, IL	$34,990	$28,707	$30,967	530

*Take-home pay in U.S.-average dollars (BEA Regional Price Parities).

Highest-paying cities

North Port, FL — $47,300
San Jose, CA — $45,720
San Francisco, CA — $44,540
Denver, CO — $44,320
Seattle, WA — $43,710
Boulder, CO — $43,380
Modesto, CA — $41,920
Boston, MA — $41,590
Santa Rosa, CA — $41,260
Riverside, CA — $40,210
Stockton, CA — $40,010
Los Angeles, CA — $39,890
San Diego, CA — $39,800
Portland, OR — $39,590
Salinas, CA — $39,520

Childcare Worker salary by state

State	Median	Take-home	Range	Jobs
District of Columbia	$47,340	$38,543	$39,050 – $56,790	1,350
Washington	$41,680	$35,670	$35,340 – $50,080	4,340
Massachusetts	$40,900	$33,218	$34,130 – $49,790	13,140
Colorado	$40,750	$33,838	$33,430 – $49,190	13,310
California	$40,020	$33,226	$35,340 – $52,670	52,780
Oregon	$38,650	$30,683	$32,580 – $46,450	5,240
Vermont	$38,030	$31,897	$32,140 – $46,030	—
New York	$37,590	$30,951	$33,630 – $46,970	44,020
New Hampshire	$37,080	$31,974	$27,850 – $44,500	2,820
Hawaii	$37,030	$30,565	$30,850 – $47,270	1,870
Rhode Island	$36,940	$31,093	$31,410 – $45,140	1,800
Connecticut	$36,660	$30,912	$34,940 – $44,760	12,020
New Jersey	$36,390	$30,863	$32,220 – $44,800	25,070
Maine	$36,350	$30,071	$31,200 – $46,020	4,990
Alaska	$36,200	$31,267	$30,640 – $46,640	1,340
Maryland	$36,030	$29,782	$31,570 – $47,280	9,750
New Mexico	$35,840	$30,404	$29,880 – $42,190	4,120
Illinois	$35,830	$29,341	$31,200 – $44,980	23,900
Minnesota	$35,520	$29,639	$28,560 – $44,880	11,570
Montana	$35,120	$29,505	$27,770 – $38,750	2,190
Arizona	$35,100	$29,714	$30,830 – $45,660	5,530
Virginia	$34,330	$28,604	$28,150 – $44,100	13,930
Florida	$34,210	$29,668	$27,960 – $44,730	21,760
Delaware	$33,210	$27,698	$31,200 – $40,410	1,230
Wisconsin	$32,460	$27,614	$24,650 – $42,830	5,560
Utah	$31,630	$27,137	$23,040 – $43,440	4,830
Michigan	$30,970	$25,999	$27,210 – $39,340	14,010
Missouri	$30,790	$26,410	$28,600 – $41,600	12,430
Nebraska	$30,740	$26,331	$28,130 – $36,660	9,390
North Dakota	$30,290	$26,518	$23,310 – $37,070	4,030
Indiana	$30,180	$25,569	$23,880 – $38,250	8,280
Idaho	$30,160	$25,923	$17,550 – $42,150	4,430
Pennsylvania	$30,140	$25,472	$22,710 – $39,290	13,000
Nevada	$29,740	$26,076	$27,520 – $38,560	3,740
Ohio	$29,680	$25,994	$23,800 – $40,390	11,300
Tennessee	$29,660	$26,012	$21,730 – $38,050	13,650
South Carolina	$29,650	$25,382	$22,020 – $37,720	10,660
Kansas	$29,240	$24,818	$22,810 – $37,280	7,430
North Carolina	$29,140	$24,940	$22,840 – $40,990	12,550
Kentucky	$28,920	$24,523	$21,860 – $39,550	5,820
Texas	$28,570	$25,136	$21,750 – $37,290	34,160
Arkansas	$28,450	$24,142	$23,940 – $33,640	5,400
Iowa	$28,420	$24,586	$21,950 – $37,220	6,020
Wyoming	$28,250	$24,874	$21,960 – $50,040	1,110
Georgia	$28,020	$23,853	$22,170 – $36,980	21,040
South Dakota	$27,940	$24,619	$26,500 – $37,840	2,370
Oklahoma	$27,730	$23,743	$22,040 – $38,580	7,590
West Virginia	$27,710	$23,740	$22,170 – $35,890	1,930
Louisiana	$22,900	$20,167	$18,650 – $33,610	8,000
Alabama	$22,720	$19,449	$18,680 – $32,330	4,580
Mississippi	$22,050	$19,618	$18,230 – $33,600	5,420

Frequently asked questions

How much does a childcare worker make?

The national median salary for childcare workers is $34,980 a year ($16.82 an hour). The lowest-paid 10% earn under $24,260 and the top 10% earn over $46,010. Source: BLS, May 2025.

Which state pays childcare workers the most?

District of Columbia has the highest median pay at $47,340. After taxes and local prices, North Port, FL offers the best real take-home pay of any metro area.

How many childcare workers are there in the U.S.?

About 518,910 people work as childcare workers nationwide.

All 171 cities