Childcare Workers: Salary, career path, job outlook, education and more
- Education Required
- Childcare workers must meet education and training requirements, which vary by state. Some states require these workers to have a high school diploma or equivalent, but many states do not have any education requirements for entry-level positions. However, workers with postsecondary education or an early childhood education credential may be qualified for higher level positions.
- Training Required
- Many states and employers require providers to complete some training before beginning work. Also, many states require staff in childcare centers to complete a minimum number of hours of training annually. Training may include information about basic care of babies, such as how to warm a bottle, and customer-service skills.
- Job Outlook
-
The projected percent change in employment from 2016 to 2026: 7% (As fast as average)
(The average growth rate for all occupations is 7 percent.) - Advancement
- Childcare workers may advance to become apreschool or childcare center director with a couple years of experience and a bachelors degree.
- Licenses/Certifications
- Many states require childcare centers, including those in private homes, to be licensed. To qualify for licensure, staff must pass a background check, have a complete record of immunizations, and meet a minimum training requirement. Some states require staff to have certifications in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and first aid.
- Median pay: How much do Childcare Workers make?
- $21,170 Annual Salary
- $10.18 per hour
Childcare workers attend to the basic needs of children, such as dressing, bathing, feeding, and overseeing play. They may help younger children prepare for kindergarten or assist older children with homework.
Duties
Childcare workers typically do the following:
- Supervise and monitor the safety of children
- Prepare and organize mealtimes and snacks for children
- Help children keep good hygiene
- Change the diapers of infants and toddlers
- Organize activities or implement a curriculum that allows children to learn about the world and explore their interests
- Develop schedules and routines to ensure that children have enough physical activity, rest, and playtime
- Watch for signs of emotional or developmental problems in children and bring them to the attention of their parents
- Keep records of childrens progress, routines, and interests
Childcare workers read and play with babies and toddlers to introduce basic concepts, such as manners. For example, they teach them how to share and take turns by playing games with other children.
Childcare workers help preschool-age children prepare for kindergarten. Young children learn from playing, solving problems, questioning, and experimenting. Childcare workers use play and other instructional techniques to help childrens development. For example, they use storytelling and rhyming games to teach language and vocabulary. They may help improve childrens social skills by having them work together to build something in a sandbox. Childcare workers may teach math by having children count when building with blocks. They also involve the children in creative activities, such as art, dance, and music.
Childcare workers may watch school-age children before and after school. They often help these children with homework and may take them to afterschool activities, such as sports practices and club meetings.
During the summer, when children are out of school, childcare workers may watch older children as well as younger ones for the entire day while the parents are at work.
The following are examples of types of childcare workers:
Careers for Childcare Workers
- Au pairs
- Babysitters
- Before and after school daycare workers
- Child caregivers
- Childcare aides
- Childcare attendants
- Childcare center workers
- Childcare providers
- Day care attendants
- Day care workers
- Daycare aides
- Daycare providers
- Family childcare providers
- Governesses
- Nannies
- Nursery day care workers