What are the main factors that influence a Child Care Staff's salary?

The primary factors are: 1) Experience Level, 2) Geographic Location, 3) Education/Skills, 4) Company Size & Industry

How does experience change a Child Care Staff's salary?

A Child Care Staff's salary grows with experience: starting around $33,005 for beginners, reaching about $33,911 at mid-level, and approach $34,123 for experts.

What are the highest paying states for a Child Care Staff?

Child Care Staff salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Child Care Staff roles are District of Columbia $38,877, California $38,729, Massachusetts $38,213. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Child Care Staff roles make?

Salaries for Child Care Staff level roles vary by specialization: Child Care Administrator: $100,785; Child Care Director: $82,167; Child Care Center Director: $79,931; Director of Child Care: $79,215; Child Care Assistant: $44,429.

How do different companies affect a Child Care Staff's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Child Care Staff roles. Large, established industry leaders like Kpmg Us LLP ($114,295) and Warner Bros Discovery ($114,096) offer base salaries 35-40% above the national average. In contrast, smaller firms or startups may offer closer to $88,138.

Child Care Staff Salary in the United States

How much does a Child Care Staff make in the United States?

As of January 01, 2026, the average salary for a Child Care Staff in the United States is $35,113 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $17.

However, a Child Care Staff's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

Top Earners (90th percentile): $42,613
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $31,641 to $39,039
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $28,481

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Child Care Staff Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$39,039	$3,253	$751	$19
Average	$35,113	$2,926	$675	$17
25th Percentile	$31,641	$2,637	$608	$15

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Key Factors That Influence Child Care Staff Salaries

A Child Care Staff's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Child Care Staff Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Child Care Staff's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $33,005
Early Career (1-2 years): $33,485
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $33,911
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $34,038
Expert (over 8 years): $34,123

Levels	Salary
Entry Level Child Care Staff	$33,005
Intermediate Level Child Care Staff	$33,485
Senior Level Child Care Staff	$33,911
Specialist Level Child Care Staff	$34,038
Expert Level Child Care Staff	$34,123

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What Am I Worth?

How Do Child Care Staff Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Child Care Stafves. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $38,877.
California: $38,729.
Massachusetts: $38,213.

District of Columbia $38,877 California $38,729 Massachusetts $38,213 Washington $38,073 New Jersey $38,059 Alaska $38,010 Connecticut $37,525 New York $37,328

Hawaii $36,700 Rhode Island $36,405 Maryland $36,205 Minnesota $35,931 Colorado $35,826 Illinois $35,790 Oregon $35,657 Delaware $35,559

New Hampshire $35,497 Virginia $35,359 Pennsylvania $34,955 Nevada $34,751 North Dakota $34,684 Michigan $34,579 Wisconsin $34,540 Vermont $34,463

Texas $34,249 Maine $34,235 Arizona $34,214 Ohio $34,189 Georgia $33,866 Indiana $33,705 Wyoming $33,673 Utah $33,624

Iowa $33,603 Kansas $33,434 Louisiana $33,385 North Carolina $33,368 Missouri $33,361 Florida $33,224 Montana $33,150 Nebraska $33,080

Kentucky $33,041 South Carolina $32,901 Tennessee $32,813 Idaho $32,778 New Mexico $32,521 Oklahoma $32,465 Alabama $32,258 South Dakota $31,911

Arkansas $31,721 West Virginia $31,619 Mississippi $31,314

Top Paying Cities for Child Care Stafves

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

San Jose: $44,288
San Francisco: $43,852
Oakland: $42,880

San Jose, CA $44,288

San Francisco, CA $43,852

Oakland, CA $42,880

New York, NY $40,692

Queens Village, NY $40,429

Paramus, NJ $40,148

Passaic, NJ $40,113

Bergenfield, NJ $40,078

Stamford, CT $40,025

Huntington, NY $39,990

Newark, NJ $39,762

Bridgeport, CT $39,692

New Brunswick, NJ $39,576

Vallejo, CA $39,502

Middlesex, NJ $39,481

Somerset, NJ $39,449

Petaluma, CA $39,368

Santa Cruz, CA $39,232

Boston, MA $39,161

Monterey, CA $38,986

Fairbanks, AK $38,961

Los Angeles, CA $38,894

Washington, DC $38,877

Seattle, WA $38,814

Santa Rosa, CA $38,807

Juneau, AK $38,705

Orange, CA $38,589

Anchorage, AK $38,526

Anaheim, CA $38,501

Santa Ana, CA $38,449

Nassau, NY $38,427

Long Beach, CA $38,413

Danbury, CT $38,403

Santa Maria, CA $38,283

Everett, WA $38,276

Bremerton, WA $38,104

Trenton, NJ $38,038

Sacramento, CA $38,024

San Diego, CA $38,006

Brockton, MA $37,992

Tacoma, WA $37,978

Santa Barbara, CA $37,929

Lowell, MA $37,788

New Suffolk, NY $37,774

Nashua, NH $37,732

Lompoc, CA $37,676

Ventura, CA $37,641

Stockton, CA $37,630

New Haven, CT $37,560

Atlantic City, NJ $37,469

Hartford, CT $37,392

Modesto, CA $37,374

Poughkeepsie, NY $37,297

New Britain, CT $37,279

Olympia, WA $37,230

Kennewick, WA $37,230

New London, CT $37,223

Norwich, CT $37,213

Lawrence, MA $37,195

Bakersfield, CA $37,097

Riverside, CA $37,048

New Bedford, MA $37,048

Richland, WA $37,012

Portsmouth, NH $36,984

Vineland, NJ $36,977

San Bernardino, CA $36,949

Boulder, CO $36,851

Worcester, MA $36,823

Portland, OR $36,791

Saint Paul, MN $36,749

Minneapolis, MN $36,749

Philadelphia, PA $36,700

Honolulu, HI $36,514

Springfield, MA $36,391

Providence, RI $36,387

Chicago, IL $36,286

Bellingham, WA $36,243

Baltimore, MD $36,205

Chico, CA $36,117

Wilmington, DE $36,057

Pittsfield, MA $36,022

Manchester, NH $35,956

Spokane, WA $35,801

Denver, CO $35,797

Albany, NY $35,632

Troy, NY $35,618

Schenectady, NY $35,545

Burlington, VT $35,467

Portland, ME $35,345

Salem, OR $35,316

Yakima, WA $35,309

Ann Arbor, MI $35,299

Rochester, MN $35,201

Fresno, CA $35,183

Reno, NV $35,183

Milwaukee, WI $35,151

Detroit, MI $35,116

Allentown, PA $35,106

Carson City, NV $35,102

Houston, TX $35,050

Colorado Springs, CO $35,046

Syracuse, NY $35,029

Eugene, OR $34,962

Bismarck, ND $34,920

Gary, IN $34,920

Galveston, TX $34,920

Springfield, OR $34,892

Medford, OR $34,807

Fort Collins, CO $34,793

Austin, TX $34,765

Mesa, AZ $34,691

Phoenix, AZ $34,684

Dallas, TX $34,674

Reading, PA $34,653

Saint Cloud, MN $34,639

Concord, NH $34,607

Madison, WI $34,593

Utica, NY $34,498

Raleigh, NC $34,470

Las Vegas, NV $34,467

Rochester, NY $34,442

Des Moines, IA $34,439

Atlanta, GA $34,382

Battle Creek, MI $34,372

Salt Lake City, UT $34,361

Lancaster, PA $34,309

Champaign, IL $34,302

Harrisburg, PA $34,260

Durham, NC $34,228

Kansas City, MO $34,224

Kansas City, KS $34,217

Fort Worth, TX $34,214

Boca Raton, FL $34,200

Cleveland, OH $34,196

Columbus, OH $34,189

Pittsburgh, PA $34,186

Richmond, VA $34,172

Indianapolis, IN $34,165

Cincinnati, OH $34,119

Petersburg, VA $34,066

Billings, MT $33,989

Lansing, MI $33,989

Huntsville, AL $33,989

Lebanon, PA $33,986

Dayton, OH $33,982

Pueblo, CO $33,982

Appleton, WI $33,972

Buffalo, NY $33,958

Racine, WI $33,940

Charlotte, NC $33,937

Saint Louis, MO $33,926

Springfield, IL $33,912

Elkhart, IN $33,905

York, PA $33,905

Gastonia, NC $33,901

Benton Harbor, MI $33,901

Beaumont, TX $33,880

Lorain, OH $33,873

Toledo, OH $33,859

Binghamton, NY $33,842

Rock Hill, SC $33,838

Rockford, IL $33,821

Fargo, ND $33,803

Elyria, OH $33,803

Flagstaff, AZ $33,779

Fort Lauderdale, FL $33,757

Miami, FL $33,736

Duluth, MN $33,680

Bangor, ME $33,635

Cedar Rapids, IA $33,596

Louisville, KY $33,578

Grand Rapids, MI $33,571

Hialeah, FL $33,568

Casper, WY $33,519

Scranton, PA $33,477

New Orleans, LA $33,466

Virginia Beach, VA $33,462

Akron, OH $33,445

Peoria, IL $33,399

Sarasota, FL $33,392

Green Bay, WI $33,368

Baton Rouge, LA $33,350

Charleston, SC $33,343

Nashville, TN $33,333

Jamestown, NY $33,326

Davenport, IA $33,326

Tucson, AZ $33,308

Cheyenne, WY $33,297

Saint Petersburg, FL $33,287

Tampa, FL $33,280

Omaha, NE $33,273

Port Arthur, TX $33,259

Evansville, IN $33,259

Bradenton, FL $33,245

Santa Fe, NM $33,182

Orlando, FL $33,146

Clearwater, FL $33,108

Canton, OH $33,034

La Crosse, WI $33,034

Grand Forks, ND $33,024

Albuquerque, NM $33,013

Tulsa, OK $33,013

Newport News, VA $33,010

High Point, NC $32,999

Ogden, UT $32,985

Corpus Christi, TX $32,957

Laramie, WY $32,936

Norfolk, VA $32,936

Rock Island, IL $32,915

Saginaw, MI $32,908

Jacksonville, FL $32,904

Salisbury, NC $32,897

Memphis, TN $32,890

Moline, IL $32,873

Fort Myers, FL $32,862

Waterloo, IA $32,816

Spartanburg, SC $32,781

Lincoln, NE $32,764

Fort Wayne, IN $32,757

Birmingham, AL $32,718

Cedar Falls, IA $32,711

Provo, UT $32,708

Springfield, OH $32,704

San Antonio, TX $32,697

Greensboro, NC $32,683

South Bend, IN $32,679

Winston Salem, NC $32,676

Boise, ID $32,665

Savannah, GA $32,641

Muskegon, MI $32,578

Lima, OH $32,536

Lake Charles, LA $32,521

Anderson, IN $32,514

Lexington, KY $32,504

Augusta, GA $32,493

Greenville, SC $32,493

Wichita, KS $32,462

Tuscaloosa, AL $32,462

Columbia, SC $32,430

Bloomington, IN $32,342

Roanoke, VA $32,321

Asheville, NC $32,276

Knoxville, TN $32,216

Shreveport, LA $32,212

Wilmington, NC $32,167

Frankfort, KY $32,100

Oklahoma City, OK $32,076

Chillicothe, OH $32,061

Longview, TX $32,058

Topeka, KS $32,047

Mobile, AL $31,995

Terre Haute, IN $31,981

Erie, PA $31,977

Altoona, PA $31,960

Melbourne, FL $31,949

Amarillo, TX $31,935

Killeen, TX $31,925

Fayetteville, AR $31,896

Sioux Falls, SD $31,872

Chattanooga, TN $31,851

Idaho Falls, ID $31,847

Gainesville, FL $31,774

Portsmouth, OH $31,756

Little Rock, AR $31,749

Lynchburg, VA $31,749

Lafayette, LA $31,735

Youngstown, OH $31,735

Temple, TX $31,721

Daytona Beach, FL $31,714

Clarksville, TN $31,710

Pensacola, FL $31,707

Hopkinsville, KY $31,602

Charleston, WV $31,598

Florence, SC $31,580

Sioux City, IA $31,559

Macon, GA $31,458

Tallahassee, FL $31,454

Fayetteville, NC $31,447

Waco, TX $31,440

Wichita Falls, TX $31,440

Pine Bluff, AR $31,426

Vincennes, IN $31,359

Lubbock, TX $31,345

Great Falls, MT $31,324

Alamogordo, NM $31,321

Abilene, TX $31,293

Rapid City, SD $31,247

Monroe, LA $31,247

Albany, GA $31,226

Huntington, WV $31,222

Jackson, MS $31,219

Greenville, MS $31,215

Parkersburg, WV $31,180

Montgomery, AL $31,173

Johnstown, PA $31,166

Springfield, MO $31,138

Biloxi, MS $31,120

Sumter, SC $31,047

Columbus, GA $31,043

Twin Falls, ID $31,022

Pascagoula, MS $30,977

Kingsport, TN $30,885

Gulfport, MS $30,875

Alexandria, LA $30,759

Fort Smith, AR $30,671

El Paso, TX $30,576

Helena, MT $30,531

Las Cruces, NM $30,418

Harlingen, TX $30,320

Pocatello, ID $30,288

Florence, AL $30,278

Brownsville, TX $30,271

Dothan, AL $30,215

Mcallen, TX $30,197

Columbus, MS $29,937

Altus, OK $29,776

Lawton, OK $29,709

Pierre, SD $29,583

What Skills Can Increase a Child Care Staff's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Commitment (Mentioned in 3.73% Job Postings): An agreement or pledge to do something in the future a commitment to improve conditions at the prison especially : an engagement to assume a financial obligation at a future date.
Child Development (Mentioned in 9.81% Job Postings): Child development refers to the sequence of physical, language, thought and emotional changes that occur in a child from birth to the beginning of adulthood.
Early Childhood Education (Mentioned in 4.68% Job Postings): Early childhood education, also known as nursery education, is a branch of education theory that relates to the teaching of children from birth up to the age of eight.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Commitment	3.73%
Child Development	9.81%
Early Childhood Education	4.68%

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Child Care Staff's salary.

Motivating: Can increase your salary by up to 15%.
Coordination: Can increase your salary by up to 9%.
Problem Solving: Can increase your salary by up to 8%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Motivating	$40,380	15%
Coordination	$38,273	9%
Problem Solving	$37,922	8%
Accountability	$37,922	8%
Customer Service	$37,571	7%
Leadership	$37,220	6%

Get Latest Data

Child Care Staff Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Child Care Staff's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on January 01, 2026

$31,641

Average $35,113/year

$39,039

$2,637

Average $2,926/month

$3,253

$608

Average $675/week

$751

$15

Average $17/hour

$19

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$39,039	$3,253	$751	$19
Average	$35,113	$2,926	$675	$17
25th Percentile	$31,641	$2,637	$608	$15

Salaries of jobs related to Child Care Staff

Salary Trends for Child Care Staff

Salaries for a Child Care Staff can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $37,036 in 2023 to around $36,034 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Child Care Staff salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Child Care Staff Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$37,036

2024

$36,425

2025

$36,034

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$37,036
2024	$36,425
2025	$36,034
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Child Care Staff

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

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