What are the main factors that influence a Child Development Associate'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 Development Associate's salary?

A Child Development Associate's salary grows with experience: a Child Development Associate (0-0 years)earns $45,243, a Child Caregiver I (0-1 years)earns $34,581, a Child Caregiver II (1-3 years)earns $39,013,

What are the highest paying cities for a Child Development Associate?

Child Development Associate salary varies significantly by city. The top 3 highest paying cities in California for Child Development Associate roles are San Jose $55,200, San Francisco $54,657, Oakland $53,445.

How much do different types of Child Development Associate roles make?

Salaries for Child Development Associate level roles vary by specialization: Child Development Director: $104,822; Child Care Center Director: $79,952; Child Development Assistant: $56,040; Child Life Activities Specialist: $55,500; Child Life Specialist: $55,470.

What specialized skills increase a Child Development Associate's salary?

Skills with high demand and low supply, such as Coaching (up to 12% premium), IDEA (up to 9% premium), Special Education (up to 8% premium), directly translate to higher compensation. Employers pay more for these capabilities to gain a competitive edge.

Child Development Associate Salary in Forest Ranch, CA

How much does a Child Development Associate make in Forest Ranch, CA?

As of March 01, 2026, the average salary for a Child Development Associate in Forest Ranch, CA is $44,841 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $22.

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

Top Earners (90th percentile): $53,059
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $39,057 to $49,143
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $33,791

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Child Development Associate Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$49,143	$4,095	$945	$24
Average	$44,841	$3,737	$862	$22
25th Percentile	$39,057	$3,255	$751	$19

You may get higher pay by adjusting the following factors:

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Key Factors That Influence Child Development Associate Salaries

A Child Development Associate'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, skills and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

Top Paying Cities for Child Development Associates

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: $55,200
San Francisco: $54,657
Oakland: $53,445

San Jose, CA $55,200

San Francisco, CA $54,657

Oakland, CA $53,445

New York, NY $50,718

Queens Village, NY $50,390

Paramus, NJ $50,040

Passaic, NJ $49,996

Bergenfield, NJ $49,953

Stamford, CT $49,887

Huntington, NY $49,843

Newark, NJ $49,559

Bridgeport, CT $49,471

New Brunswick, NJ $49,327

Vallejo, CA $49,235

Middlesex, NJ $49,209

Somerset, NJ $49,169

Petaluma, CA $49,069

Santa Cruz, CA $48,898

Boston, MA $48,810

Monterey, CA $48,592

Fairbanks, AK $48,561

Los Angeles, CA $48,478

Washington, DC $48,456

Seattle, WA $48,377

Santa Rosa, CA $48,368

Juneau, AK $48,241

Orange, CA $48,097

Anchorage, AK $48,018

Anaheim, CA $47,988

Santa Ana, CA $47,922

Nassau, NY $47,896

Long Beach, CA $47,878

Danbury, CT $47,865

Santa Maria, CA $47,716

Everett, WA $47,707

Bremerton, WA $47,493

Trenton, NJ $47,410

Sacramento, CA $47,392

San Diego, CA $47,370

Brockton, MA $47,353

Tacoma, WA $47,335

Santa Barbara, CA $47,274

Lowell, MA $47,099

New Suffolk, NY $47,082

Nashua, NH $47,029

Lompoc, CA $46,959

Ventura, CA $46,915

Stockton, CA $46,902

New Haven, CT $46,815

Atlantic City, NJ $46,701

Hartford, CT $46,605

Modesto, CA $46,583

Poughkeepsie, NY $46,486

New Britain, CT $46,465

Olympia, WA $46,403

Kennewick, WA $46,403

New London, CT $46,395

Norwich, CT $46,381

Lawrence, MA $46,360

Bakersfield, CA $46,237

Riverside, CA $46,176

New Bedford, MA $46,176

Richland, WA $46,132

Portsmouth, NH $46,097

Vineland, NJ $46,088

San Bernardino, CA $46,053

Boulder, CO $45,931

Worcester, MA $45,896

Portland, OR $45,856

Saint Paul, MN $45,804

Minneapolis, MN $45,804

Philadelphia, PA $45,742

Honolulu, HI $45,510

Springfield, MA $45,357

Providence, RI $45,353

Chicago, IL $45,226

Bellingham, WA $45,174

Baltimore, MD $45,125

Chico, CA $45,016

Wilmington, DE $44,942

Pittsfield, MA $44,898

Manchester, NH $44,815

Spokane, WA $44,622

Denver, CO $44,618

Albany, NY $44,412

Troy, NY $44,395

Schenectady, NY $44,303

Burlington, VT $44,206

Portland, ME $44,053

Salem, OR $44,018

Yakima, WA $44,009

Ann Arbor, MI $43,996

Rochester, MN $43,874

Fresno, CA $43,852

Reno, NV $43,852

Milwaukee, WI $43,812

Detroit, MI $43,769

Allentown, PA $43,756

Carson City, NV $43,751

Houston, TX $43,686

Colorado Springs, CO $43,681

Syracuse, NY $43,659

Eugene, OR $43,576

Bismarck, ND $43,524

Gary, IN $43,524

Galveston, TX $43,524

Springfield, OR $43,489

Medford, OR $43,384

Fort Collins, CO $43,366

Austin, TX $43,331

Mesa, AZ $43,239

Phoenix, AZ $43,230

Dallas, TX $43,217

Reading, PA $43,191

Saint Cloud, MN $43,173

Concord, NH $43,134

Madison, WI $43,117

Utica, NY $42,998

Raleigh, NC $42,963

Las Vegas, NV $42,959

Rochester, NY $42,928

Des Moines, IA $42,924

Atlanta, GA $42,854

Battle Creek, MI $42,841

Salt Lake City, UT $42,828

Lancaster, PA $42,762

Champaign, IL $42,753

Harrisburg, PA $42,701

Durham, NC $42,661

Kansas City, MO $42,657

Kansas City, KS $42,648

Fort Worth, TX $42,644

Boca Raton, FL $42,626

Cleveland, OH $42,622

Columbus, OH $42,613

Pittsburgh, PA $42,609

Richmond, VA $42,591

Indianapolis, IN $42,583

Cincinnati, OH $42,526

Petersburg, VA $42,460

Billings, MT $42,364

Lansing, MI $42,364

Huntsville, AL $42,364

Lebanon, PA $42,359

Dayton, OH $42,355

Pueblo, CO $42,355

Appleton, WI $42,342

Buffalo, NY $42,324

Racine, WI $42,303

Charlotte, NC $42,298

Saint Louis, MO $42,285

Springfield, IL $42,268

Elkhart, IN $42,259

York, PA $42,259

Gastonia, NC $42,254

Benton Harbor, MI $42,254

Beaumont, TX $42,228

Lorain, OH $42,219

Toledo, OH $42,202

Binghamton, NY $42,180

Rock Hill, SC $42,176

Rockford, IL $42,154

Fargo, ND $42,132

Elyria, OH $42,132

Flagstaff, AZ $42,101

Fort Lauderdale, FL $42,075

Miami, FL $42,049

Duluth, MN $41,979

Bangor, ME $41,922

Cedar Rapids, IA $41,874

Louisville, KY $41,852

Grand Rapids, MI $41,843

Hialeah, FL $41,839

Casper, WY $41,777

Scranton, PA $41,725

New Orleans, LA $41,712

Virginia Beach, VA $41,707

Akron, OH $41,685

Peoria, IL $41,629

Sarasota, FL $41,620

Green Bay, WI $41,589

Baton Rouge, LA $41,567

Charleston, SC $41,559

Nashville, TN $41,545

Jamestown, NY $41,537

Davenport, IA $41,537

Tucson, AZ $41,515

Cheyenne, WY $41,502

Saint Petersburg, FL $41,489

Tampa, FL $41,480

Omaha, NE $41,471

Port Arthur, TX $41,454

Evansville, IN $41,454

Bradenton, FL $41,436

Santa Fe, NM $41,357

Orlando, FL $41,313

Clearwater, FL $41,265

Canton, OH $41,173

La Crosse, WI $41,173

Grand Forks, ND $41,160

Albuquerque, NM $41,147

Tulsa, OK $41,147

Newport News, VA $41,143

High Point, NC $41,130

Ogden, UT $41,112

Corpus Christi, TX $41,077

Laramie, WY $41,051

Norfolk, VA $41,051

Rock Island, IL $41,025

Saginaw, MI $41,016

Jacksonville, FL $41,012

Salisbury, NC $41,003

Memphis, TN $40,994

Moline, IL $40,972

Fort Myers, FL $40,959

Waterloo, IA $40,902

Spartanburg, SC $40,858

Lincoln, NE $40,836

Fort Wayne, IN $40,828

Birmingham, AL $40,780

Cedar Falls, IA $40,771

Provo, UT $40,766

Springfield, OH $40,762

San Antonio, TX $40,753

Greensboro, NC $40,736

South Bend, IN $40,731

Winston Salem, NC $40,727

Boise, ID $40,714

Savannah, GA $40,683

Muskegon, MI $40,605

Lima, OH $40,552

Lake Charles, LA $40,534

Anderson, IN $40,526

Lexington, KY $40,513

Augusta, GA $40,499

Greenville, SC $40,499

Wichita, KS $40,460

Tuscaloosa, AL $40,460

Columbia, SC $40,421

Bloomington, IN $40,311

Roanoke, VA $40,285

Asheville, NC $40,228

Knoxville, TN $40,154

Shreveport, LA $40,149

Wilmington, NC $40,092

Frankfort, KY $40,009

Oklahoma City, OK $39,979

Chillicothe, OH $39,961

Longview, TX $39,957

Topeka, KS $39,944

Mobile, AL $39,878

Terre Haute, IN $39,861

Erie, PA $39,856

Altoona, PA $39,834

Melbourne, FL $39,821

Amarillo, TX $39,804

Killeen, TX $39,791

Fayetteville, AR $39,755

Sioux Falls, SD $39,725

Chattanooga, TN $39,699

Idaho Falls, ID $39,694

Gainesville, FL $39,602

Portsmouth, OH $39,580

Little Rock, AR $39,572

Lynchburg, VA $39,572

Lafayette, LA $39,554

Youngstown, OH $39,554

Temple, TX $39,537

Daytona Beach, FL $39,528

Clarksville, TN $39,524

Pensacola, FL $39,519

Hopkinsville, KY $39,388

Charleston, WV $39,383

Florence, SC $39,362

Sioux City, IA $39,335

Macon, GA $39,208

Tallahassee, FL $39,204

Fayetteville, NC $39,195

Waco, TX $39,187

Wichita Falls, TX $39,187

Pine Bluff, AR $39,169

Vincennes, IN $39,086

Lubbock, TX $39,068

Great Falls, MT $39,042

Alamogordo, NM $39,038

Abilene, TX $39,003

Rapid City, SD $38,946

Monroe, LA $38,946

Albany, GA $38,920

Huntington, WV $38,915

Jackson, MS $38,911

Greenville, MS $38,906

Parkersburg, WV $38,863

Montgomery, AL $38,854

Johnstown, PA $38,845

Springfield, MO $38,810

Biloxi, MS $38,788

Sumter, SC $38,696

Columbus, GA $38,692

Twin Falls, ID $38,666

Pascagoula, MS $38,609

Kingsport, TN $38,495

Gulfport, MS $38,482

Alexandria, LA $38,338

Fort Smith, AR $38,228

El Paso, TX $38,110

Helena, MT $38,053

Las Cruces, NM $37,913

Harlingen, TX $37,790

Pocatello, ID $37,751

Florence, AL $37,738

Brownsville, TX $37,729

Dothan, AL $37,659

Mcallen, TX $37,637

Columbus, MS $37,313

Altus, OK $37,112

Lawton, OK $37,029

Pierre, SD $36,871

What Skills Can Increase a Child Development Associate's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Planning (Mentioned in 3.87% Job Postings): An act or process of making or carrying out plans. Establishment of goals, policies, and procedures for a social or economic unit city planning business planning.
First Aid (Mentioned in 6.98% Job Postings): First aid refers to medical attention that is usually administered immediately after the injury occurs and at the location where it occurred.
Child Abuse (Mentioned in 1.3% Job Postings): Child abuse is not just physical violence directed at a child. It is any form of maltreatment by an adult, which is violent or threatening for the child.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Planning	3.87%
First Aid	6.98%
Child Abuse	1.3%

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 Development Associate's salary.

Coaching: Can increase your salary by up to 12%.
IDEA: Can increase your salary by up to 9%.
Special Education: Can increase your salary by up to 8%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Coaching	$50,222	12%
IDEA	$48,877	9%
Special Education	$48,428	8%
Confidentiality	$47,083	5%
Staff Development	$47,083	5%
Pediatric	$46,635	4%

Get Latest Data

Child Development Associate Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Child Development Associate'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 March 01, 2026

$39,057

Average $44,841/year

$49,143

$3,255

Average $3,737/month

$4,095

$751

Average $862/week

$945

$19

Average $22/hour

$24

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$49,143	$4,095	$945	$24
Average	$44,841	$3,737	$862	$22
25th Percentile	$39,057	$3,255	$751	$19

Salaries of jobs related to Child Development Associate

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