What Is the Average Salary of a Child Day Care Provider?
Are you interested in caring for and inspiring young children? If you become a child day care provider, you can work in a school, day care center or your own home. The average salary for a child day care provider is lower than many other occupations, but the job can offer you the chance to set your own hours as a self-employed worker. Read on to learn more about the average salaries of childcare providers. Schools offering Child Care Services degrees can also be found in these popular choices.
Salary Overview for Child Day Care Providers
Child day care providers nurture and look after children in a variety of locations including parents' houses, their own homes, day care centers and after-school programs. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), childcare workers earned an average annual wage of $20,940 as of May 2009 (www.bls.gov). Although the pay is relatively low, childcare workers often have flexible work schedules and can stay self-employed. The BLS reported that 33% of childcare workers were self-employed and 29% of day care workers held part-time positions in 2008.
Wages by Employment Field
Your salary as a child day care provider can vary based on the place that you work, according to the BLS in May 2009. The majority of childcare workers were employed at child day care centers, where their average yearly salary was $18,900. Elementary and secondary schools were the next largest employer of childcare workers and paid a higher annual mean salary of $23,530.
The highest-paid childcare providers worked for home health care agencies, and they were paid a mean wage of $30,370 per year as of May 2009, reported the BLS. Specialty hospitals, scientific and research services, personal care services and legal services were high-paying industries for childcare workers and all these sectors paid workers a yearly mean salary over $26,000 as of May 2009, according to BLS figures.
Wages by Region
The best paying states for childcare workers were Massachusetts, New York and the District of Columbia, reported the BLS. All three of these states paid workers a mean annual salary over $24,000 as of May 2009, based on BLS figures. New York also had one of the highest concentrations of childcare workers, with 67,570 workers in the state as of May 2009, according to the BLS. Another state with a very high concentration of childcare providers was Rhode Island, but the BLS reported that less than 5,000 individuals were employed in the region as of May 2009.
Education Opportunities
The BLS stated that child day care providers with some childhood education or training usually have increased employment options. You might want to earn your Child Development Associate (CDA) credential with the Council for Professional Recognition to gain more job opportunities (www.cdacouncil.org). You can specialize in family childcare, which focuses on children ages five and under or infant/toddler care for young children under 36 months old. Both credentials usually require you to hold a high school diploma, complete 120 hours of childhood education formal training and 480 hours of professional experience, conduct formal classroom observation and undergo a verification visit.
To continue researching, browse degree options below for course curriculum, prerequisites and financial aid information. Or, learn more about the subject by reading the related articles below:
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