# Childcare Workers

> Attend to children at schools, businesses, private households, and childcare institutions. Perform a variety of tasks, such as dressing, feeding, bathing, and overseeing play.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/careers/childcare-workers
- SOC code: 39-9011.00
- Career family: Personal care and service
- Median annual pay: $34,980 (10th percentile $24,260, 90th percentile $46,010)
- Projected growth: Decline, -2.0%
- Openings a year: 150,300
- Typical entry education: High school diploma
- Bright outlook: yes
- Data years: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

## Interest profile (code SAC)

| Interest area | Score (0–100) |
| --- | ---: |
| Realistic (R) | 35 |
| Investigative (I) | 8 |
| Artistic (A) | 43 |
| Social (S) | 86 |
| Enterprising (E) | 29 |
| Conventional (C) | 41 |

## What you'd do

- Assisting and Caring for Others (importance 80/100)
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems (importance 72/100)
- Thinking Creatively (importance 68/100)
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates (importance 67/100)
- Getting Information (importance 65/100)
- Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work (importance 61/100)
- Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others (importance 61/100)
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships (importance 60/100)
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events (importance 58/100)
- Performing General Physical Activities (importance 57/100)

## Skills

Monitoring, Service Orientation, Social Perceptiveness, Active Listening, Coordination, Critical Thinking, Speaking, Active Learning, Complex Problem Solving, Instructing

## Knowledge

Customer and Personal Service, English Language, Education and Training, Public Safety and Security, Psychology, Administration and Management, Personnel and Human Resources, Mathematics, Administrative, Computers and Electronics

## Also called

After School Coordinator, After School Counselor, Attendant, Baby Attendant, Baby Sitter, Before and After School Daycare Worker, Boarding Mother, Care Provider, Caregiver, Child Attendant

## Majors that lead here (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk, 4-digit CIP)

- [Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/1907) (CIP 1907, 1,004 colleges)

## Colleges with strong outcomes (College Scorecard, 2025)

| College | Program | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| [University of Virginia-Main Campus UVA](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-virginia-main-campus-uva-3072) | Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services | $46,352 | $71,638 | $19,500 |
| [University of Maryland-College Park Main Campus](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-maryland-college-park-main-campus-2949) | Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services | $43,070 | $65,136 | $14,949 |
| [Florida State University-Main Campus](https://www.collegesref.com/college/florida-state-university-main-campus-985) | Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services | $34,677 | $62,663 | $13,825 |
| [Binghamton University SUNY](https://www.collegesref.com/college/binghamton-university-suny-249) | Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services | $41,088 | $62,506 | $19,500 |
| [George Mason University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/george-mason-university-1065) | Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services | $42,238 | $61,565 | not reported |
| [University of California-San Diego UCSD](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-california-san-diego-ucsd-2887) | Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services | $31,391 | $61,262 | $11,779 |
| [University of Georgia](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-georgia-2912) | Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services | $36,106 | $59,664 | $17,551 |
| [University of Wisconsin-Madison Main Campus](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-wisconsin-madison-main-campus-3084) | Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services | $42,901 | $59,044 | $20,250 |

## Related careers

- [Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/preschool-teachers-except-special-education): $38,140 median pay
- [Nannies](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/nannies): $34,980 median pay
- [Personal Care Aides](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/personal-care-aides): $35,800 median pay
- [Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/kindergarten-teachers-except-special-education): $62,680 median pay
- [Home Health Aides](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/home-health-aides): $35,800 median pay
- [Teaching Assistants, Preschool, Elementary, Middle, and Secondary School, Except Special Education](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/teaching-assistants-preschool-elementary-middle-and-secondary-school-except-special): $36,780 median pay

## Sources

- [O*NET Database](https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html), version 31.0 (CC BY 4.0)
- [BLS Employment Projections](https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables.htm), version 2025-35, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics](https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm), version 2025, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk](https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/resources.aspx?y=56), version 2020, data year 2020 (Public domain (U.S. government work))

O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.