Working at a daycare center may be an excellent way to begin a career as a child care provider since it allows you to gain experience working with young children.
Daycare professionals frequently work with extremely young pupils, which necessitates a high level of patience and communication.
If you want to work as a daycare provider, you should be aware of the regulations you must meet.
In this post, we’ll look at what it’s like to work as a daycare worker and how much do daycare workers make.
Summary
| Guide | How Much Do Daycare Workers Make? |
|---|---|
| Average Income | $26,231 per year |
| Highest Income | $40,000 annually |
| Education Qualification | High school diploma or GED |
| Training | Needed |
Who Are Daycare Workers?
A daycare worker is a child care professional who monitors and educates young children, usually between the ages of one and four.
Daycare workers are primarily responsible for giving supervision and safeguarding the safety of the pupils they educate during the day.
As a result, they typically have outstanding attention to detail, patience, and teaching abilities, which may assist them in making each day as helpful as possible for their pupils.
Employees at daycare centers, community centers, and other institutions that provide child care for young children who do not yet attend preschool can work as daycare workers.
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How Much Do Daycare Workers Make?
In the United States, the national average daycare worker’s salary is $26,231 per year.
Furthermore, most daycare teachers receive extra perks such as paid time off, professional development help, and tuition reimbursement, according to Indeed.
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the number of persons working as childcare workers, such as daycare personnel, is expected to increase by 2% between 2019 and 2029, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). This pace of growth is slower than most similar vocations.
1. How Much Do Daycare Workers Make an Hour?
Daycare Workers make a minimum of $6.97 an hour and a maximum of $17.55 an hour.
2. How Much Do Daycare Workers Make a Month?
Daycare Workers make a minimum of $1,208 a month and a maximum of $3,042 a month.
3. How Much Do Daycare Workers Make a Year?
Daycare Workers make a minimum of $14,500 a year and a maximum of $36,500 a year.
Highest Salary of Daycare Workers In 2023
As a daycare worker, whether you are a senior or a beginner, your tasks are fairly similar and do not change much as you climb the ladder.
That is why the salaries do not change as much, as well. The highest 10% of daycare salaries are around $40,000 annually, which could increase a bit more depending on the state or the facility you are working in.
Is Being A Daycare Worker Good or Bad?
Daycare work is a tough job. You need to be extremely patient and know the little details of taking care of children.
There are many hardships to it, but it will not be that much of a big issue if you know what you are doing and you like it in general.
However, if children are not your thing and you do not know the details, it might not be the best option for you.
Pros and Cons of Being A Daycare Worker
Pros
- You get to shape young lives
- Fixed work schedule
- Respite from classic 9-5 job
- You get free weekends and many holidays
- Get to learn a lot
Cons
- Low salary
- Physically exhausting
- Have to deal with tough kids & demanding parents sometimes
How to Become a Daycare Worker?
Here’s how you can become a Daycare Worker:
- Most daycares require employees to have a high school diploma or GED equivalent in order to work there. Possessing a high school diploma or GED helps demonstrate to a potential employer that you have a solid understanding of the fundamental subjects you’ll be teaching once you start working at a daycare center.
- Most daycare facilities require staff to be at least 18 years old, which is the age at which students normally graduate from high school.
- Consider acquiring some experience in child care after finishing any educational prerequisites, as employers frequently favor individuals with relevant experience, while it isn’t always a must.
- Having an internship or some experience with children can also help.
- Once you have acquired some experience, you can start applying for the position directly.
How Many Hours Does Daycare Workers Work?
Daycare Workers follow a fixed schedule and timing and work for 40 hours in a week.
You also get a lot of holidays and weekends, so you can maintain a good work-life balance in this job role.
What is the Starting Pay of Daycare Workers?
The starting pay of Daycare Workers is $6.97 an hour and $1,208 a month.
Even with more experience in this occupation, you will be able to make a minimum of $3,042 a month. You might have to do an additional job with this low salary.
Daycare Workers Training Programs
Because daycare workers work with young children, it’s critical to have the proper licenses and certifications to ensure you have the training you need to succeed in the industry and keep all of the children you work with safe.
Specific licensing and certification requirements differ by state, so doing some study on your state’s regulations before applying for certification or license may be beneficial.
The ChildCare Education Institute is one of the most popular places to get certified as a daycare worker.
They provide the Child Development Associate (CDA) credential, which verifies a person’s knowledge of early childhood education, business operations, and student services.
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Conclusion
As you can see, being a daycare worker does not require too much upfront work or studying, but the job itself might be extremely tiring due to the nature of the job.
If you think you can handle these hardships, you can definitely go through the day as a daycare worker and enjoy it.
FAQ
How much do daycare workers make when they first start off?
When you first start off, you start from the bottom of the salary pack, which is lower than the average.
How much do daycare workers make without any training?
When you have no prior training at all, you first get the necessary training and then start working. With this, your salary will be lower than the average.
How much do daycare workers make with several years of experience in the field?
When you have several years of experience in the field, your salary will be around the average salary.
Shefali Jain is a Content Writer & Editor at USWorkforce.org
After completing her graduation in hospitality, Shefali decided to follow her passion and started writing. Shefali has been writing for two years now and contributes to our website as a skilled editor and content writer with strong research skills. Writing product and service reviews, biographies, and book reviews are some of her key areas, among many others in which she specializes. In her time at the organization, she has written and edited content on a range of topics, including employment law, human resources, and business management.
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