Salaries › Childcare Worker
Childcare Worker Salary by State (2026)
Childcare Workers (Childcare Workers) hold 516,800 jobs across the US. Typical pay is $33,536 per year, but the median ranges from $22,050 in Mississippi to $47,340 in District of Columbia. Pick your state for the full pay range and an estimated take-home after taxes.
Median Childcare Worker salary in every state
| State | Median salary | Jobs |
| District of Columbia | $47,340 | 1,350 |
| Washington | $41,680 | 4,340 |
| Massachusetts | $40,900 | 13,140 |
| Colorado | $40,750 | 13,310 |
| California | $40,020 | 52,780 |
| Oregon | $38,650 | 5,240 |
| Vermont | $38,030 | 0 |
| New York | $37,590 | 44,020 |
| New Hampshire | $37,080 | 2,820 |
| Hawaii | $37,030 | 1,870 |
| Rhode Island | $36,940 | 1,800 |
| Connecticut | $36,660 | 12,020 |
| New Jersey | $36,390 | 25,070 |
| Maine | $36,350 | 4,990 |
| Alaska | $36,200 | 1,340 |
| Maryland | $36,030 | 9,750 |
| New Mexico | $35,840 | 4,120 |
| Illinois | $35,830 | 23,900 |
| Minnesota | $35,520 | 11,570 |
| Montana | $35,120 | 2,190 |
| Arizona | $35,100 | 5,530 |
| Virginia | $34,330 | 13,930 |
| Florida | $34,210 | 21,760 |
| Delaware | $33,210 | 1,230 |
| Wisconsin | $32,460 | 5,560 |
| Utah | $31,630 | 4,830 |
| Michigan | $30,970 | 14,010 |
| Missouri | $30,790 | 12,430 |
| Nebraska | $30,740 | 9,390 |
| North Dakota | $30,290 | 4,030 |
| Indiana | $30,180 | 8,280 |
| Idaho | $30,160 | 4,430 |
| Pennsylvania | $30,140 | 13,000 |
| Nevada | $29,740 | 3,740 |
| Ohio | $29,680 | 11,300 |
| Tennessee | $29,660 | 13,650 |
| South Carolina | $29,650 | 10,660 |
| Kansas | $29,240 | 7,430 |
| North Carolina | $29,140 | 12,550 |
| Kentucky | $28,920 | 5,820 |
| Texas | $28,570 | 34,160 |
| Arkansas | $28,450 | 5,400 |
| Iowa | $28,420 | 6,020 |
| Wyoming | $28,250 | 1,110 |
| Georgia | $28,020 | 21,040 |
| South Dakota | $27,940 | 2,370 |
| Oklahoma | $27,730 | 7,590 |
| West Virginia | $27,710 | 1,930 |
| Louisiana | $22,900 | 8,000 |
| Alabama | $22,720 | 4,580 |
| Mississippi | $22,050 | 5,420 |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the average Childcare Worker salary in the US?
- The typical (employment-weighted median) Childcare Worker salary in the US is about $33,536 per year, based on the latest BLS data covering 516,800 jobs nationwide.
- Which state pays Childcare Workers the most?
- District of Columbia has the highest median Childcare Worker salary at $47,340 per year. Remember that taxes and cost of living vary — a high gross salary can shrink after state taxes.
- Which state pays Childcare Workers the least?
- Mississippi has the lowest median at $22,050 per year. Lower-paying states often also have lower living costs and, in some cases, no state income tax.
Sources and methodology
All figures: BLS OEWS May 2025 (state file, released April 2026) (Childcare Workers, code 39-9011). “Typical pay” is the employment-weighted average of state medians. Take-home estimates on state pages use 2026 federal and verified state tax rules from our PaycheckTally engine.