Jetted FoxCareers · Kids, teaching & libraries
Childcare workers
Care for babies and children in daycare centers, homes or before- and after-school programs. No college degree needed.
Start now · no experience needed
Starting pay ranges from about $9.49/hr in Mississippi to $19.38/hr in Washington, DC.
Pay in every state
| State | Start | 2 years |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $8.98–10.36/hr | $10.92/hr |
| Alaska | $14.73–16.88/hr | $17.40/hr |
| Arizona | $14.82–15.65/hr | $16.88/hr |
| Arkansas | $11.51–12.86/hr | $13.68/hr |
| California | $16.99–18.08/hr | $19.24/hr |
| Colorado | $16.07–17.78/hr | $19.59/hr |
| Connecticut | $16.80–17.18/hr | $17.63/hr |
| Delaware | $15/hr | $15.97/hr |
| Florida | $13.44–14.56/hr | $16.45/hr |
| Georgia | $10.66–11.51/hr | $13.47/hr |
| Hawaii | $14.83–15.41/hr | $17.80/hr |
| Idaho | $8.44–13.14/hr | $14.50/hr |
| Illinois | $15–15.63/hr | $17.23/hr |
| Indiana | $11.48–13.48/hr | $14.51/hr |
| Iowa | $10.55–12.40/hr | $13.66/hr |
| Kansas | $10.96–13.23/hr | $14.06/hr |
| Kentucky | $10.51–11.78/hr | $13.90/hr |
| Louisiana | $8.97–10.28/hr | $11.01/hr |
| Maine | $15–16.72/hr | $17.47/hr |
| Maryland | $15.18–16.47/hr | $17.32/hr |
| Massachusetts | $16.41–17.95/hr | $19.66/hr |
| Michigan | $13.08–13.87/hr | $14.89/hr |
| Minnesota | $13.73–14.59/hr | $17.08/hr |
| Mississippi | $8.76–9.49/hr | $10.60/hr |
| Missouri | $13.75–13.94/hr | $14.80/hr |
| Montana | $13.35–13.95/hr | $16.89/hr |
| Nebraska | $13.52–14.01/hr | $14.78/hr |
| Nevada | $13.23–13.84/hr | $14.30/hr |
| New Hampshire | $13.39–14.88/hr | $17.83/hr |
| New Jersey | $15.49–16.43/hr | $17.49/hr |
| New Mexico | $14.36–15.02/hr | $17.23/hr |
| New York | $16.17–17.03/hr | $18.07/hr |
| North Carolina | $10.98–11.67/hr | $14.01/hr |
| North Dakota | $11.21–14.02/hr | $14.56/hr |
| Ohio | $11.44–13.24/hr | $14.27/hr |
| Oklahoma | $10.59–11.14/hr | $13.33/hr |
| Oregon | $15.66–17.13/hr | $18.58/hr |
| Pennsylvania | $10.92–13/hr | $14.49/hr |
| Rhode Island | $15.10–15.35/hr | $17.76/hr |
| South Carolina | $10.59–12.08/hr | $14.26/hr |
| South Dakota | $12.74–13.11/hr | $13.43/hr |
| Tennessee | $10.45–12.94/hr | $14.26/hr |
| Texas | $10.46–11.23/hr | $13.73/hr |
| Utah | $11.08–14.20/hr | $15.21/hr |
| Vermont | $15.45–17.51/hr | $18.29/hr |
| Virginia | $13.53–14.20/hr | $16.51/hr |
| Washington | $16.99–18.01/hr | $20.04/hr |
| Washington, DC | $18.77–19.38/hr | $22.76/hr |
| West Virginia | $10.66–11.29/hr | $13.32/hr |
| Wisconsin | $11.85–14.12/hr | $15.61/hr |
| Wyoming | $10.56–11.18/hr | $13.58/hr |
Estimates, May 2025. Start = what the lowest-paid 10–25% earn; 2 years = the median. US Bureau of Labor Statistics
What it takes
Before you're hired
Once you're hired
A normal day
You work in a daycare room or after-school program, feeding, changing, playing with and watching over a group of kids. You keep them on a schedule of meals, naps and activities, clean up constant messes and handle tantrums. At pickup you talk with parents about how the day went.
The good parts
Centers hire all year with no experience needed. Kids get attached and the work matters to families. Hours count toward a CDA and preschool teacher jobs.
The hard parts
Pay is among the lowest of any full-time job. Diapers, spills and kids who pass on every cold. On your feet and lifting toddlers all day.
Where it leads
childcare workers move to lead teacher, preschool teacher or run a home daycare.
Quick answers
Do childcare workers need a college degree?
No. You can start now: no experience needed.
How long is the training for childcare workers?
1–4 weeks of paid training at work.
How much do childcare workers make?
About $11.66–14.12 an hour to start and $16.82 an hour at the median across the US (May 2025).
Is it a fit for you?
Answer a few questions and see your paths. Free, about 7 minutes.
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Last updated October 13, 2026. Pay: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Jobs: BLS Employment Projections 2025–35. Training, costs and requirements: Jetted Fox research (estimates). This site includes information from the 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. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Jetted Fox has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Facts, not advice.