Research Summary. After extensive research by the Zippia data science team, we identified these details of daycare provider assistant salary by state for the United States in 2026:
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Washington has the highest daycare provider assistant salary of $37,413
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Mississippi has the lowest daycare provider assistant salary of $20,883
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The national average salary for daycare provider assistants is $29,882
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The national hourly pay for daycare provider assistants is $14.37
You can read more on the specific methodology.
Background
In 2026, salary continues to be the most significant factor in job satisfaction, with most people wanting to know how much daycare provider assistants earn in their area.
Many factors influence individual salaries, but there is solid data on average salaries for daycare provider assistants by state across the U.S., broken down by seniority level. While your specific city may differ slightly from the state average, these figures provide a reliable expectation for your salary.
According to our findings, Washington remains the top-paying state for daycare provider assistants.
Here’s a quick snapshot of the top ten states for daycare provider assistant salaries in 2026:
Let’s take a look at how we got here and a full ranking of all the states.
Highest-Paid Daycare Provider Assistants By State
| Rank | State | Average Daycare Provider Assistant Salary | 10th Percentile | 90th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $37,413 | $26,000 | $53,000 |
| 2 | Maine | $36,132 | $28,000 | $45,000 |
| 3 | Rhode Island | $34,323 | $24,000 | $48,000 |
| 4 | New Hampshire | $33,924 | $25,000 | $45,000 |
| 5 | Vermont | $33,371 | $25,000 | $43,000 |
| 6 | West Virginia | $33,151 | $22,000 | $49,000 |
| 7 | Idaho | $32,756 | $22,000 | $48,000 |
| 8 | California | $32,414 | $21,000 | $49,000 |
| 9 | New Jersey | $32,375 | $21,000 | $47,000 |
| 10 | Kentucky | $32,217 | $21,000 | $48,000 |
| 11 | Oregon | $31,812 | $21,000 | $46,000 |
| 12 | Delaware | $31,298 | $21,000 | $46,000 |
| 13 | Nevada | $30,989 | $20,000 | $47,000 |
| 14 | New York | $30,718 | $21,000 | $44,000 |
| 15 | Colorado | $30,485 | $20,000 | $46,000 |
| 16 | Illinois | $29,621 | $20,000 | $43,000 |
| 17 | Connecticut | $29,403 | $20,000 | $42,000 |
| 18 | Massachusetts | $29,280 | $21,000 | $40,000 |
| 19 | Minnesota | $28,989 | $20,000 | $40,000 |
| 20 | Ohio | $28,394 | $19,000 | $41,000 |
| 21 | Arizona | $28,163 | $18,000 | $43,000 |
| 22 | Hawaii | $27,715 | $24,000 | $31,000 |
| 23 | Wisconsin | $27,383 | $19,000 | $39,000 |
| 24 | Wyoming | $27,094 | $18,000 | $40,000 |
| 25 | North Dakota | $26,912 | $19,000 | $37,000 |
| 26 | Utah | $26,735 | $17,000 | $40,000 |
| 27 | Maryland | $26,548 | $17,000 | $39,000 |
| 28 | Missouri | $26,335 | $17,000 | $39,000 |
| 29 | North Carolina | $26,138 | $17,000 | $39,000 |
| 30 | Pennsylvania | $25,975 | $17,000 | $38,000 |
| 31 | Montana | $25,536 | $17,000 | $36,000 |
| 32 | New Mexico | $25,179 | $16,000 | $39,000 |
| 33 | Kansas | $25,078 | $16,000 | $38,000 |
| 34 | South Dakota | $25,008 | $17,000 | $36,000 |
| 35 | Georgia | $24,835 | $16,000 | $38,000 |
| 36 | Arkansas | $24,700 | $15,000 | $38,000 |
| 37 | Michigan | $24,403 | $17,000 | $34,000 |
| 38 | Virginia | $24,255 | $16,000 | $36,000 |
| 39 | South Carolina | $23,901 | $15,000 | $36,000 |
| 40 | Texas | $23,811 | $15,000 | $37,000 |
| 41 | Louisiana | $23,758 | $15,000 | $37,000 |
| 42 | Iowa | $23,536 | $16,000 | $34,000 |
| 43 | Alaska | $23,445 | $19,000 | $28,000 |
| 44 | Nebraska | $23,401 | $15,000 | $34,000 |
| 45 | Oklahoma | $23,236 | $15,000 | $35,000 |
| 46 | Florida | $22,956 | $14,000 | $35,000 |
| 47 | Tennessee | $22,723 | $14,000 | $34,000 |
| 48 | Alabama | $22,712 | $14,000 | $35,000 |
| 49 | Indiana | $21,092 | $14,000 | $31,000 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $20,883 | $13,000 | $32,000 |
Methodology: Daycare Provider Assistant Salary By State
To better understand daycare provider assistant pay by state, Zippia has aggregated data across a multitude of channels including the BLS, FLC, and OPM. We then supplement that data with actual listed salaries from job posts. Finally, the data science team calculates a weighted average of these inputs to create an average pay for daycare provider assistants by state.
This methodology has been updated to reflect the current labor market trends and salary ranges for daycare provider assistants in 2026.
Daycare Provider Assistant Salary By State FAQs
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What is the highest-paid state for daycare provider assistants?
The highest-paid state for daycare provider assistants is Washington with an average salary of $37,413 per year.
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What city pays daycare provider assistants the most?
Seattle, WA pays daycare provider assistants the most with an average salary of $37,667 per year.
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What is the worst state for daycare provider assistants?
The worst state for daycare provider assistants is Mississippi with an average salary of $20,883 per year.
Author
Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.
