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This question is about child care worker salaries.
What is a good starting salary for a Child Care Worker?
A good starting salary for a child care worker is $18,000 in the United States. That puts you in the 10th percentile of annual income for a child care worker in the U.S., which is about what you would expect if you were new to the field. The average salary for child care workers is $29,756, but that normally requires some level of experience to achieve. Furthermore, a good starting salary for a child care worker can vary by state, as we show below.
What Is A Good Entry-Level Child Care Worker Salary By State?
The following table shows how much an entry level child care worker earns in each state. Zippia used data from the BLS, public records, and job postings to create these estimates.
| State | Starting Salary | Monthly Pay | Weekly Pay | Hourly Wage |
| Hawaii | $31,000 | $2,583 | $596 | $14.9 |
| Massachusetts | $28,000 | $2,333 | $538 | $13.46 |
| New Hampshire | $27,000 | $2,250 | $519 | $12.98 |
| Oregon | $27,000 | $2,250 | $519 | $12.98 |
| Idaho | $26,000 | $2,166 | $500 | $12.5 |
| Maine | $26,000 | $2,166 | $500 | $12.5 |
| Nevada | $26,000 | $2,166 | $500 | $12.5 |
| Connecticut | $26,000 | $2,166 | $500 | $12.5 |
| California | $26,000 | $2,166 | $500 | $12.5 |
| Vermont | $26,000 | $2,166 | $500 | $12.5 |
| Washington | $26,000 | $2,166 | $500 | $12.5 |
| Rhode Island | $25,000 | $2,083 | $480 | $12.02 |
| Wyoming | $24,000 | $2,000 | $461 | $11.54 |
| Delaware | $23,000 | $1,916 | $442 | $11.06 |
| West Virginia | $23,000 | $1,916 | $442 | $11.06 |
| New York | $23,000 | $1,916 | $442 | $11.06 |
| New Jersey | $23,000 | $1,916 | $442 | $11.06 |
| Alaska | $23,000 | $1,916 | $442 | $11.06 |
| Kentucky | $22,000 | $1,833 | $423 | $10.58 |
| Colorado | $22,000 | $1,833 | $423 | $10.58 |
| District of Columbia | $22,000 | $1,833 | $423 | $10.58 |
| Michigan | $21,000 | $1,750 | $403 | $10.1 |
| Arizona | $21,000 | $1,750 | $403 | $10.1 |
| Minnesota | $21,000 | $1,750 | $403 | $10.1 |
| North Carolina | $20,000 | $1,666 | $384 | $9.62 |
| South Carolina | $20,000 | $1,666 | $384 | $9.62 |
| Virginia | $20,000 | $1,666 | $384 | $9.62 |
| Utah | $20,000 | $1,666 | $384 | $9.62 |
| Maryland | $20,000 | $1,666 | $384 | $9.62 |
| North Dakota | $20,000 | $1,666 | $384 | $9.62 |
| Montana | $20,000 | $1,666 | $384 | $9.62 |
| Illinois | $20,000 | $1,666 | $384 | $9.62 |
| Georgia | $19,000 | $1,583 | $365 | $9.13 |
| New Mexico | $19,000 | $1,583 | $365 | $9.13 |
| Ohio | $19,000 | $1,583 | $365 | $9.13 |
| Missouri | $19,000 | $1,583 | $365 | $9.13 |
| Pennsylvania | $19,000 | $1,583 | $365 | $9.13 |
| Wisconsin | $19,000 | $1,583 | $365 | $9.13 |
| Florida | $19,000 | $1,583 | $365 | $9.13 |
| Alabama | $18,000 | $1,500 | $346 | $8.65 |
| Texas | $18,000 | $1,500 | $346 | $8.65 |
| Nebraska | $18,000 | $1,500 | $346 | $8.65 |
| Louisiana | $17,000 | $1,416 | $326 | $8.17 |
| Oklahoma | $17,000 | $1,416 | $326 | $8.17 |
| South Dakota | $17,000 | $1,416 | $326 | $8.17 |
| Tennessee | $17,000 | $1,416 | $326 | $8.17 |
| Arkansas | $17,000 | $1,416 | $326 | $8.17 |
| Kansas | $17,000 | $1,416 | $326 | $8.17 |
| Iowa | $16,000 | $1,333 | $307 | $7.69 |
| Indiana | $16,000 | $1,333 | $307 | $7.69 |
| Mississippi | $15,000 | $1,250 | $288 | $7.21 |
What are The 10 Highest Paying Cities for Entry-Level Child Care Worker Jobs?
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for an entry level child care worker job is above the national average. Topping the list is Hartford, CT.
| City | Starting Salary | Monthly Pay | Weekly Pay | Hourly Wage |
| Hartford, CT | $31,000 | $2,583 | $596 | $14.9 |
| Oakland, CA | $31,000 | $2,583 | $596 | $14.9 |
| Portland, OR | $30,000 | $2,500 | $576 | $14.42 |
| New York, NY | $28,000 | $2,333 | $538 | $13.46 |
| Elizabeth, NJ | $27,000 | $2,250 | $519 | $12.98 |
| Washington, DC | $27,000 | $2,250 | $519 | $12.98 |
| Surprise, AZ | $25,000 | $2,083 | $480 | $12.02 |
| Colorado Springs, CO | $25,000 | $2,083 | $480 | $12.02 |
| Rockville, MD | $24,000 | $2,000 | $461 | $11.54 |
| Arlington, VA | $24,000 | $2,000 | $461 | $11.54 |
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