Best states for a child care associate

Q: What is the best state for child care associates?

The best state to be a child care associate is Maine based on child care associate salaries and job opportunities.

Q: What is the highest paying state for child care associates?

The highest paying state for child care associates is Iowa based on Zippia’s salary database.

Q: What is the worst state for child care associates?

The worst state for child care associates is Nebraska, due to a combination of low salaries and few job opportunities.

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Do you wonder which states in the U.S. are the best for child care associates? If so, we have the full list of best to worst states for child care associate jobs for you to check out and see if you think it's time to move and start anew. Not all states fare the same when it come to job opportunity and pay.Although there are abundant child care associate jobs in the United States, a large number of them are in the South. Maine is the best state in the country for child care associate jobs.

To that end, we dove into our dataset of job and salary numbers to figure out which states have the best opportunities for child care associates. Maine is the best state for child care associates, where the median salary is $33,825.Maine is the best state, and Vancouver is the city with the highest pay for child care associates.

10 best states for child care associates in 2026

1. Maine
Total child care associate jobs: 168
Average annual salary: $33,825
Lowest 10 percent earn: $25,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $45,000
Location Quotient:
1.36
Child care associate jobs in Maine
2. West Virginia
Total child care associate jobs: 187
Average annual salary: $32,031
Lowest 10 percent earn: $21,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $47,000
Location Quotient:
1.31
Child care associate jobs in West Virginia
3. Kentucky
Total child care associate jobs: 435
Average annual salary: $31,314
Lowest 10 percent earn: $21,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $46,000
Location Quotient:
1.26
Child care associate jobs in Kentucky
4. Nevada
Total child care associate jobs: 261
Average annual salary: $29,719
Lowest 10 percent earn: $18,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $46,000
Location Quotient:
1.34
Child care associate jobs in Nevada
5. Washington
Total child care associate jobs: 718
Average annual salary: $36,316
Lowest 10 percent earn: $24,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $53,000
Location Quotient:
1.05
Child care associate jobs in Washington
6. Arizona
Total child care associate jobs: 862
Average annual salary: $27,973
Lowest 10 percent earn: $18,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $43,000
Location Quotient:
1.58
Child care associate jobs in Arizona
7. Vermont
Total child care associate jobs: 91
Average annual salary: $31,149
Lowest 10 percent earn: $22,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $42,000
Location Quotient:
1.27
Child care associate jobs in Vermont
8. California
Total child care associate jobs: 2,937
Average annual salary: $34,375
Lowest 10 percent earn: $21,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $54,000
Location Quotient:
1.08
Child care associate jobs in California
9. Michigan
Total child care associate jobs: 1,064
Average annual salary: $27,248
Lowest 10 percent earn: $18,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $39,000
Location Quotient:
1.47
Child care associate jobs in Michigan
10. Massachusetts
Total child care associate jobs: 461
Average annual salary: $35,937
Lowest 10 percent earn: $24,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $52,000
Location Quotient:
0.54
Child care associate jobs in Massachusetts

Child care associate jobsNear Columbus, OH

How Zippia determines the best states to be a child care associate

You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.

Detailed list of the best states for a child care associate

Rank	State	Average salary	Lowest 10% earn	Population	Job count
1	Maine	$33,825	$25,000	1,335,907	168
2	West Virginia	$32,031	$21,000	1,815,857	187
3	Kentucky	$31,314	$21,000	4,454,189	435
4	Nevada	$29,719	$18,000	2,998,039	261
5	Washington	$36,316	$24,000	7,405,743	718
6	Arizona	$27,973	$18,000	7,016,270	862
7	Vermont	$31,149	$22,000	623,657	91
8	California	$34,375	$21,000	39,536,653	2,937
9	Michigan	$27,248	$18,000	9,962,311	1,064
10	Massachusetts	$35,937	$24,000	6,859,819	461
11	New Hampshire	$31,623	$22,000	1,342,795	164
12	Delaware	$29,729	$19,000	961,939	149
13	Rhode Island	$31,309	$21,000	1,059,639	82
14	Colorado	$31,405	$20,000	5,607,154	583
15	Idaho	$30,465	$20,000	1,716,943	155
16	New York	$28,931	$19,000	19,849,399	1,725
17	Ohio	$27,101	$18,000	11,658,609	1,075
18	Oregon	$28,669	$18,000	4,142,776	436
19	Connecticut	$30,693	$20,000	3,588,184	147
20	Missouri	$25,720	$17,000	6,113,532	823
21	Wisconsin	$25,543	$17,000	5,795,483	747
22	North Carolina	$25,669	$17,000	10,273,419	1,157
23	Wyoming	$25,728	$17,000	579,315	68
24	New Jersey	$28,076	$18,000	9,005,644	890
25	Illinois	$25,550	$17,000	12,802,023	1,627
26	Minnesota	$26,170	$18,000	5,576,606	763
27	Hawaii	$29,897	$25,000	1,427,538	97
28	North Dakota	$24,507	$17,000	755,393	114
29	Utah	$25,761	$16,000	3,101,833	233
30	Montana	$23,794	$16,000	1,050,493	171
31	New Mexico	$24,809	$16,000	2,088,070	200
32	South Dakota	$23,671	$16,000	869,666	131
33	District of Columbia	$28,445	$19,000	693,972	120
34	Georgia	$24,698	$16,000	10,429,379	1,172
35	Pennsylvania	$25,228	$16,000	12,805,537	280
36	Louisiana	$24,076	$15,000	4,684,333	386
37	Texas	$25,390	$16,000	28,304,596	346
38	Alaska	$21,716	$17,000	739,795	124
39	Kansas	$24,430	$16,000	2,913,123	295
40	Arkansas	$24,350	$16,000	3,004,279	50
41	Maryland	$24,983	$16,000	6,052,177	643
42	Tennessee	$22,409	$14,000	6,715,984	726
43	Virginia	$24,654	$16,000	8,470,020	943
44	Oklahoma	$22,007	$14,000	3,930,864	397
45	Iowa	$20,658	$14,000	3,145,711	579
46	Indiana	$23,869	$16,000	6,666,818	143
47	South Carolina	$23,766	$15,000	5,024,369	446
48	Mississippi	$20,939	$13,000	2,984,100	270
49	Alabama	$22,672	$14,000	4,874,747	439
50	Florida	$23,348	$15,000	20,984,400	403
51	Nebraska	$22,569	$15,000	1,920,076	203

Highest paying states for child care associates

Rank	State	Avg. Child Care Associate Salary
1	Maine	$33,825
2	West Virginia	$32,031
3	Kentucky	$31,314
4	Nevada	$29,719
5	Washington	$36,316
6	Arizona	$27,973
7	Vermont	$31,149
8	California	$34,375
9	Michigan	$27,248
10	Massachusetts	$35,937
11	New Hampshire	$31,623
12	Delaware	$29,729
13	Rhode Island	$31,309
14	Colorado	$31,405
15	Idaho	$30,465
16	New York	$28,931
17	Ohio	$27,101
18	Oregon	$28,669
19	Connecticut	$30,693
20	Missouri	$25,720
21	Wisconsin	$25,543
22	North Carolina	$25,669
23	Wyoming	$25,728
24	New Jersey	$28,076
25	Illinois	$25,550
26	Minnesota	$26,170
27	Hawaii	$29,897
28	North Dakota	$24,507
29	Utah	$25,761
30	Montana	$23,794
31	New Mexico	$24,809
32	South Dakota	$23,671
33	District of Columbia	$28,445
34	Georgia	$24,698
35	Pennsylvania	$25,228
36	Louisiana	$24,076
37	Texas	$25,390
38	Alaska	$21,716
39	Kansas	$24,430
40	Arkansas	$24,350
41	Maryland	$24,983
42	Tennessee	$22,409
43	Virginia	$24,654
44	Oklahoma	$22,007
45	Iowa	$20,658
46	Indiana	$23,869
47	South Carolina	$23,766
48	Mississippi	$20,939
49	Alabama	$22,672
50	Florida	$23,348
51	Nebraska	$22,569

Child care associate best states FAQs

What is the best state for child care associates?

What is the highest paying state for child care associates?

What is the worst state for child care associates?

Have more questions? See all answers to common personal care and attendants questions.

Search for child care associate jobs

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse personal care and attendants jobs

Total child care associate jobs:	168
Average annual salary:	$33,825
Lowest 10 percent earn:	$25,000
Highest 10 percent earn:	$45,000
Location Quotient:	1.36

Best states for a child care associate

10 best states for child care associates in 2026

1. Maine

2. West Virginia

3. Kentucky

4. Nevada

5. Washington

6. Arizona

7. Vermont

8. California

9. Michigan

10. Massachusetts