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Job outlook for child care associates in the United States
Child care associate job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected child care associate job growth rate is 6% from 2018-2028.
About 61,600 new jobs for child care associates are projected over the next decade.
Child care associate salaries have increased 20% for child care associates in the last 5 years.
There are over 291,446 child care associates currently employed in the United States.
There are 74,279 active child care associate job openings in the US.
The average child care associate salary is $29,146.
Are child care associate jobs in demand?
Yes, child care associate jobs are in demand. Child care associate demand is projected to grow 6% from 2018 to 2028.
Child care associate job and salary trends over time
Compare the number of child care associate jobs and the average child care associate salary over time.
Child care associate jobs over time
Child care associate job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 291,446 | 0.09% |
| 2020 | 315,277 | 0.09% |
| 2019 | 368,021 | 0.11% |
| 2018 | 380,895 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | 376,176 | 0.11% |
Average child care associate salary over time
Child care associate salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $29,146 | $14.01 | +5.1% |
| 2024 | $27,738 | $13.34 | +4.3% |
| 2023 | $26,605 | $12.79 | +4.3% |
| 2022 | $25,517 | $12.27 | +5.3% |
| 2021 | $24,235 | $11.65 | +4.2% |
Child care associate jobs by state
The map below shows you the number of child care associate job openings in each state. The darker areas on the map show where child care associates earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.
Average salary: Job openings:
Most common states for child care associates
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 579 | 18% |
| 2 | Alaska | 739,795 | 124 | 17% |
| 3 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 120 | 17% |
| 4 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 171 | 16% |
| 5 | Delaware | 961,939 | 149 | 15% |
| 6 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 131 | 15% |
| 7 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 114 | 15% |
| 8 | Vermont | 623,657 | 91 | 15% |
| 9 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 763 | 14% |
| 10 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 1,627 | 13% |
| 11 | Missouri | 6,113,532 | 823 | 13% |
| 12 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 747 | 13% |
| 13 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 168 | 13% |
| 14 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 862 | 12% |
| 15 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 164 | 12% |
| 16 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 68 | 12% |
| 17 | Georgia | 10,429,379 | 1,172 | 11% |
| 18 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 1,157 | 11% |
| 19 | Michigan | 9,962,311 | 1,064 | 11% |
| 20 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 436 | 11% |
Most common cities for child care associates
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | College Park | 2 | 6% | $24,875 |
| 2 | Andover | 1 | 3% | $35,889 |
| 3 | Englewood | 1 | 3% | $31,458 |
| 4 | Lexington | 1 | 3% | $35,943 |
| 5 | Natick | 1 | 3% | $35,968 |
| 6 | Newark | 1 | 3% | $29,764 |
| 7 | Beverly | 1 | 2% | $35,908 |
| 8 | Council Bluffs | 1 | 2% | $20,543 |
| 9 | Baltimore | 3 | 0% | $25,096 |
| 10 | Detroit | 3 | 0% | $27,328 |
| 11 | Washington | 2 | 0% | $28,491 |
| 12 | Atlanta | 1 | 0% | $24,698 |
| 13 | Boston | 1 | 0% | $35,965 |
| 14 | Denver | 1 | 0% | $31,457 |
| 15 | Des Moines | 1 | 0% | $20,596 |