How much does a child care counselor make?

The average child care counselor salary in the United States is $36,843. Child care counselor salaries typically range between $28,000 and $47,000 yearly. The average hourly rate for child care counselors is $17.71 per hour. Child care counselor salary is impacted by location, education, and experience. Child care counselors earn the highest average salary in New Jersey.

Child care counselor salary

Q: What state pays Child Care Counselors the most?

New Jersey pays Child Care Counselors the most in the United States, with an average salary of $57,860 per year, or $27.82 per hour.

Q: How do I know if I'm being paid fairly as a child care counselor?

You know if you are being paid fairly as a child care counselor if your pay is close to the average pay for the state you live in. For example, if you live in Minnesota you should be paid close to $48,625 per year.

Average child care counselor salary

$36,843

$17.71 hourly rate

Entry-level child care counselor salary

$28,000 yearly salary

Updated January 8, 2025

Average Child Care Counselor Salary

The average salary for a Child Care Counselor is approximately $36,843 per year or $18 per hour. Salaries can vary significantly based on factors such as location, experience, and the specific type of facility. For instance, counselors in urban areas may earn higher wages compared to those in rural settings.

Salary by Experience Level

Entry-level positions tend to start around $28,000, while those with significant experience can reach up to $50,000 annually. Certifications and specialized training can also enhance earning potential, making experienced counselors more competitive in the job market.

Highest Paying States

Some of the highest-paying states for Child Care Counselors include California, New York, and Massachusetts. Each state offers unique opportunities and challenges, so researching specific regions can help identify the best fit for your career goals.

On this page

Child care counselor salary by:

Let Zippi find your next child care counselor job

Let Zippi find your next child care counselor job

Where can a Child Care Counselor earn more?

Compare salary by location

62k

42k

22k

Columbus, OH$44,607

Kansas City, MO$32,190

Compare salary by company

74k

54k

34k

14k

-6k

Washington State University$50,810

YMCA of Greater Richmond$23,894

Child care counselor salaries by experience level

Child care counselor salary estimates from across the web

Based on the latest salary information compiled by Zippia, Glassdoor, Ziprecruiter and Comparably, the average salary for a child care counselor typically falls between $36,843 and $57,500.

zippia

$36,843yearly

glassdoor[1]

$44,803yearly

comparably[2]

$55,413yearly

ZipRecruiter[3]

$57,500yearly

Average child care counselor salary by state

The average child care counselor salary in New Jersey, Minnesota, and Maryland are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average child care counselor salary states are Indiana, Alabama, and Louisiana.

State view
County view

Average salary:

Highest paying states for child care counselors

Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	New Jersey	$57,860	$27.82
2	New York	$46,163	$22.19
3	Nevada	$44,128	$21.22
4	Maryland	$47,975	$23.06
5	North Dakota	$44,192	$21.25
6	Illinois	$44,498	$21.39
7	Minnesota	$48,625	$23.38
8	Alaska	$39,888	$19.18
9	California	$42,834	$20.59
10	West Virginia	$39,844	$19.16
11	District of Columbia	$47,334	$22.76
12	Colorado	$41,129	$19.77
13	North Carolina	$40,593	$19.52
14	Washington	$40,442	$19.44
15	New Hampshire	$39,961	$19.21
16	Wisconsin	$37,803	$18.17
17	Maine	$36,883	$17.73
18	Texas	$43,041	$20.69
19	Iowa	$37,830	$18.19
20	Idaho	$39,965	$19.21
21	Oregon	$39,754	$19.11
22	Michigan	$35,719	$17.17
23	South Dakota	$36,946	$17.76
24	Kansas	$39,451	$18.97
25	Montana	$35,648	$17.14
26	Wyoming	$35,778	$17.20
27	Arizona	$35,032	$16.84
28	New Mexico	$38,305	$18.42
29	Virginia	$40,695	$19.56
30	Massachusetts	$35,531	$17.08
31	Ohio	$36,477	$17.54
32	Hawaii	$35,769	$17.20
33	Tennessee	$33,568	$16.14
34	Vermont	$35,538	$17.09
35	Delaware	$33,643	$16.17
36	Connecticut	$36,178	$17.39
37	South Carolina	$34,156	$16.42
38	Pennsylvania	$34,253	$16.47
39	Nebraska	$33,862	$16.28
40	Missouri	$31,850	$15.31
41	Georgia	$32,604	$15.68
42	Utah	$33,472	$16.09
43	Oklahoma	$30,412	$14.62
44	Rhode Island	$32,900	$15.82
45	Louisiana	$29,394	$14.13
46	Alabama	$29,979	$14.41
47	Kentucky	$29,013	$13.95
48	Mississippi	$25,115	$12.07
49	Indiana	$30,316	$14.57
50	Florida	$30,876	$14.84
51	Arkansas	$28,942	$13.91

Top child care counselor jobs near you

Highest paying cities for child care counselors

The highest-paying cities for child care counselors are Chicago, IL, Mountain View, CA, and Denton, TX.

Rank	City	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	Chicago, IL	$44,607	$21.45
2	Mountain View, CA	$44,011	$21.16
3	Denton, TX	$42,837	$20.59
4	Denver, CO	$41,120	$19.77
5	Short Pump, VA	$40,602	$19.52
6	Lakewood, WA	$40,579	$19.51
7	Olathe, KS	$39,555	$19.02
8	Cleveland, OH	$37,461	$18.01
9	Hilo, HI	$35,799	$17.21
10	Charleston, SC	$33,997	$16.34
11	Augusta, GA	$32,487	$15.62
12	Kansas City, MO	$32,190	$15.48

Child care counselor salary details

A child care counselor's salary ranges from $28,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $47,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average child care counselor salary graph, trends, and summary

What is a child care counselor's salary?

Percentile	Annual salary	Monthly salary	Hourly rate
90th Percentile	$47,000	$3,917	$23
75th Percentile	$42,000	$3,500	$20
Average	$36,843	$3,070	$18
25th Percentile	$32,000	$2,667	$15
10th Percentile	$28,000	$2,333	$13

Highest paying child care counselor jobs

The highest paying types of child care counselors are lead counselor, counselor internship, and program counselor.

Job title	Annual salary	Monthly salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
Youth Worker	$32,242	$2,687	$15.50	87,360
Counselor Internship	$45,500	$3,792	$21.88	132,694
Community Health Counselor	$43,304	$3,609	$20.82	131,804
Student Support Counselor	$41,329	$3,444	$19.87	134,839
Residential Counselor	$34,117	$2,843	$16.40	81,287
Program Counselor	$43,820	$3,652	$21.07	133,491

Top companies hiring child care counselors now:

Which companies pay child care counselors the most?

Child care counselor salaries at Washington State University and NC.gov are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average child care counselor salary at companies like Affinis and Right At School are highly competitive.

Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate
1	Washington State University	$50,810	$24.43
2	NC.gov	$40,716	$19.57
3	Affinis	$39,575	$19.03
4	Right At School	$36,350	$17.48
5	Associated Recreation Council	$35,826	$17.22
6	Cleveland Clinic	$35,184	$16.92
7	State of Georgia: Teachers Retirement System of Georgia	$35,130	$16.89
8	Randstad North America, Inc.	$34,465	$16.57
9	Res-Care Premier	$33,878	$16.29
10	Adecco	$33,134	$15.93
11	UPMC	$31,573	$15.18
12	Jewish Community Center	$24,362	$11.71
13	Boys & Girls Clubs of King County	$24,030	$11.55
14	YMCA of Greater Richmond	$23,894	$11.49

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$36,000$35,600$35,200$34,800$34,400$34,000

MaleFemale

Child Care Counselor salary by industry

The average child care counselor salary varies across industries:

The average child care counselor salary in the finance industry is $41,472, the highest of any industry.
The average child care counselor salary in the finance industry is $34,526.
Child care counselors in the hospitality industry earn an average salary of $29,638, the lowest of any industry.

Highest paying industries for child care counselors

Rank	Industry	Average salary	Hourly rate
1	Finance	$41,472	$19.94
2	Professional	$34,526	$16.60
3	Health Care	$33,955	$16.32
4	Government	$33,743	$16.22
5	Non Profits	$30,006	$14.43
6	Hospitality	$29,638	$14.25

High paying child care counselor jobs

Child care counselor salary trends

The average child care counselor salary has risen by $5,896 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average child care counselor earned $30,947 annually, but today, they earn $36,843 a year. That works out to a 12% change in pay for child care counselors over the last decade.

Compare child care counselor salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.

Average child care counselor salary over time

Compare child care counselor salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

Child care counselor salary by year

Year	Avg. salary	Hourly rate	% Change
2025	$36,800	$17.71	+2.1%
2024	$36,100	$17.33	+2.4%
2023	$35,200	$16.92	+4.1%
2022	$33,800	$16.23	+2.5%
2021	$32,900	$15.82	+2.1%

Recently added child care counselor salaries

Company	Job	Location	Date added	Salary
County of Sonoma (Ca	Children's Residential Care Counselor I-Extra-Help	Santa Rosa, CA	06/20/2025	$85,108
Montclairymca	School AGE Child Care Counselor	Montclair, NJ	06/16/2025	$33,663
Montclair Ymca	School AGE Child Care Counselor	Montclair, NJ	06/16/2025	$33,663
Ywca of Schenectady	Child Care	Schenectady, NY	06/10/2025	$33,392
Town of Scarborough	Child Care Counselor (Before School Care Program)	Hope, ME	06/05/2025	$33,392
Ywca of Schenectady	Child Care	Schenectady, NY	04/28/2025	$33,392
Montclairymca	School AGE Child Care Counselor	Montclair, NJ	04/28/2025	$33,663
Montclair Ymca	School AGE Child Care Counselor	Montclair, NJ	04/28/2025	$33,663
Hillsides	Lead Child Care Counselor	Pasadena, CA	04/17/2025	$42,032
Montclair Ymca	School AGE Child Care Counselor	Montclair, NJ	03/28/2025	$33,663

Child care counselor salary FAQs

What state pays Child Care Counselors the most?

How do I know if I'm being paid fairly as a child care counselor?

Have more questions? See all answers to common community and social services questions.

Search for child care counselor jobs

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse community and social services jobs