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Child care provider vs child care counselor

The differences between child care providers and child care counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a child care provider, becoming a child care counselor takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a child care counselor has an average salary of $36,843, which is higher than the $33,145 average annual salary of a child care provider.

The top three skills for a child care provider include nutritional meals, child care and CPR. The most important skills for a child care counselor are CPR, child care, and behavioral issues.

Child care provider vs child care counselor overview

Child Care ProviderChild Care Counselor
Yearly salary$33,145$36,843
Hourly rate$15.94$17.71
Growth rate6%9%
Number of jobs119,940100,538
Job satisfaction5-
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 34%Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Average age3742
Years of experience24

What does a child care provider do?

A childcare provider is responsible for supervising a child's safety while developing fun activities and assisting the child's needs throughout the day. Childcare providers' duties include ensuring that facilities are safe for the child's use, monitoring the child's routines, serving healthy meals, assisting the child with homework, and reporting any concerns to their parents or guardians. Childcare providers must have excellent time-management skills and should be able to multi-task to attend with the child's needs.

What does a child care counselor do?

Child care counselors monitor the progress of children who have behavioral, physical, and mental issues in between counseling appointments. These counselors create daily schedules for children that include field trips, play dates, and learning plans to ensure that children get the most out of their days. They use their critical thinking skills, organizational skills, and interpersonal skills to deal with children diagnosed with psychological issues and to coordinate with their patients' families. Most of the cases they handle are the abuse, bullying, and past traumas of children.

Child care provider vs child care counselor salary

Child care providers and child care counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.

Child Care ProviderChild Care Counselor
Average salary$33,145$36,843
Salary rangeBetween $23,000 And $47,000Between $28,000 And $47,000
Highest paying CityVancouver, WAChicago, IL
Highest paying stateWashingtonNew Jersey
Best paying companyCAREWashington State University
Best paying industryFinanceFinance

Differences between child care provider and child care counselor education

There are a few differences between a child care provider and a child care counselor in terms of educational background:

Child Care ProviderChild Care Counselor
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 34%Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Most common majorBusinessPsychology
Most common collegeUniversity of Southern CaliforniaSUNY at Albany

Child care provider vs child care counselor demographics

Here are the differences between child care providers' and child care counselors' demographics:

Child Care ProviderChild Care Counselor
Average age3742
Gender ratioMale, 9.5% Female, 90.5%Male, 34.4% Female, 65.6%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 20.3% Asian, 6.6% White, 58.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%Black or African American, 13.4% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 2.7% White, 63.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5%
LGBT Percentage4%10%

Differences between child care provider and child care counselor duties and responsibilities

Child care provider example responsibilities.

  • Provide first aid and CPR, prevention of the spread of blood borne pathogens and access of emergency services as needed.
  • Maintain necessary documentation for licensing as well as certifications including CPR.
  • Complete accurate and timely documentation on kids' behavior as outlined by policy.
  • Accumulate early childhood experience through daily interactions and continual training sessions.

Child care counselor example responsibilities.

  • Train in managing risk and restraining only when need, CPR, and first aid.
  • Remain non-denominational, open, flexible and ecumenical in service to patients while also providing additional resources from local spiritual communities.
  • Organize and lead regular youth and college bible studies, teaching about prayer and promoting spirituality.

Child care provider vs child care counselor skills

Common child care provider skills
  • Nutritional Meals, 25%
  • Child Care, 22%
  • CPR, 11%
  • Homework Assignments, 9%
  • Social Development, 4%
  • Applied Behavior Analysis, 3%
Common child care counselor skills
  • CPR, 21%
  • Child Care, 20%
  • Behavioral Issues, 11%
  • Crisis Intervention Techniques, 8%
  • Direct Supervision, 6%
  • Mental Health, 5%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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