What is a child care teacher and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Laura Schroeder

A child care teacher works in early childhood education, providing care and education for young children. They work in daycare centers, preschools, and other childcare facilities. A child care teacher is responsible for creating a safe and nurturing environment where children can learn and develop social, emotional, and cognitive skills. Their role includes planning and implementing age-appropriate activities, supervising playtime, providing meals and snacks, and communicating with parents about their child's progress.

What general advice would you give to a child care teacher?

Laura Schroeder

President, International Nanny Association

Young graduates will need to have some knowledge or experience in early childhood education, as help with the school day has become an important part of a nanny's job since the pandemic. They also must be able to work independently and be self motivated as their bosses will likely not be on site. There are jobs for nannies all over the U.S., but the best paying jobs tend to be in wealthier areas and larger cities, for example L.A., San Francisco, Seattle and Boston.

ScoreChild Care TeacherUS Average

Salary

2.0

Avg. Salary $26,036

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

4.5

Growth rate 4%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

9.1

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.18%

Asian 8.96%

Black or African American 10.31%

Hispanic or Latino 17.60%

Unknown 4.40%

White 57.54%

Gender

female 89.17%

male 10.83%

Age - 45

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 45

Stress level

4.5

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

4.8

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance

10.0

Work life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a child care teacher?

Pros

Opportunity for creativity in lesson planning
Professional development and continuing education
Ability to work with a team of supportive colleagues
Benefits such as health insurance and paid time off
Sense of fulfillment and satisfaction from seeing children learn and grow

Cons

Low pay compared to other professions requiring similar education levels
Physical demands such as lifting, bending, and standing for long periods of time
Exposure to illness and germs
Limited opportunities for upward mobility in some settings
Long hours that may extend beyond typical work day due to parents' schedules

Key steps to become a child care teacher

Explore child care teacher education requirements

Most common child care teacher degrees

Bachelor's

40.4 %

High School Diploma

26.2 %

Associate

19.5 %

Start to develop specific child care teacher skills

Skills	Percentages
Child Care	33.74%
Child Development	16.20%
CPR	14.37%
Customer Service	13.40%
Kids	6.86%

Research child care teacher duties and responsibilities

Maintain annual CPR training certificate.
Perform simple first aid and CPR in emergencies.
Coordinate activities for and supervise Pre-K after school students.
Promote language development skills through reading and storytelling.

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