Best states for a Child Care Teacher

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

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

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

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

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

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

Quoted Expert

Lisa Diebel

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Child care teacher opportunities vary in different parts of the country. In order to help you determine the best states for child care teachers, we ranked all fifty states from best to worst for child care teachers.Our research found that Vermont is the best state for child care teachers, while Massachusetts and Rhode Island are ranked highest in terms of median salary. Vermont has a median salary of $31,355 and Massachusetts has the highest median salary among all 50 states for child care teachers.

Vermont is the best state for jobs for child care teachers, and Arkansas is the worst. The most common pay in Vermont is $31,355, while the median pay in Arkansas is $20,890.We found that Vermont is the best state for child care teacher jobs, whereas Arkansas is the worst.

10 best states for child care teachers in 2025

1. Vermont
Total Child Care Teacher Jobs: 194
Average Annual Salary: $31,355
Lowest 10 Percent Earn: $19,000
Highest 10 Percent Earn: $51,000
Location Quotient:
1.36
Child Care Teacher Jobs in Vermont
2. New Hampshire
Total Child Care Teacher Jobs: 500
Average Annual Salary: $30,176
Lowest 10 Percent Earn: $17,000
Highest 10 Percent Earn: $51,000
Location Quotient:
1.53
Child Care Teacher Jobs in New Hampshire
3. Delaware
Total Child Care Teacher Jobs: 279
Average Annual Salary: $31,128
Lowest 10 Percent Earn: $18,000
Highest 10 Percent Earn: $51,000
Location Quotient:
1.19
Child Care Teacher Jobs in Delaware
4. Rhode Island
Total Child Care Teacher Jobs: 204
Average Annual Salary: $36,112
Lowest 10 Percent Earn: $20,000
Highest 10 Percent Earn: $62,000
Location Quotient:
0.9
Child Care Teacher Jobs in Rhode Island
5. Maine
Total Child Care Teacher Jobs: 289
Average Annual Salary: $30,091
Lowest 10 Percent Earn: $18,000
Highest 10 Percent Earn: $49,000
Location Quotient:
1.17
Child Care Teacher Jobs in Maine
6. Minnesota
Total Child Care Teacher Jobs: 1,738
Average Annual Salary: $27,310
Lowest 10 Percent Earn: $20,000
Highest 10 Percent Earn: $37,000
Location Quotient:
1.4
Child Care Teacher Jobs in Minnesota
7. Missouri
Total Child Care Teacher Jobs: 1,396
Average Annual Salary: $28,066
Lowest 10 Percent Earn: $19,000
Highest 10 Percent Earn: $39,000
Location Quotient:
1.28
Child Care Teacher Jobs in Missouri
8. Illinois
Total Child Care Teacher Jobs: 3,302
Average Annual Salary: $26,953
Lowest 10 Percent Earn: $19,000
Highest 10 Percent Earn: $37,000
Location Quotient:
1.49
Child Care Teacher Jobs in Illinois
9. Massachusetts
Total Child Care Teacher Jobs: 1,014
Average Annual Salary: $36,242
Lowest 10 Percent Earn: $20,000
Highest 10 Percent Earn: $63,000
Location Quotient:
0.59
Child Care Teacher Jobs in Massachusetts
10. North Dakota
Total Child Care Teacher Jobs: 180
Average Annual Salary: $28,157
Lowest 10 Percent Earn: $21,000
Highest 10 Percent Earn: $37,000
Location Quotient:
1.04
Child Care Teacher Jobs in North Dakota

Child Care Teacher JobsNear Ashburn, VA

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

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

Detailed list of the best states for a child care teacher

Rank	State	Average Salary	Lowest 10% Earn	Population	Job Count
1	Vermont	$31,355	$19,000	623,657	194
2	New Hampshire	$30,176	$17,000	1,342,795	500
3	Delaware	$31,128	$18,000	961,939	279
4	Rhode Island	$36,112	$20,000	1,059,639	204
5	Maine	$30,091	$18,000	1,335,907	289
6	Minnesota	$27,310	$20,000	5,576,606	1,738
7	Missouri	$28,066	$19,000	6,113,532	1,396
8	Illinois	$26,953	$19,000	12,802,023	3,302
9	Massachusetts	$36,242	$20,000	6,859,819	1,014
10	North Dakota	$28,157	$21,000	755,393	180
11	Connecticut	$32,171	$18,000	3,588,184	626
12	Washington	$32,102	$22,000	7,405,743	1,271
13	Wisconsin	$27,211	$19,000	5,795,483	1,130
14	Mississippi	$26,397	$18,000	2,984,100	468
15	Oregon	$28,128	$19,000	4,142,776	806
16	Alaska	$32,416	$25,000	739,795	82
17	New York	$32,317	$18,000	19,849,399	1,772
18	California	$30,544	$19,000	39,536,653	5,186
19	Pennsylvania	$29,119	$17,000	12,805,537	1,381
20	Montana	$24,666	$18,000	1,050,493	382
21	Nevada	$24,350	$15,000	2,998,039	729
22	North Carolina	$25,216	$16,000	10,273,419	2,235
23	Michigan	$23,954	$16,000	9,962,311	2,170
24	West Virginia	$26,386	$17,000	1,815,857	256
25	District of Columbia	$30,291	$19,000	693,972	284
26	Virginia	$26,903	$17,000	8,470,020	1,822
27	Colorado	$25,464	$18,000	5,607,154	1,449
28	Iowa	$23,868	$17,000	3,145,711	788
29	Arizona	$23,719	$15,000	7,016,270	1,783
30	Hawaii	$28,871	$23,000	1,427,538	149
31	South Dakota	$23,965	$17,000	869,666	204
32	Indiana	$24,726	$17,000	6,666,818	778
33	Utah	$24,458	$17,000	3,101,833	466
34	South Carolina	$22,840	$15,000	5,024,369	996
35	New Jersey	$25,953	$15,000	9,005,644	1,396
36	Maryland	$23,191	$14,000	6,052,177	1,612
37	Florida	$24,632	$16,000	20,984,400	1,886
38	Ohio	$22,417	$14,000	11,658,609	2,101
39	Wyoming	$21,692	$15,000	579,315	155
40	Nebraska	$22,968	$16,000	1,920,076	443
41	Idaho	$22,979	$16,000	1,716,943	300
42	Georgia	$22,820	$15,000	10,429,379	1,955
43	Kentucky	$22,379	$15,000	4,454,189	630
44	New Mexico	$21,405	$14,000	2,088,070	526
45	Alabama	$22,777	$15,000	4,874,747	704
46	Tennessee	$22,826	$15,000	6,715,984	562
47	Louisiana	$22,022	$14,000	4,684,333	661
48	Oklahoma	$20,780	$14,000	3,930,864	768
49	Texas	$22,790	$15,000	28,304,596	2,347
50	Kansas	$20,742	$14,000	2,913,123	619
51	Arkansas	$20,890	$14,000	3,004,279	228

Highest paying states for child care teachers

Rank	State	Avg. Child Care Teacher Salary
1	Vermont	$31,355
2	New Hampshire	$30,176
3	Delaware	$31,128
4	Rhode Island	$36,112
5	Maine	$30,091
6	Minnesota	$27,310
7	Missouri	$28,066
8	Illinois	$26,953
9	Massachusetts	$36,242
10	North Dakota	$28,157
11	Connecticut	$32,171
12	Washington	$32,102
13	Wisconsin	$27,211
14	Mississippi	$26,397
15	Oregon	$28,128
16	Alaska	$32,416
17	New York	$32,317
18	California	$30,544
19	Pennsylvania	$29,119
20	Montana	$24,666
21	Nevada	$24,350
22	North Carolina	$25,216
23	Michigan	$23,954
24	West Virginia	$26,386
25	District of Columbia	$30,291
26	Virginia	$26,903
27	Colorado	$25,464
28	Iowa	$23,868
29	Arizona	$23,719
30	Hawaii	$28,871
31	South Dakota	$23,965
32	Indiana	$24,726
33	Utah	$24,458
34	South Carolina	$22,840
35	New Jersey	$25,953
36	Maryland	$23,191
37	Florida	$24,632
38	Ohio	$22,417
39	Wyoming	$21,692
40	Nebraska	$22,968
41	Idaho	$22,979
42	Georgia	$22,820
43	Kentucky	$22,379
44	New Mexico	$21,405
45	Alabama	$22,777
46	Tennessee	$22,826
47	Louisiana	$22,022
48	Oklahoma	$20,780
49	Texas	$22,790
50	Kansas	$20,742
51	Arkansas	$20,890

Expert opinions on the best states for child care teachers

Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Child Care Teachers to find work opportunities?
Lisa Diebel
Associate Professor of Instruction, Ohio University
I think FCS, ED, and CL graduates will successfully find employment anywhere in the US. An FCS degree offers a lot of versatility.

Child Care Teacher best states FAQs

What is the best state for child care teachers?

What is the highest paying state for child care teachers?

What is the worst state for child care teachers?

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Best states for Child Care Teachers

Updated January 8, 2025

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Total Child Care Teacher Jobs:	194
Average Annual Salary:	$31,355
Lowest 10 Percent Earn:	$19,000
Highest 10 Percent Earn:	$51,000
Location Quotient:	1.36

Best states for a Child Care Teacher

10 best states for child care teachers in 2025

1. Vermont

2. New Hampshire

3. Delaware

4. Rhode Island

5. Maine

6. Minnesota

7. Missouri

8. Illinois

9. Massachusetts

10. North Dakota