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The differences between child care workers and child caregivers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a child care worker and a child caregiver. Additionally, a child caregiver has an average salary of $32,065, which is higher than the $31,284 average annual salary of a child care worker.
The top three skills for a child care worker include child care, crisis intervention and behavioral issues. The most important skills for a child caregiver are child care, autism, and meal prep.
| Child Care Worker | Child Caregiver | |
| Yearly salary | $31,284 | $32,065 |
| Hourly rate | $15.04 | $15.42 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 136,963 | 43,573 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 44% | Bachelor's Degree, 41% |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A child care worker is responsible for providing care and supervision to children while the parents or guardians are away. A child care worker's duty may involve changing diapers and preparing milk for infants and toddlers, devise strategies or fun activities where children can learn, arrange schedules to fit their needs such as nap times, and prepare healthy meals and snacks. Aside from ensuring children's safety, a child care worker must also monitor any sign of emotional or developmental issues so it can be brought to the parents' attention as soon as possible.
Basically, a child caregiver looks after the fundamental needs of children like feeding, playtime supervision, and dressing. Child caregivers take responsibility for preparing and organizing the snacks and mealtimes for children. They organize the activities or implement a curriculum allowing children to learn about the world as well as explore their interests. It is part of their job to keep records regarding the routines, interests, and progress of the children. They may work as family childcare providers, nannies, or childcare center workers.
Child care workers and child caregivers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Child Care Worker | Child Caregiver | |
| Average salary | $31,284 | $32,065 |
| Salary range | Between $19,000 And $49,000 | Between $22,000 And $45,000 |
| Highest paying City | Worcester, MA | Santa Clarita, CA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Washington |
| Best paying company | Columbia University in the City of New York | CARE |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a child care worker and a child caregiver in terms of educational background:
| Child Care Worker | Child Caregiver | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 44% | Bachelor's Degree, 41% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between child care workers' and child caregivers' demographics:
| Child Care Worker | Child Caregiver | |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 21.1% Female, 78.9% | Male, 10.1% Female, 89.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.8% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 19.4% Asian, 6.8% White, 57.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% | Black or African American, 8.1% Unknown, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 21.7% Asian, 6.9% White, 56.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |