Child care worker demographics and statistics in the US
Child care worker demographics research summary. Zippia estimates child care worker demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our child care worker estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about child care workers after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 161,420 child care workers currently employed in the United States.
- 78.9% of all child care workers are women, while 21.1% are men.
- The average child care worker age is 37 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of child care workers is White (57.9%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (19.4%), Black or African American (8.8%) and Asian (6.8%).
- Child care workers are most in-demand in New York, NY.
- The finance industry is the highest-paying for child care workers.
- 4% of all child care workers are LGBT.
On this page
Child care worker demographics by:
Child care worker gender statistics
78.9% of child care workers are women and 21.1% of child care workers are men.
- Female, 78.9%
- Male, 21.1%
Child care worker gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 78.9% |
| Male | 21.1% |
Child care worker gender pay gap
Women earn 97¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$34,011
Female income
$32,958
Child care worker gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in child care worker positions over time. Currently, 78.9% of child care workers are female.
Child care worker gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 21.56% | 78.44% |
| 2011 | 20.45% | 79.55% |
| 2012 | 20.04% | 79.96% |
| 2013 | 21.31% | 78.69% |
| 2014 | 21.34% | 78.66% |
| 2015 | 20.61% | 79.39% |
| 2016 | 23.11% | 76.89% |
| 2017 | 22.84% | 77.16% |
| 2018 | 22.13% | 77.87% |
| 2019 | 23.75% | 76.25% |
| 2020 | 22.07% | 77.93% |
| 2021 | 21.06% | 78.94% |
Child care worker related jobs gender ratio
We compared child care workers with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, camp boss and valet have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Infant Childcare Provider | 3% | 97% |
| Daycare Owner | 4% | 96% |
| Professional Nanny | 5% | 95% |
| Child Care Worker | 21% | 79% |
| Intramural Director | 82% | 18% |
| Valet | 85% | 15% |
| Camp Boss | 88% | 12% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Child care worker demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among child care workers is White, which makes up 57.9% of all child care workers. Comparatively, 19.4% of child care workers are Hispanic or Latino and 8.8% of child care workers are Black or African American.
- White, 57.9%
- Hispanic or Latino, 19.4%
- Black or African American, 8.8%
- Asian, 6.8%
- Unknown, 6.1%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
Child care worker race
| Child care worker race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 57.9% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 19.4% |
| Black or African American | 8.8% |
| Asian | 6.8% |
| Unknown | 6.1% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 1.0% |
Child care worker race and ethnicity over time
See how child care worker racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Child care worker race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 62.93% | 12.69% | 5.25% | 16.17% |
| 2011 | 62.48% | 13.34% | 5.13% | 15.59% |
| 2012 | 61.86% | 12.67% | 5.28% | 16.84% |
| 2013 | 62.89% | 12.06% | 5.50% | 16.01% |
| 2014 | 63.08% | 11.77% | 5.63% | 16.10% |
| 2015 | 63.32% | 11.50% | 5.47% | 16.24% |
| 2016 | 63.36% | 11.23% | 5.39% | 16.54% |
| 2017 | 62.27% | 10.86% | 5.76% | 17.25% |
| 2018 | 63.02% | 9.52% | 5.93% | 17.78% |
| 2019 | 62.34% | 9.12% | 6.59% | 18.30% |
| 2020 | 60.24% | 9.75% | 6.60% | 17.81% |
| 2021 | 57.92% | 8.76% | 6.76% | 19.41% |
Child care worker wage gap by race
According to our data, black or african american child care workers have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Unknown child care workers have the lowest average salary at $32,374.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $32,374 |
| White | $33,533 |
| Black or African American | $35,216 |
| Asian | $34,617 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $34,390 |
Average child care worker age
See how the average age of child care workers varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Child care worker age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Black or African American | 38 | 37 |
| Unknown | 27 | 30 |
| Asian | 45 | 46 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 32 | 37 |
| White | 30 | 33 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 36.5 |
Child care worker age breakdown
The average age of child care workers is 40+ years years old, representing 41% of the child care worker population.
Child care worker age breakdown
| Child Care Worker Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 41% |
| 30-40 years | 21% |
| 20-30 years | 33% |
Child care worker educational attainment
The most common degree for child care workers is bachelor's degree, with 44% of child care workers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are high school diploma degree at 24% and high school diploma degree at 18%.
- Bachelor's, 44%
- High School Diploma, 24%
- Associate, 18%
- Diploma, 5%
- Other Degrees, 9%
Child care workers by degree level
| Child care worker degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 44% |
| High School Diploma | 24% |
| Associate | 18% |
| Diploma | 5% |
| Other Degrees | 9% |
Child care worker jobs you might like
Child care worker wage gap by degree level
According to the data, child care workers with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $39,077 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, child care workers earn a median annual income of $35,463 compared to $33,201 for child care workers with an Associate degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $39,077 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $31,229 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $35,463 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $33,201 |
Child care worker employment statistics
Most child care workers work for a private in the health care industry.
Company size where child care workers work
Below, you can see the size of companies where child care workers work.
Child care worker jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 13% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 31% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 33% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 9% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 12% |
| > 10,000 employees | 2% |
Child care worker jobs by company type
Employees with the child care worker job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most child care workers prefer to work at private companies over education companies.
Child care worker jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 31% |
| Public | 5% |
| Private | 55% |
| Government | 10% |
Child care worker jobs by industry
The most common industries for child care workers are health care, non profits and education.
Child care worker industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Health Care | 24% |
| Non Profits | 20% |
| Education | 20% |
| Professional | 11% |
| Government | 6% |
| Hospitality | 3% |
| Pharmaceutical | 2% |
| Media | 2% |
| Manufacturing | 2% |
| Technology | 2% |
| Finance | 1% |
| Automotive | 1% |
| Construction | 1% |
| Retail | 1% |
| Start-up | 1% |
| Fortune 500 | 1% |
| Real Estate | 1% |
Child care worker turnover and employment statistics
Child care worker unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for child care workers between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Child care worker unemployment rate by year
| Year | Child care worker unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 10.35% |
| 2011 | 11.13% |
| 2012 | 10.51% |
| 2013 | 9.62% |
| 2014 | 9.07% |
| 2015 | 7.51% |
| 2016 | 6.86% |
| 2017 | 6.65% |
| 2018 | 6.02% |
| 2019 | 5.45% |
| 2020 | 9.58% |
| 2021 | 9.30% |
Average child care worker tenure
The average child care worker stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 27,851 child care workers resumes in Zippia's database.
Child care worker tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 29% |
| 1-2 years | 34% |
| 3-4 years | 14% |
| 5-7 years | 13% |
| 8-10 years | 4% |
| 11+ years | 5% |
Child care worker LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of child care workers that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Child Care Worker | 4.43% | - |
| Frame Spinner | 5.80% | 70 |
| Direct Care Aide | 6.73% | 178,038 |
| Senior Counselor | 8.12% | 28,008 |
| Residential Life Director | 12.72% | 23,230 |
| Fitness Director | 13.13% | 9,837 |
Similar child care worker jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Frame Spinner | 5.80% | 70 |
| Direct Care Aide | 6.73% | 178,038 |
| Senior Counselor | 8.12% | 28,008 |
| Residential Life Director | 12.72% | 23,230 |
| Fitness Director | 13.13% | 9,837 |
Foreign languages spoken by child care workers
The most common foreign language among child care workers is Spanish at 73.8%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 6.7% and Portuguese is the third-most popular at 2.3%.
- Spanish, 73.8%
- French, 6.7%
- Portuguese, 2.3%
- German, 2.2%
- Japanese, 2.2%
- Other, 12.8%
Child care worker languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 73.8% |
| French | 6.7% |
| Portuguese | 2.3% |
| German | 2.2% |
| Japanese | 2.2% |
| Other | 12.8% |
