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Child care teacher salary
Average child care teacher salary
$12.52
How much does a child care teacher make?
The average child care teacher salary in the United States is $26,036. Child care teacher salaries typically range between $14,000 and $45,000 yearly. The average hourly rate for child care teachers is $12.52 per hour.
Child care teacher salary is impacted by location, education, and experience. Child care teachers earn the highest average salary in Massachusetts.
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Where can a Child Care Teacher earn more?
Average child care teacher salary by state
The highest-paying states for child care teachers are Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Alaska. The lowest average child care teacher salary states are Louisiana, Wyoming, and New Mexico.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for child care teachers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vermont | $31,355 | $15.07 |
| 2 | New Hampshire | $30,176 | $14.51 |
| 3 | Delaware | $31,128 | $14.97 |
| 4 | Rhode Island | $36,112 | $17.36 |
| 5 | Maine | $30,091 | $14.47 |
| 6 | Minnesota | $27,310 | $13.13 |
| 7 | Missouri | $28,066 | $13.49 |
| 8 | Illinois | $26,953 | $12.96 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | $36,242 | $17.42 |
| 10 | North Dakota | $28,157 | $13.54 |
| 11 | Connecticut | $32,171 | $15.47 |
| 12 | Washington | $32,102 | $15.43 |
| 13 | Wisconsin | $27,211 | $13.08 |
| 14 | Mississippi | $26,397 | $12.69 |
| 15 | Oregon | $28,128 | $13.52 |
| 16 | Alaska | $32,416 | $15.58 |
| 17 | New York | $32,317 | $15.54 |
| 18 | California | $30,544 | $14.68 |
| 19 | Pennsylvania | $29,119 | $14.00 |
| 20 | Montana | $24,666 | $11.86 |
| 21 | Nevada | $24,350 | $11.71 |
| 22 | North Carolina | $25,216 | $12.12 |
| 23 | Michigan | $23,954 | $11.52 |
| 24 | West Virginia | $26,386 | $12.69 |
| 25 | District of Columbia | $30,291 | $14.56 |
| 26 | Virginia | $26,903 | $12.93 |
| 27 | Colorado | $25,464 | $12.24 |
| 28 | Iowa | $23,868 | $11.47 |
| 29 | Arizona | $23,719 | $11.40 |
| 30 | Hawaii | $28,871 | $13.88 |
| 31 | South Dakota | $23,965 | $11.52 |
| 32 | Indiana | $24,726 | $11.89 |
| 33 | Utah | $24,458 | $11.76 |
| 34 | South Carolina | $22,840 | $10.98 |
| 35 | New Jersey | $25,953 | $12.48 |
| 36 | Maryland | $23,191 | $11.15 |
| 37 | Florida | $24,632 | $11.84 |
| 38 | Ohio | $22,417 | $10.78 |
| 39 | Wyoming | $21,692 | $10.43 |
| 40 | Nebraska | $22,968 | $11.04 |
| 41 | Idaho | $22,979 | $11.05 |
| 42 | Georgia | $22,820 | $10.97 |
| 43 | Kentucky | $22,379 | $10.76 |
| 44 | New Mexico | $21,405 | $10.29 |
| 45 | Alabama | $22,777 | $10.95 |
| 46 | Tennessee | $22,826 | $10.97 |
| 47 | Louisiana | $22,022 | $10.59 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | $20,780 | $9.99 |
| 49 | Texas | $22,790 | $10.96 |
| 50 | Kansas | $20,742 | $9.97 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $20,890 | $10.04 |
Highest paying cities for child care teachers
The highest-paying cities for child care teachers are Boston, MA, Seattle, WA, and New York, NY.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boston, MA | $36,250 | $17.43 |
| 2 | Seattle, WA | $32,290 | $15.52 |
| 3 | New York, NY | $32,239 | $15.50 |
| 4 | Wilmington, DE | $31,481 | $15.14 |
| 5 | Los Angeles, CA | $30,105 | $14.47 |
| 6 | Philadelphia, PA | $29,266 | $14.07 |
| 7 | Kansas City, MO | $28,117 | $13.52 |
| 8 | Arlington, VA | $27,864 | $13.40 |
| 9 | Minneapolis, MN | $27,291 | $13.12 |
| 10 | Chicago, IL | $27,055 | $13.01 |
| 11 | Madison, WI | $26,925 | $12.94 |
| 12 | Denver, CO | $25,532 | $12.28 |
| 13 | Goldsboro, NC | $25,388 | $12.21 |
| 14 | Fort Myers, FL | $24,614 | $11.83 |
| 15 | Detroit, MI | $24,031 | $11.55 |
| 16 | Davenport, IA | $23,842 | $11.46 |
| 17 | Peoria, AZ | $23,777 | $11.43 |
| 18 | Baltimore, MD | $23,342 | $11.22 |
| 19 | Omaha, NE | $23,012 | $11.06 |
| 20 | Austin, TX | $22,839 | $10.98 |
Child Care Teachers are the most in-demand in these five cities:
Child care teacher salary details
A child care teacher's salary ranges from $14,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $45,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a child care teacher's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $45,000 | $3,750 | $22 |
| 75th Percentile | $34,000 | $2,833 | $16 |
| Average | $26,036 | $2,170 | $13 |
| 25th Percentile | $19,000 | $1,583 | $9 |
| 10th Percentile | $14,000 | $1,167 | $7 |
Highest paying child care teacher jobs
The highest paying types of child care teachers are head teacher, teacher internship, and teacher.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teacher Internship | $48,398 | $4,033 | $23.27 | 105,496 |
| Teacher Aide | $29,480 | $2,457 | $14.17 | 106,207 |
| Teacher | $47,989 | $3,999 | $23.07 | 71,918 |
| Infant Teacher | $29,076 | $2,423 | $13.98 | 63,079 |
| Preschool Teacher | $33,582 | $2,798 | $16.14 | 55,298 |
| Head Teacher | $51,715 | $4,310 | $24.86 | 73,756 |
Top companies hiring child care teachers now:
Which companies pay child care teachers the most?
Child care teacher salaries at Google and Columbia International University are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average child care teacher salary at companies like University of California, Berkeley and Georgetown University are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $86,912 | $41.78 | |
| 2 | Columbia International University | $49,741 | $23.91 |
| 3 | University of California-Berkeley | $48,341 | $23.24 |
| 4 | Georgetown University | $44,135 | $21.22 |
| 5 | Menlo School | $40,842 | $19.64 |
| 6 | CARE | $35,262 | $16.95 |
| 7 | University of Washington | $35,175 | $16.91 |
| 8 | Blessing Hospital Emergency Room | $35,154 | $16.90 |
| 9 | University Of Minnesota Physicians | $35,071 | $16.86 |
| 10 | Maryland School for the Blind | $34,639 | $16.65 |
| 11 | Saint Luke's Health System | $33,965 | $16.33 |
| 12 | Scripps Health | $33,503 | $16.11 |
| 13 | University of Southern California | $33,492 | $16.10 |
| 14 | Skidmore College | $33,344 | $16.03 |
| 15 | Novant Health | $33,326 | $16.02 |
| 16 | BayCare Health System | $33,249 | $15.99 |
| 17 | Gundersen Lutheran Medical Foundation Inc. | $33,189 | $15.96 |
| 18 | Children's Hospital Colorado | $32,342 | $15.55 |
| 19 | Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District | $32,001 | $15.39 |
| 20 | Jewish Senior Life | $31,925 | $15.35 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Child care teacher salary trends
The average child care teacher salary has risen by $4,779 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average child care teacher earned $21,257 annually, but today, they earn $26,036 a year. That works out to a 14% change in pay for child care teachers over the last decade.
Compare child care teacher salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average child care teacher salary over time
Compare child care teacher salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Child care teacher salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $26,000 | $12.52 | +3.4% |
| 2024 | $25,100 | $12.09 | +3.3% |
| 2023 | $24,300 | $11.69 | +2.6% |
| 2022 | $23,700 | $11.38 | +3.2% |
| 2021 | $22,900 | $11.01 | +2.0% |
Recently added child care teacher salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgetown University | Child Care Center Teacher | Washington, DC | 06/30/2025 | $47,586 |
| Bright Horizons Family Solutions | Child Care Substitute Teacher | Philadelphia, PA | 06/28/2025 | $28,905 |
| Bright Horizons Family Solutions | Early Child Care Teachers | Saint Paul, MN | 06/28/2025 | $41,218 |
| Bright Horizons Family Solutions | Child Care Substitute Teacher | Camden, NJ | 06/28/2025 | $31,931 |
| Bright Horizons Family Solutions | Child Care Assistant Teachers | Wilmington, DE | 06/28/2025 | $31,409 |
| University of California System | UCI Child Care Services-Floating Teacher | Irvine, CA | 06/28/2025 | $50,088 |
| Stevens Point Area YMCA | Child Care Assistant Teacher | Stevens Point, WI | 06/28/2025 | $25,044 |
| Grand Traverse Bay Young Men's | Child Care-Assistant Teacher | Traverse City, MI | 06/28/2025 | $31,305 |
| Bright Horizons Children's Centers | Child Care Teacher, Bentonville AR, Little Squiggles | Bentonville, AR | 06/27/2025 | $30,157 |
| Bright Horizons Children's Centers | Child Care Teacher, Rochester MN | Rochester, NY | 06/27/2025 | $41,218 |
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