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What is a vocational childcare teacher and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted expert
Laura Schroeder
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If you love working with children and have a passion for teaching, the role of a vocational childcare teacher may be just the right job for you. From the job title itself, a vocational childcare teacher is one who is trained to take care of and teach children. They teach lessons to children, attend to their basic needs, ensure they are safe, and monitor their behavior, among many other duties. Like a regular teacher, a vocational childcare teacher also performs basic duties like preparing lesson plans, creating teaching aids, checking students' work, and reporting to parents on their children's progress.

That said, the job of a vocational childcare teacher requires at least basic-level skills in classroom management as well as never-ending patience to handle young kids all day. The basic requirement to become a vocational childcare teacher is a postsecondary or bachelor's degree in early childhood education or something similar. On top of that, prior experience--professional or not--may also be required. On average, vocational childcare teachers make around $20,000 to $40,000, depending on their employer, experience, and level of education.

What general advice would you give to a vocational childcare teacher?

Laura SchroederLaura Schroeder LinkedIn profile

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.
ScoreVocational Childcare TeacherUS Average
Salary
2.4

Avg. Salary $30,178

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
6.7

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
5.6
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.02%

Asian 7.07%

Black or African American 9.68%

Hispanic or Latino 15.36%

Unknown 6.20%

White 60.68%

Gender

female 91.88%

male 8.12%

Age - 35
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 - 35
Stress level
6.7

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
3.7

Complexity level is basic

7 - challenging

Work life balance
10.0

Work life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

Vocational childcare teacher career paths

Key steps to become a vocational childcare teacher

  1. Explore vocational childcare teacher education requirements

    Most common vocational childcare teacher degrees

    Bachelor's

    33.3 %

    High School Diploma

    31.4 %

    Associate

    22.0 %
  2. Start to develop specific vocational childcare teacher skills

    SkillsPercentages
    CPR26.71%
    Customer Service25.68%
    Child Development19.38%
    Child Care18.67%
    Classroom Environment3.25%
  3. Complete relevant vocational childcare teacher training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New vocational childcare teachers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a vocational childcare teacher based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real vocational childcare teacher resumes.
  4. Research vocational childcare teacher duties and responsibilities

    • Create math, reading, bible, and art lessons.
    • Work teacher for all ages and class rooms, CPR certify.
    • Encourage school practice by singing ABC's, reading stories, writing, and playing dress-up.
    • Put kids to bed for nap time smoothly and are energized to play games and sing with them during play time.
  5. Prepare your vocational childcare teacher resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your vocational childcare teacher resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a vocational childcare teacher resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable vocational childcare teacher resume templates

    Build a professional vocational childcare teacher resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your vocational childcare teacher resume.
    Vocational Childcare Teacher Resume
    Vocational Childcare Teacher Resume
    Vocational Childcare Teacher Resume
    Vocational Childcare Teacher Resume
    Vocational Childcare Teacher Resume
    Vocational Childcare Teacher Resume
    Vocational Childcare Teacher Resume
    Vocational Childcare Teacher Resume
    Vocational Childcare Teacher Resume
  6. Apply for vocational childcare teacher jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a vocational childcare teacher job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first vocational childcare teacher job

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Average vocational childcare teacher salary

The average vocational childcare teacher salary in the United States is $30,178 per year or $15 per hour. Vocational childcare teacher salaries range between $23,000 and $39,000 per year.

Average vocational childcare teacher salary
$30,178 Yearly
$14.51 hourly

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How do vocational childcare teachers rate their job?

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Vocational childcare teacher reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Nov 2022
Pros

Seeing the kids learn, grow, over come challenges.

Cons

It can be emotionally and physically draining, especially if not appreciated.


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Sep 2022
Pros

I love working with kids


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2022
Pros

Gaining the childs trust and watching them geow and learn.

Cons

That in a year the children you fall in love with move on to the next grade.


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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