Careers · Explore one path
Childcare Workers
Attend to children at schools, businesses, private households, and childcare institutions. Perform a variety of tasks, such as dressing, feeding, bathing, and overseeing play.
Other titles employers use
Caregiver · Child Care Worker · Child Caregiver · Childcare Provider · Childcare Worker · Daycare Teacher · Daycare Worker · Infant Teacher
Inside the work
What you would actually do.
6 responsibilities that define the role, before job titles and workplaces change the details.
- Maintain a safe play environment.
- Observe and monitor children's play activities.
- Communicate with children's parents or guardians about daily activities, behaviors, and related issues.
- Support children's emotional and social development, encouraging understanding of others and positive self-concepts.
- Care for children in institutional setting, such as group homes, nursery schools, private businesses, or schools for people with disabilities.
- Sanitize toys and play equipment.
Who it suits
Would this work hold your attention?
This career often appeals to people drawn to helping, creative and organizing work.
- Creative
- Making, designing, writing, or performing without one set answer
- Organizing
- Creating order, checking details, and keeping work accurate
Skills and strengths
What you would get good at.
Compare the skills the work relies on, the subjects behind it, and the abilities that make it easier to learn.
Core skills
- Monitoring
- Service Orientation
- Social Perceptiveness
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
Subjects to know
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Education and Training
- Public Safety and Security
- Psychology
Useful strengths
- Oral Comprehension
- Oral Expression
- Problem Sensitivity
- Written Comprehension
- Deductive Reasoning
Working day
Picture yourself doing it.
These measures show how much of the day involves people, movement, conversation, and hands-on work.
| Measure | Out of 5 | What that means here |
|---|---|---|
| Close to other people | 4.3 | Arm’s length or closer, most of the day |
| On your feet | 3.7 | Up and down through the day |
| Talking face to face | 4.5 | Continuous — the job is conversations |
| Working with your hands | 2.4 | Little of the day |
Preparation
How people prepare for this work.
Employers usually ask for a high school diploma. Other routes may also lead into the field.
- High school or less 53%
- A two-year degree 23%
- A certificate or some college 16%
- A four-year degree 8%
Tools of the work
Technology you may use.
- Office suite software
- Word processing software
- Computer based training software
- Multi-media educational software
- Project management software
- Calendar and scheduling software
- Desktop communications software
- Internet browser software
Opportunity near you
See where this work is growing.
Choose a state to compare the size of the field, annual openings, and expected hiring change.
- People doing this work
- 101,400
- Job openings each year
- 16,960
- Expected hiring change, 2022–2032
- 11.7%
Compare every available state
| State | People doing it | Job openings each year | Expected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 101,400 | 16,960 | 11.7% |
| New York | 83,040 | 1,070 | 14.8% |
| California | 66,800 | 11,130 | 7.1% |
| Florida | 45,080 | 7,510 | 7.1% |
| Pennsylvania | 44,850 | 7,420 | — |
| Illinois | 36,520 | 6,050 | — |
| Georgia | 29,620 | 4,930 | 5.4% |
| Ohio | 26,400 | 4,360 | −2.0% |
| Michigan | 23,140 | 3,820 | −1.6% |
| Indiana | 21,940 | 3,620 | −1.6% |
| North Carolina | 19,800 | 3,300 | 6.3% |
| New Jersey | 19,590 | 3,250 | 1.4% |
| Virginia | 19,280 | 3,210 | 5.4% |
| Tennessee | 19,160 | 3,180 | 2.8% |
| Missouri | 18,290 | 3,030 | — |
| Minnesota | 16,940 | 2,810 | 2.5% |
| South Carolina | 16,140 | 2,690 | 6.1% |
| Kentucky | 15,820 | 2,610 | −1.5% |
| Colorado | 14,190 | 2,360 | 5.9% |
| Washington | 13,870 | 2,510 | 12.9% |
| Connecticut | 13,550 | 2,260 | 9.0% |
| Iowa | 13,480 | 2,240 | 5.7% |
| Oklahoma | 12,450 | 2,060 | — |
| Louisiana | 12,390 | 2,040 | −3.0% |
| Arizona | 11,910 | 1,980 | 4.9% |
| Maryland | 11,720 | 1,940 | 1.5% |
| Nebraska | 11,630 | 1,920 | −1.9% |
| Wisconsin | 11,570 | 1,930 | 5.9% |
| Arkansas | 11,150 | 1,860 | 8.9% |
| Alabama | 9,360 | 1,560 | 4.2% |
| Mississippi | 8,990 | 1,500 | 6.3% |
| Kansas | 8,400 | 1,380 | −4.7% |
| Oregon | 7,800 | 1,310 | 12.9% |
| Massachusetts | 7,660 | 1,260 | −4.8% |
| Utah | 6,930 | 1,180 | 32.3% |
| Maine | 6,680 | 1,100 | −6.0% |
| North Dakota | 5,250 | 870 | 1.0% |
| South Dakota | 5,110 | 850 | 3.0% |
| Rhode Island | 4,180 | 690 | 3.5% |
| New Hampshire | 3,840 | 640 | 1.3% |
| New Mexico | 3,220 | 530 | 3.5% |
| Nevada | 3,160 | 530 | 6.4% |
| District of Columbia | 3,060 | 510 | −2.5% |
| Montana | 2,900 | 480 | 5.8% |
| Puerto Rico | 2,900 | 480 | 10.7% |
| Idaho | 2,880 | 480 | 12.9% |
| West Virginia | 2,190 | 360 | −4.8% |
| Delaware | 2,030 | 340 | 2.5% |
| Vermont | 2,010 | 330 | 2.6% |
| Alaska | 1,520 | 250 | 4.8% |
| Wyoming | 1,380 | 230 | 3.8% |
| Guam | 240 | 30 | 20.0% |
| Virgin Islands | 130 | 20 | 8.3% |
Career to college
Build a path toward this work.
Start with a related major, then compare colleges where students complete that field.
Where to study
Colleges with strong activity in these fields.
Start with program size, admission, and likely cost. Open a college for the full picture.
Brigham Young University-Idaho
- Degrees each year
- 619
- Admit rate
- 97%
- Annual cost after aid
- $6,000
University of California-Davis
- Degrees each year
- 335
- Admit rate
- 42%
- Annual cost after aid
- $12,000
Brigham Young University
- Degrees each year
- 266
- Admit rate
- 69%
- Annual cost after aid
- $13,000
Florida State University
- Degrees each year
- 246
- Admit rate
- 25%
- Annual cost after aid
- $10,000
California State University-East Bay
- Degrees each year
- 216
- Admit rate
- 97%
- Annual cost after aid
- $9,000
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
- Degrees each year
- 209
- Admit rate
- 57%
- Annual cost after aid
- $18,000
Texas Tech University
- Degrees each year
- 184
- Admit rate
- 71%
- Annual cost after aid
- $17,000
Montclair State University
- Degrees each year
- 177
- Admit rate
- 87%
- Annual cost after aid
- $16,000
Compare every college offering human development, family studies, and related services