How much do preschool/daycare workers make?

Question

I really want to work with kids, but I can't afford to go to school to become a teacher so I thought preschool/daycare would be my next option, but I've heard that they don't get paid enough for the work that they do. Does anyone know approximately how much these types of postions get paid? Thank you.

Answer 1

I was making 10.20 an hour and was the program assistant. Being a lead is about $12-$13 and it also depends on the pay of each state too. I owned my daycare for 2.5yrs and made about $3,200 month. So you can make some money just have to be trained in areas to make more money.

Answer 2

Winnie is right, however she is a little too discouraging, we need good people to work in Day Care centres too, well, yes its really minimum wage, but if you really like to be around kids thats not a bad idea, you can do it for even a year then do your studies and be a nurse or it can even lead you to open your own day care or preschool. Kids are super and its nice to treat them as if they are yours, I am sure you will get a blessing for that.

Answer 3

I thought in Australia we get paid badly. Here its $15 something per hour for a full timer, however as a casual Im getting paid $19.32/hr (I have a diploma).

I guess it balances out though as our currency isnt as high as the US

Answer 4

If you are truly interested in going into EC, check out your college based child care centers.  They sometimes offer you incentives like paying for part of your tution so you can take EC classes.  Our center is an Accreditated and received the KQRS 5-Star award so we have connections to the WAGES and T.E.A.C.H programs.  

Truthfully, you will at times feel overworked and under appreciated by both your parents and your fellow staff members but that is going to happen just about anywhere you work at.  Before accepting a position, ask if you can come and observe the rooms/center before starting to work there.  Talk with some of the teachers and find out how they like working there.  

Working in the EC field can be very rewarding!  I am now taking care of some children who I had their parents at the age they are now.  (ageing myself, huh?)  Your days will never be boring and the hugs you will receive can change a grumpy morning into a happy one.

I wish you success.

Answer 5

There are established schools offerring scholarships for those who are interested in teaching. If you're interested in working with kids, some schools offer great deals  by upgrading your teaching knowledge to the next level. If you're only interested in the paycheck, then don't. Teaching preschoolers won't get you a good paycheck.

Answer 6

Working with kids is fun, but you only make minimum wage for the most part. Especially if you don't want to go back to school. Whoever says you make more must have went back to school for it, or got really lucky. But if you are really wanting to work with kids, I would just babysit around your area. Not only will you make the same amount if not more money, you can do your own thing in your own time. In day cares there are SO many rules and regulations for EVERYTHING. Sometimes it just plainly takes the fun out of being with the kids. But kids are adorable. But I would HIGHLY recommend working by babysitting if you want to be with the kids. It is SO much better! Believe me.

Answer 7

Not much!!!!

I went into daycare seven years ago and I started out making $7.00 a hour. The best benefit is that at most places you get free or discounted child care. I had three kids, worked great for me. When my kids started in school, the benefit of making $9.00/hour wasn't as good without the free daycare. I did get my degree and I am now a director making $40,000/year in childcare.

However, if you don't want to go to school daycare is not for you. For instance in NC they are making all daycare teachers(infants to preschool) obtain at least a two year degree to receive adequate funding from the state. Most places will not hire anyone for any position that doesn't have at least 9 college credit hours/

Answer 8

GOOD CENTERS PAY MORE THAN MINIMNM WAGE BUT DONT EXPECT A LOT

Answer 9

Minimum wage is usually all they make unless they are the owner's!

'-)

Answer 10

Check out the site below. It really does depend on where you are located. You can search all salaries by zip code.

Answer 11

Depending on the state you are in and what kind of school you are working at (private owned, church related ect) depends on the pay.....we dont make much, but if you love what you do its worth it.  I make $10 an hour and im fully qualified.  I love my job....i dont make what i could be making if i worked as a nurse or whatever, but i cant see myself behind a desk......You really have to love your job as a teacher to stick around with crappy pay.

Answer 12

Hi! You really have to look around, You may be extremely lucky and find a good paying preschool/daycare, but "don't hold your breath". Check the want ads, shop around, ask questions. Some DC or Psc will start you out and pay for you to go to school for your degree, but most won't. I worked at a Daycare, starting in '99, making $6, an hour (no benefits) took me 3 years to get up to $7.75! But then when I decided to look for more money, I lucked out and found the job I'm on now, started out at $9.25, but with excellent benefits. I've been with them 5 years, but so far only making $10. (their raises suck) But now I am enrolled in school to get a degree in Early Childhood Education to keep the job. Once I get finished, my rate of pay will go up. I don't know how true it is, but the Daycares will  all be requesting a degree, which is what I was told. ( so they can charge more, being that their teachers will be more educated) But besideds the obvious reasons, if you decide to go into another field, you will have the education you need, depending what you go into.Well, good luck,

Answer 13

Hello:

Child Care workers who work in day care centers only get paid minimum wage,and you had better be ready to get called into work at ANYTIME! How do I know this? Well,I was a day care lead teacher for MANY YEARS before I became a nurse,and a day care worker doesn't just babysit kids! A day care worker has to keep their eyes and ears open CONSTANTLY when it comes to dealing with the needs of young children!

Get ready to be overworked,under appreciated,and chewed out by the parents if John or Susie loses a sock or a barrette or whatever they brought in with them. I don't mean to sound negative,but I am telling you that I would NEVER put my child into a day care center because I know how day care centers work,trust me! A day care center TRIES to get away with having as few staff as possible,so they don't actually have to pay for extra staff to work in these places!

You will be overworked and day care centers work you just under 40 hours a week,so they don't have to offer any type of insurance. If your day care center does offer health insurance,there is no way that you can afford it on your minimum wage salary! The most irritating part of working in a day care center is that you are expected to go either on your days off,or after working a FULL DAY,to training that is mandatory,and you don't get paid extra for going to training either! If you really want to take care of children,I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND that you offer to babysit around your neighborhood,because if you work in a day care setting,you can easily have 13-20 children BY YOURSELF,if you are working with say four year olds to school age,not kidding! If you are working with infants the ratios are 1 child care provider to 4 infants,toddlers are 1 child care provider to 6 children,and from two years old to three years old is 1 child care provider to 9 children!

One last thing,the infant room isn't all about sitting down with babies and just playing with them,you are expected to keep thorough documentation on how they ate,slept,what kind of diapers they had such as pee diapers or poopy diapers,whether the child was happy,sad,etc... On any age group that we watched in our day care center we were expected to have a daily communication sheet for each and every age group,even school age,so the parents would know,what their child did that day!

I wish you the best of luck,but as I said before,you would get paid ALOT MORE,if you offered to babysit around your neighborhood or church,and you get to set YOUR OWN AVAILABLE WORKING HOURS TOO,trust me!!

Answer 14

Between $7 and $8 as an Aide and $9.50 to $10.50 as a senior staff teacher.