Pay distribution $23,430 10th $23,880 25th $35,270 75th $42,870 90th
Half of Childcare Workers in the Raleigh metro area earn more than $28,680 per year, half earn less; the middle half earn between $23,880 and $35,270.
Wage percentiles (BLS OEWS) Wage 10th 25th Median 75th 90th Annual $23,430 $23,880 $28,680 $35,270 $42,870 Hourly $11.27 $11.48 $13.79 $16.96 $20.61
A percentile is a cut point: 25% of workers in this occupation and area earn less than the 25th-percentile wage. The median is the 50th percentile — half earn less, half earn more.
How this area compares Raleigh metro areathis metro area
$28,680 median for Raleigh metro area; middle half earns $23,880 to $35,270
$29,140 median for North Carolina; middle half earns $24,270 to $35,480
$34,980 median for United States; middle half earns $29,360 to $38,570
Bars span the 25th–75th percentile (the middle half of workers); the tick marks the median.
The median here is −2% vs North Carolina overall and −18% vs the U.S. median for this occupation.
Where this metro sits nationally $20,730 $29,587 $38,443 $47,300 Anniston-Oxford, AL — $20,730 Gadsden, AL — $21,050 Hattiesburg, MS — $21,590 Jackson, MS — $21,770 Lake Charles, LA — $21,820 Lafayette, LA — $21,840 Ponce, PR — $21,840 Mayaguez, PR — $21,850 Dothan, AL — $21,910 Tuscaloosa, AL — $22,040 Arecibo, PR — $22,060 Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA — $22,100 Hammond, LA — $22,150 Decatur, AL — $22,170 Aguadilla, PR — $22,240 Dalton, GA — $22,260 Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL — $22,280 Brownsville-Harlingen, TX — $22,290 Gulfport-Biloxi, MS — $22,290 McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX — $22,310 Alexandria, LA — $22,350 Laredo, TX — $22,350 Mobile, AL — $22,350 Eagle Pass, TX — $22,480 Valdosta, GA — $22,510 Shreveport-Bossier City, LA — $22,590 Rome, GA — $22,600 Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA — $22,610 San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR — $22,630 Auburn-Opelika, AL — $22,640 Montgomery, AL — $22,720 Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX — $22,940 Birmingham, AL — $23,070 Albany, GA — $23,080 Huntsville, AL — $23,110 Victoria, TX — $23,280 El Paso, TX — $23,410 Longview, TX — $23,410 Warner Robins, GA — $23,590 Macon-Bibb County, GA — $23,910 Wichita Falls, TX — $24,120 Texarkana, TX-AR — $24,680 Bowling Green, KY — $24,960 Oklahoma City, OK — $25,090 Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH — $25,360 Baton Rouge, LA — $25,550 Killeen-Temple, TX — $25,960 Tyler, TX — $26,050 Columbus, GA-AL — $26,150 Enid, OK — $26,300 Sherman-Denison, TX — $26,400 Johnstown, PA — $26,570 Canton-Massillon, OH — $26,610 Lubbock, TX — $26,650 Waco, TX — $26,760 Mansfield, OH — $26,770 San Angelo, TX — $26,780 Paducah, KY-IL — $26,800 Abilene, TX — $26,810 Athens-Clarke County, GA — $27,010 Chambersburg, PA — $27,030 Corpus Christi, TX — $27,210 Odessa, TX — $27,210 Amarillo, TX — $27,230 College Station-Bryan, TX — $27,250 Charleston, WV — $27,370 Williamsport, PA — $27,460 Altoona, PA — $27,520 Jackson, TN — $27,540 Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA — $27,580 Parkersburg-Vienna, WV — $27,620 New Orleans-Metairie, LA — $27,630 Sumter, SC — $27,660 Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC — $27,740 Florence, SC — $27,780 Gainesville, GA — $27,800 Morristown, TN — $27,800 Ames, IA — $27,850 Casper, WY — $27,860 Idaho Falls, ID — $27,920 Fort Smith, AR-OK — $27,940 Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH — $27,970 Erie, PA — $28,030 Sioux Falls, SD-MN — $28,030 Cheyenne, WY — $28,070 Greenville, NC — $28,110 Rocky Mount, NC — $28,130 Cedar Rapids, IA — $28,170 Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA — $28,190 Pocatello, ID — $28,190 Terre Haute, IN — $28,200 Wichita, KS — $28,210 Hinesville, GA — $28,250 Rapid City, SD — $28,330 Morgantown, WV — $28,370 Niles, MI — $28,400 Clarksville, TN-KY — $28,420 Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC — $28,440 Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC — $28,460 Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX — $28,470 Cleveland, TN — $28,510 Lebanon, PA — $28,520 Jonesboro, AR — $28,550 Manhattan, KS — $28,590 Jefferson City, MO — $28,600 Joplin, MO-KS — $28,600 Bay City, MI — $28,660 Raleigh-Cary, NC — $28,680 Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC — $28,730 Brunswick-St. Simons, GA — $28,760 Lima, OH — $28,790 Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR — $28,800 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA — $28,840 Columbia, SC — $28,850 Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC — $28,850 Chattanooga, TN-GA — $28,860 Memphis, TN-MS-AR — $28,860 Elizabethtown, KY — $28,940 Michigan City-La Porte, IN — $28,970 Toledo, OH — $29,000 Johnson City, TN — $29,030 Wilmington, NC — $29,040 Columbia, MO — $29,070 Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA — $29,090 Lawrence, KS — $29,090 Roanoke, VA — $29,100 Wheeling, WV-OH — $29,110 St. Joseph, MO-KS — $29,130 Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH — $29,140 Owensboro, KY — $29,150 Iowa City, IA — $29,170 Tulsa, OK — $29,190 Cape Girardeau, MO-IL — $29,210 Monroe, MI — $29,210 Greensboro-High Point, NC — $29,240 Muskegon-Norton Shores, MI — $29,260 Fond du Lac, WI — $29,270 Jacksonville, NC — $29,310 Sioux City, IA-NE-SD — $29,330 Hot Springs, AR — $29,360 Spartanburg, SC — $29,430 San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX — $29,440 Saginaw, MI — $29,490 Lynchburg, VA — $29,500 Bloomington, IN — $29,510 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX — $29,530 Reading, PA — $29,530 Sandusky, OH — $29,570 Goldsboro, NC — $29,590 Knoxville, TN — $29,590 Springfield, MO — $29,610 Savannah, GA — $29,630 Gettysburg, PA — $29,640 Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV — $29,670 Harrisonburg, VA — $29,710 Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA — $29,760 Elkhart-Goshen, IN — $29,790 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC — $29,790 Pittsburgh, PA — $29,840 South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI — $29,840 Tallahassee, FL — $29,840 Lincoln, NE — $29,860 Evansville, IN — $29,880 Midland, MI — $29,880 Kokomo, IN — $29,930 Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA — $29,950 Grand Island, NE — $30,000 Midland, TX — $30,010 Fargo, ND-MN — $30,030 Janesville-Beloit, WI — $30,040 Minot, ND — $30,040 Fort Wayne, IN — $30,050 Twin Falls, ID — $30,050 Winston-Salem, NC — $30,060 Akron, OH — $30,140 Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN — $30,150 Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN — $30,150 Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR — $30,210 Grand Forks, ND-MN — $30,210 Wausau, WI — $30,210 Columbus, OH — $30,280 Logan, UT-ID — $30,280 Kenosha, WI — $30,290 York-Hanover, PA — $30,310 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC — $30,390 Kalamazoo-Portage, MI — $30,420 Eau Claire, WI — $30,450 Cleveland, OH — $30,460 Reno, NV — $30,520 Youngstown-Warren, OH — $30,520 Springfield, OH — $30,610 Lancaster, PA — $30,620 Boise City, ID — $30,630 Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA — $30,630 Bismarck, ND — $30,650 Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN — $30,650 Carson City, NV — $30,710 Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN — $30,720 La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN — $30,730 Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC — $30,740 Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL — $30,770 Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA — $30,780 Muncie, IN — $30,800 St. George, UT — $30,840 Jackson, MI — $30,860 Gainesville, FL — $30,870 Battle Creek, MI — $30,940 Oshkosh-Neenah, WI — $30,950 Duluth, MN-WI — $30,960 Durham-Chapel Hill, NC — $30,970 Burlington, NC — $31,030 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI — $31,060 Lewiston, ID-WA — $31,080 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX — $31,110 Appleton, WI — $31,140 Dover, DE — $31,200 Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL — $31,200 Ogden, UT — $31,310 Great Falls, MT — $31,320 Omaha, NE-IA — $31,330 Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ — $31,390 Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT — $31,610 Sebring, FL — $31,630 Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI — $31,690 Dubuque, IA — $31,730 Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV — $31,750 Kansas City, MO-KS — $31,770 Charleston-North Charleston, SC — $31,870 Flint, MI — $31,930 Lansing-East Lansing, MI — $32,000 Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL — $32,060 Winchester, VA-WV — $32,090 Asheville, NC — $32,150 Fayetteville, NC — $32,150 Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL — $32,150 Yuma, AZ — $32,150 Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ — $32,220 Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL — $32,300 Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL — $32,310 Racine-Mount Pleasant, WI — $32,460 Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL — $32,570 Ann Arbor, MI — $32,700 Topeka, KS — $32,790 Kankakee, IL — $32,820 Tucson, AZ — $32,830 Sheboygan, WI — $33,030 Traverse City, MI — $33,100 Bloomington, IL — $33,140 Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI — $33,280 Lawton, OK — $33,300 St. Louis, MO-IL — $33,320 Peoria, IL — $33,340 Vineland, NJ — $33,390 Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL — $33,460 Coeur d'Alene, ID — $33,510 Salisbury, MD — $33,510 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL — $33,530 Rockford, IL — $33,560 Richmond, VA — $33,570 Watertown-Fort Drum, NY — $33,630 Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ — $33,790 Salt Lake City-Murray, UT — $33,790 Port St. Lucie, FL — $33,930 St. Cloud, MN — $34,030 Charlottesville, VA — $34,130 Elmira, NY — $34,170 Lexington Park, MD — $34,250 Las Cruces, NM — $34,270 Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor, FL — $34,300 Syracuse, NY — $34,380 Madison, WI — $34,450 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN — $34,450 Rochester, MN — $34,510 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD — $34,520 Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ — $34,540 Lewiston-Auburn, ME — $34,570 Mankato, MN — $34,590 Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL — $34,620 Green Bay, WI — $34,650 Naples-Marco Island, FL — $34,670 Punta Gorda, FL — $34,730 Decatur, IL — $34,740 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL — $34,750 Bangor, ME — $34,820 Farmington, NM — $34,820 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD — $34,860 Prescott Valley-Prescott, AZ — $34,930 Champaign-Urbana, IL — $34,990 Rochester, NY — $35,090 Lexington-Fayette, KY — $35,100 Ocala, FL — $35,150 Springfield, IL — $35,170 Utica-Rome, NY — $35,190 Jacksonville, FL — $35,210 Pueblo, CO — $35,230 Grand Junction, CO — $35,390 Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY — $35,410 Glens Falls, NY — $35,460 Helena, MT — $35,500 Missoula, MT — $35,510 Medford, OR — $35,620 Albany, OR — $35,640 Trenton-Princeton, NJ — $35,640 Waterbury-Shelton, CT — $35,670 Billings, MT — $35,740 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ — $35,760 Corvallis, OR — $35,800 Binghamton, NY — $35,890 Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT — $35,920 Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT — $35,950 Walla Walla, WA — $36,040 Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY — $36,170 Bakersfield-Delano, CA — $36,190 Manchester-Nashua, NH — $36,210 Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY — $36,230 Anchorage, AK — $36,280 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI — $36,310 Albuquerque, NM — $36,340 Kingston, NY — $36,360 Fort Collins-Loveland, CO — $36,420 Santa Fe, NM — $36,440 Bozeman, MT — $36,460 Fresno, CA — $36,480 New Haven, CT — $36,550 Yakima, WA — $36,550 Merced, CA — $36,590 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN — $36,610 Portland-South Portland, ME — $36,620 Chico, CA — $36,660 Greeley, CO — $36,690 Urban Honolulu, HI — $36,710 Fairbanks-College, AK — $36,750 Eugene-Springfield, OR — $36,760 Hanford-Corcoran, CA — $36,890 Springfield, MA — $36,910 Kahului-Wailuku, HI — $36,940 Grants Pass, OR — $37,150 Colorado Springs, CO — $37,160 Visalia, CA — $37,190 Providence-Warwick, RI-MA — $37,230 Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA — $37,230 Salem, OR — $37,320 Ithaca, NY — $37,410 Bend, OR — $37,520 Yuba City, CA — $37,550 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV — $37,610 Redding, CA — $37,820 Kennewick-Richland, WA — $37,840 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ — $37,870 Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT — $38,020 Burlington-South Burlington, VT — $38,030 Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA — $38,050 Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA — $38,130 El Centro, CA — $38,220 Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA — $38,340 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA — $38,390 Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA — $38,390 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA — $38,390 Pittsfield, MA — $38,410 Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA — $38,690 Bellingham, WA — $38,820 Vallejo, CA — $38,850 Worcester, MA — $39,300 Salinas, CA — $39,520 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA — $39,590 Flagstaff, AZ — $39,640 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA — $39,800 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA — $39,890 Stockton-Lodi, CA — $40,010 Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA — $40,150 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA — $40,210 Amherst Town-Northampton, MA — $40,560 Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA — $41,260 Napa, CA — $41,570 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH — $41,590 Modesto, CA — $41,920 Longview-Kelso, WA — $42,300 San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA — $42,860 Boulder, CO — $43,380 Barnstable Town, MA — $43,480 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA — $43,710 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO — $44,320 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA — $44,540 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA — $45,720 North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL — $47,300 Raleigh metro area Each dot is one metro area with a published median — hover any dot for the name and figure. Metros without published estimates are not drawn.
The Raleigh metro area has the 278th-highest published median for this occupation among the 385 metro areas where BLS publishes it. Higher medians often track higher living costs — this is a pay comparison, not a ranking of where the job is “best”.
Other metro areas in North Carolina Metro areas in the same state with published May 2025 medians for childcare workers, highest first. Areas without published estimates are not listed.
Raleigh metro areathis page
$28,680 median for Raleigh metro area; middle half earns $23,880 to $35,270
$32,150 median for Asheville metro area; middle half earns $28,120 to $38,410
$32,150 median for Fayetteville metro area; middle half earns $27,150 to $36,820
$31,030 median for Burlington metro area; middle half earns $26,030 to $34,000
$30,970 median for Durham metro area; middle half earns $28,300 to $37,080
$30,390 median for Charlotte metro area; middle half earns $24,730 to $36,550
$30,060 median for Winston-Salem metro area; middle half earns $23,770 to $36,550
Bars span the 25th–75th percentile (the middle half of workers); the tick marks the median.
Keep exploring Other occupations in the same SOC group with published medians here, largest employment first:
Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors $48,800 Amusement and Recreation Attendants $29,390 Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists $43,700 Animal Caretakers $32,400 Recreation Workers $30,160 Ushers, Lobby Attendants, and Ticket Takers $27,940 Highest-paying metro areas for childcare workerss · Highest-paying occupations in Raleigh Metro
About this estimate These figures are survey estimates from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program — modeled from employer reports collected over three years and benchmarked to May 2025. They describe what employers in this area currently pay across all industries, not what any individual worker will be offered.
Employment counts wage-and-salary jobs in the occupation (self-employed workers are excluded). Estimates carry sampling error; percentile wages are rounded by BLS. Some values are suppressed by BLS for confidentiality or quality — suppressed values appear here as “not published”, never as zero. Read the full methodology .