Headline risk
6%
Low RiskChildcare workers
United States AI Work Index tracks this occupation on the shared structural baseline and then layers on local demand resilience, wages, and confidence.
Why This Score
Share of job tasks that overlap with current AI capabilities
Median annual wage
Projected employment change over 10 years
Typical preparation needed for this occupation
Occupation profile
Attend to children at schools, businesses, private households, and childcare institutions. Perform a variety of tasks, such as dressing, feeding, bathing, and overseeing play.
Task evidence
98% weighted task match · 2% effective coverage
Scores combine AI task overlap, human advantages, and local demand. How it works
United States Now
Median Wage
USD 32,050
Employment 2024
991.6K
Projected Change (2024–34)
-2.9%
Openings (2024–34)
160.2K
Wage distribution
Demand outlook
Employment of childcare workers is projected to grow 3 percent from 2024 to 2034, decline.
Role Profile
Tasks
- 1. Instruct children in safe behavior, such as seeking adult assistance when crossing the street and avoiding contact with unsafe objects. AI use: 0%
- 2. Remove hazards and develop appropriate boundaries and rules to create a safe environment for children. AI use: 0%
- 3. Instruct and assist children in the development of health and personal habits, such as eating, resting, and toilet behavior. AI use: 0%
- 4. Teach and perform age-appropriate activities, such as lap play, reading, and arts and crafts, to encourage intellectual development of children. AI use: 0%
- 5. Help prepare and serve nutritionally balanced meals and snacks for children. AI use: 0%
- 6. Perform first aid or cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) when required. AI use: 0%
Technologies
Requirements
Work context
Worker profile
Median age 36.0 · 1.1M employed
Under 25: 32% · 25–54: 47% · 55+: 21%
Related
No direct US role match is available yet for this occupation.
Source coverage
11/11 source families · O*NET 30.2 / OEWS 2024 / ORS 2025 / OOH 2025-08-28 / Projections 2024-34 / CPS 2025 / Anthropic task penetration
Mapping quality
crosswalk_exact · employment series present
Narrative & sources
Childcare workers attend to children's needs while helping to foster early development.
Childcare workers typically work in childcare centers, their own home, or private households. Part-time work and irregular hours are common.
Education and training requirements for childcare workers vary by setting, state, and employer. They range from no formal education to certification in early childhood education.
The median hourly wage for childcare workers was $15.41 in May 2024.
Employment of childcare workers is projected to grow 3 percent from 2024 to 2034, decline.
Published limitations
This page shows the local country layer, not realised individual job outcomes. The global structural baseline is shared across countries; only the local demand and wage layer changes here.
Built from O*NET occupation descriptions, task statements, technology skills, work context, Job Zones, Anthropic task penetration, BLS OEWS wages, BLS projection tables, BLS ORS requirements, BLS OOH narrative content, BLS skills data, and BLS CPS occupation age tables.