Childcare Workers Salary
Childcare Workers in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC make a median of $30,970 a year, or about $14.89 an hour. The range runs from $24K at the entry level to $42K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.57), that's roughly $31,741 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,711/month, about 79.5% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $31K get you in Durham-Chapel Hill?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Durham-Chapel Hill’s Regional Price Parity (97.57). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About childcare workers
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What this looks like in Durham-Chapel Hill
Pay for childcare workers in Durham-Chapel Hill runs about 11% below the U.S. median of $35K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,711/month, which is 80.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 97.57) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for childcare workerss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for childcare workers in metros near Durham-Chapel Hill, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $30K | $31K |
| Raleigh-Cary | $29K | $29K |
| Greensboro-High Point | $29K | $31K |
| Winston-Salem | $30K | $33K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Durham-Chapel Hill, NC
Entry-level childcare workers (10th percentile) start around $24K. Mid-career wages sit at $31K. Top earners bring in $42K or more, a $18K spread from bottom to top.
Childcare Workers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Childcare Workers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $47K | +35% | 1,350 |
| Washington | $42K | +19% | 4,340 |
| Massachusetts | $41K | +17% | 13,140 |
| Colorado | $41K | +16% | 13,310 |
| California | $40K | +14% | 52,780 |
| Oregon | $39K | +10% | 5,240 |
| Vermont | $38K | +9% | N/A |
| New York | $38K | +7% | 44,020 |
| New Hampshire | $37K | +6% | 2,820 |
| Hawaii | $37K | +6% | 1,870 |
| Rhode Island | $37K | +6% | 1,800 |
| Connecticut | $37K | +5% | 12,020 |
| New Jersey | $36K | +4% | 25,070 |
| Maine | $36K | +4% | 4,990 |
| Alaska | $36K | +3% | 1,340 |
| Maryland | $36K | +3% | 9,750 |
| New Mexico | $36K | +2% | 4,120 |
| Illinois | $36K | +2% | 23,900 |
| Minnesota | $36K | +2% | 11,570 |
| Montana | $35K | +0% | 2,190 |
| Arizona | $35K | +0% | 5,530 |
| Virginia | $34K | -2% | 13,930 |
| Florida | $34K | -2% | 21,760 |
| Delaware | $33K | -5% | 1,230 |
| Wisconsin | $32K | -7% | 5,560 |
| Utah | $32K | -10% | 4,830 |
| Michigan | $31K | -11% | 14,010 |
| Missouri | $31K | -12% | 12,430 |
| Nebraska | $31K | -12% | 9,390 |
| North Dakota | $30K | -13% | 4,030 |
| Indiana | $30K | -14% | 8,280 |
| Idaho | $30K | -14% | 4,430 |
| Pennsylvania | $30K | -14% | 13,000 |
| Nevada | $30K | -15% | 3,740 |
| Ohio | $30K | -15% | 11,300 |
| Tennessee | $30K | -15% | 13,650 |
| South Carolina | $30K | -15% | 10,660 |
| Kansas | $29K | -16% | 7,430 |
| North Carolina | $29K | -17% | 12,550 |
| Kentucky | $29K | -17% | 5,820 |
| Texas | $29K | -18% | 34,160 |
| Arkansas | $28K | -19% | 5,400 |
| Iowa | $28K | -19% | 6,020 |
| Wyoming | $28K | -19% | 1,110 |
| Georgia | $28K | -20% | 21,040 |
| South Dakota | $28K | -20% | 2,370 |
| Oklahoma | $28K | -21% | 7,590 |
| West Virginia | $28K | -21% | 1,930 |
| Louisiana | $23K | -35% | 8,000 |
| Alabama | $23K | -35% | 4,580 |
| Mississippi | $22K | -37% | 5,420 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track childcare workers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Durham-Chapel Hill numbers change.
Related careers in Personal Care
Frequently asked questions
Can a childcare worker afford a 2BR apartment alone in Durham-Chapel Hill?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $31K, rent takes 80.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,711/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $600/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for childcare workers in Durham-Chapel Hill?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new childcare workers typically earn — is $24K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,462/month. At HUD’s $1,711/month FMR, rent would take 117% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is childcare worker a high-paying job in Durham-Chapel Hill?
Local pay runs 11% below the national median — $31K here vs. $35K nationally.
How does Durham-Chapel Hill compare to the national average for childcare workers?
Durham-Chapel Hill pays $31K median vs. the U.S. average of $35K — that’s -11%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.57), the purchasing-power equivalent is $32K — below the national median.
How much do childcare workers make in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?
The median is $30,970 a year, that works out to about $15 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $24,370, and experienced childcare workers can clear $41,870. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $31K enough to live in Durham-Chapel Hill?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,127/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,711/month, which eats 80.4% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a childcare workers salary go in Durham-Chapel Hill?
Durham-Chapel Hill has a Regional Price Parity of 97.57 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median childcare workers salary is worth about $31,741 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do childcare workers get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.