Childcare Workers Salary
Childcare Workers in Wilmington, NC make a median of $29,040 a year, or about $13.96 an hour. The range runs from $22K at the entry level to $39K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 96.42), that's roughly $30,118 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,426/month, about 68.2% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $29K get you in Wilmington?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Wilmington’s Regional Price Parity (96.42). 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 Wilmington
Pay for childcare workers in Wilmington runs about 17% below the U.S. median of $35K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,426/month, which is 71.1% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 96.42) 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 Wilmington, 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, Wilmington, NC
Entry-level childcare workers (10th percentile) start around $22K. Mid-career wages sit at $29K. Top earners bring in $39K or more, a $17K 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 Wilmington numbers change.
Related careers in Personal Care
Frequently asked questions
Can a childcare worker afford a 2BR apartment alone in Wilmington?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $29K, rent takes 71.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,426/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 Wilmington?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new childcare workers typically earn — is $22K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,324/month. At HUD’s $1,426/month FMR, rent would take 108% 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 Wilmington?
Local pay runs 17% below the national median — $29K here vs. $35K nationally.
How does Wilmington compare to the national average for childcare workers?
Wilmington pays $29K median vs. the U.S. average of $35K — that’s -17%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 96.42), the purchasing-power equivalent is $30K — below the national median.
How much do childcare workers make in Wilmington, NC?
The median is $29,040 a year, that works out to about $14 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $22,060, and experienced childcare workers can clear $38,870. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $29K enough to live in Wilmington?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,006/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,426/month, which eats 71.1% 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 Wilmington?
Wilmington has a Regional Price Parity of 96.42 (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 $30,118 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.