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Boston Career Explorer

Personal Care and Service

Childcare Workers

Attend to children at schools, businesses, private households, and childcare institutions. Perform a variety of tasks, such as dressing, feeding, bathing, and overseeing play.

Also called: Caregiver, Child Care Worker, Child Caregiver, Childcare Provider, Childcare Worker, Daycare Teacher

Median pay in Greater Boston
$41,590
$20.00/hr
Jobs in Greater Boston
10,440
Massachusetts 2024–2034
−2.5%
2,850 openings a year
Typical U.S. entry requirement
High school diploma or equivalent
plus Short-term on-the-job training

Greater Boston: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, May 2025. Growth and openings: Massachusetts statewide projection.

Pay range in Greater Boston

Yearly pay in Greater Boston by percentile
10th25thMedian75th90th
$34,570$37,760$41,590$48,910$49,790

10% of workers earn less than the first figure and 10% earn more than the last.

What you’d do

  • Maintain a safe play environment.
  • Observe and monitor children's play activities.
  • Communicate with children's parents or guardians about daily activities, behaviors, and related issues.
  • Support children's emotional and social development, encouraging understanding of others and positive self-concepts.
  • Care for children in institutional setting, such as group homes, nursery schools, private businesses, or schools for people with disabilities.
  • Sanitize toys and play equipment.

AI and this job

AI exposure: how much of this job’s work AI tools can do or help with, based on national research. It is not a forecast of job loss.

Moderate exposure44 of 100

The index averages three national research measures, each shown as a percentile of all jobs:

  • AIOE 36
  • Language-model AIOE 41
  • GPTs-are-GPTs 55

Observed AI use today: Little or none (Anthropic Economic Index)

Childcare workers have moderate AI exposure, but observed AI use is little or none. AI tools might help with parent updates or record-keeping. They do not do the hands-on work of watching children, keeping play safe, and supporting their emotional growth. Massachusetts jobs are projected to shrink (-2.5%) from 2024 to 2034.

Likely to change

  • Drafting daily updates for parents
  • Keeping notes on children's activities

Still relies on people

  • Hands-on care and keeping children safe
  • Building trust and emotional support

Written with AI from the data on this page. Check with a career coach before making a decision.

Next steps from here

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Training near Boston

College and school programs in the Boston metro area that lead to this job, with 2023-24 completions (IPEDS).

8 programs near Boston (plus 3 graduate)

Related occupations

Talk to a career coach

A coach at the Office of Workforce Development can help you plan your next step, and connect you with training, apprenticeships and City partner programs that are not listed here.

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