Opportunities for childcare workers are expected to grow faster than all other occupations, according to Government Career Outlook. They based this estimate on the documented need for care providers of working parents and the growing use of pre-school facilities. Under the category of childcare worker, you will find kindergarten teachers, preschool and childcare directors, preschool center directors, teachers, special education teachers, and teacher assistants. The average hourly income for a childcare worker is $9.28 per hour (which comes out to $19,000 a year), but a childcare worker can make up to $53,220 annually.
Training and education required for childcare workers ranges from a high school diploma to an associates or bachelors degree. In the area of child care, there are opportunities to become a business owner of a private home childcare service or the owner and/or director of a childcare center. The Career Planner website says almost 35 percent of childcare workers move on to become independent child care providers, demonstrating the opportunities childcare worker have to move from employee status to business owner.
Career Outlook in the Bureau of Labor Statistics sites the noticeable occurrence of self-run childcare centers. There is an opportunity to match or combine multiple skills and talents when working with children. Working with children allows you to work with crafts and strengthen training and persuasion skills. Also, you are providing a service to others. Those who go on to a degree-requiring position can use their skills in areas like communications and math.
In addition to the Career Outlook website, the government O’Net website can be referenced as a tool for gauging and assessing your skills and interest in the childcare area. At HFCC, in a addition to the job search department, there are different courses in the counseling curriculum which provide tools for evaluation of your natural abilities for this type of work. If you’re interested in a career in childcare, use the HFCC job search and counseling services. Happy research!