Child Care Assistants: How to Become One
If you were to ask a group of child care assistants about how they arrived at their current job, there's a good chance you would get several different answers about the paths and steps that each person took.
That said, there are still ways that you can develop a baseline understanding of the preparation that is necessary to become one.
The Best Adult Colleges and Careers Guide has gathered data to provide you with insight into the type of education that's commonly required for child care assistants to land a job. This page contains information, sourced from real job postings, that describes the experience levels and specific skills that employers of child care assistants expect candidates to have. In the end, this information will help you create an education or professional development plan that aligns with your career aspirations.
Keep reading to learn more about career steps for child care assistants.
What Education & Experience is Needed for Child Care Assistants?
Do child care assistants need a degree? What kind of experience do child care assistants typically need? Thanks to data sourced from Lightcast™ from real job postings, we can get some clarity on those questions, as well as the level of education that is commonly required for child care assistants to secure jobs.
Education Level Required in Job Postings for Child Care Assistants
Jobs Postings for Child Care Assistants By Education
- Bachelor's degree: 12,671 (45%)
- No Education Listed: 6,696 (24%)
- High School or GED: 5,793 (20%)
- Master's degree: 3,037 (11%)
- Ph.D. or professional degree: 223 (1%)
A bachelor's degree is the level of education sought the most by employers of child care assistants. According to job data, a bachelor's degree was required for 45% of positions. In 24% of job listings no education level was listed and in 20% of postings a High School diploma or GED was required.
Experience Level Required in Job Postings for Child Care Assistants
Jobs Postings for Child Care Assistants By Experience
- 0-1 Years: 6,341 (37%)
- 2-3 Years: 7,767 (45%)
- 4-6 Years: 2,390 (14%)
- 7-9 Years: 307 (2%)
- 10+ Years: 267 (2%)
While the amount of required experience will vary based on the responsibility and seniority of the position, an aggregate view of job posting data can help paint a picture of the experience level sought for most job openings for child care assistants. In 45% of job postings for Child Care Assistants, employers were looking for candidates with 2-3 years of experience. In 37% of listings employers were looking for candidates with 0-1 years of experience, while 4-6 years of experience was sought in 14% of job postings for child care assistants.
What Kind of Degree Do Child Care Assistants Need?
So far this page has provided detail into the level of education and the amount of experience required in job openings for child care assistants, but what type of education or degree will help prepare you for a career in the field?
According to occupational data obtained through Lightcast,™ there are 14 key academic programs that can help prepare prospective child care assistants, and in 2021 a total of 120,203 of those programs were completed at institutions in the United States.
Check out the information below to learn more about the specific programs that should be considered by prospective child care assistants.
Top Degree Programs for Child Care Assistants
Top 5 Degree Programs for Child Care Assistants (2021)
| Program | Completions |
|---|---|
| Early Childhood Education and Teaching. | 32,693 |
| Educational Leadership and Administration, General. | 32,685 |
| Education, General. | 29,696 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods, Other. | 6,141 |
| Education, Other. | 4,749 |
| Program | Completions |
|---|---|
| Early Childhood Education and Teaching. | 32,693 |
| Educational Leadership and Administration, General. | 32,685 |
| Education, General. | 29,696 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods, Other. | 6,141 |
| Education, Other. | 4,749 |
| Child Development. | 4,641 |
| Child Care and Support Services Management. | 3,885 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas, Other. | 2,323 |
| Educational, Instructional, and Curriculum Supervision. | 1,727 |
| Superintendency and Educational System Administration. | 1,107 |
| Educational Evaluation and Research. | 290 |
| Administration of Special Education. | 186 |
| Early Childhood Program Administration. | 70 |
| International School Administration/Leadership. | 10 |
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Degree Options for Child Care Assistants
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- Class Type: Online coursework
- Cost Per Credit: $398
- Class Type: 100% online
- Years To Complete: 3
What Skills Do Child Care Assistants Need?
Education and experience have been covered, so what are the specific skills and traits needed by child care assistants to secure a job?
A good way to understand this is to examine actual job postings for skills commonly sought by employers. Continue reading for a breakdown of specialized skills found in job postings for child care assistants, as well as common skills that can help you thrive in the workplace.
In-Demand Skills for Today's Child Care Assistants
Based on 26,026 job postings
Top 5 Specialized Skills for Child Care Assistants
| Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Preschool Education | 8,390 | 32% |
| Child Development | 5,521 | 21% |
| Marketing | 3,200 | 12% |
| Lesson Planning | 1,938 | 7% |
| Early Childhood Education | 1,886 | 7% |
Top 5 Common Skills for Child Care Assistants
| Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Communications | 10,996 | 42% |
| Management | 8,260 | 32% |
| Leadership | 8,232 | 32% |
| Teaching | 7,875 | 30% |
| Operations | 6,577 | 25% |
Based on 26,026 job postings related to child care assistants, preschool education was the top specialized skill sought by employers, with 32% of all postings looking for that skillset. Skills for child development, marketing, lesson planning, early childhood education and primary education were also highly sought.
As for common skills, communications was the most desired skill found in job postings for child care assistants, followed by management, leadership, teaching, operations and customer service.
| Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Preschool Education | 8,390 | 32% |
| Child Development | 5,521 | 21% |
| Marketing | 3,200 | 12% |
| Lesson Planning | 1,938 | 7% |
| Early Childhood Education | 1,886 | 7% |
| Primary Education | 1,714 | 7% |
| Curriculum Development | 1,610 | 6% |
| Working With Children | 1,388 | 5% |
| Purchasing | 1,210 | 5% |
| Newsletters | 1,041 | 4% |
| Social Work | 966 | 4% |
| Special Education | 950 | 4% |
| Head Start (Education Program) | 945 | 4% |
| Human Services | 920 | 4% |
| Billing | 913 | 4% |
| Performance Appraisal | 891 | 3% |
| Developmental Psychology | 872 | 3% |
| Performance Improvement | 795 | 3% |
| Classroom Management | 787 | 3% |
| Auditing | 768 | 3% |
| Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Communications | 10,996 | 42% |
| Management | 8,260 | 32% |
| Leadership | 8,232 | 32% |
| Teaching | 7,875 | 30% |
| Operations | 6,577 | 25% |
| Customer Service | 5,535 | 21% |
| Planning | 5,040 | 19% |
| Organizational Skills | 3,205 | 12% |
| Multitasking | 3,137 | 12% |
| English Language | 2,876 | 11% |
| Writing | 2,864 | 11% |
| Problem Solving | 2,789 | 11% |
| Coordinating | 2,444 | 9% |
| Coaching | 2,420 | 9% |
| Administrative Functions | 2,360 | 9% |
| Scheduling | 2,155 | 8% |
| Detail Oriented | 2,009 | 8% |
| Microsoft Office | 1,897 | 7% |
| Interpersonal Communications | 1,869 | 7% |
| Computer Literacy | 1,762 | 7% |
Additional Links
Ready to dig deeper into career information about child care assistants? Visit our other pages focused on salary and education for child care assistants.
What do child care assistants do?
How much do child care assistants make?
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