What Do Child Care Teachers Do?
Wondering what the job is really like for child care teachers?
You've come to the right place.
Keep reading to find detailed information about what child care teachers do, including the type of work they are tasked with on a daily basis, industries in which they work, and the specific skills needed for a successful career.
Child Care Teachers Overview & Description
Let's get started with the basics about child care teachers by taking a look at a simple description and popular job titles.
Child Care Teachers instruct preschool-aged students, following curricula or lesson plans, in activities designed to promote social, physical, and intellectual growth.
Popular Job Titles For Child Care Teachers
Sample of Reported Job Titles
- Preschool Teachers
- Child Care Teachers
- Teachers
- Early Childhood Teachers
- Toddler Teachers
- Daycare Teachers
- Infant Teachers
- Infant/Toddler Teachers
- Pre-K Teachers
- Preschool Lead Teachers
- Child Care Assistant Teachers
- Early Childhood Educators
Read on for insight into the industries where the highest concentration of jobs for child care teachers can be found.
Best Industries for Child Care Teachers
Child Care Teachers Jobs By Industry
- Child Day Care Services: 62.2%
- Religious Organizations: 12.6%
- Education and Hospitals (Local Government): 10.2%
- Elementary and Secondary Schools: 5.7%
- Individual and Family Services: 2.6%
- Local Government, Excluding Education and Hospitals: 1.4%
- Other: 5.3%
When it comes to jobs in the United States, the largest single category of child care teachers can be found working in the Child Day Care Services sector. In 2023, about 62.2% of all jobs for child care teachers were found there.
Other top industries by percentage include Religious Organizations (12.6%), Education and Hospitals (Local Government) (10.2%), Elementary and Secondary Schools (5.7%), Individual and Family Services (2.6%) and Local Government, Excluding Education and Hospitals (1.4%).
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What Do Child Care Teachers Do on a Daily Basis?
So you have a high-level understanding of what child care teachers do and the types of industries in which they work - but what do they really do each day?
A great way to understand the type of work child care teachers do is to examine actual job postings and focus on the specific skills that employers are seeking. That will help paint a clearer picture of the tasks that child care teachers tackle each day.
Continue reading for a breakdown of specialized skills found in job postings for child care teachers, as well as common skills - interpersonal qualities and attributes - that can help you thrive in the workplace.
In-Demand Skills for Today's Child Care Teachers
Based on 148,843 job postings
Top 5 Specialized Skills for Child Care Teachers
| Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Preschool Education | 62,941 | 42% |
| Child Development | 47,569 | 32% |
| Lesson Planning | 28,967 | 19% |
| Early Childhood Education | 16,713 | 11% |
| Working With Children | 13,272 | 9% |
Top 5 Common Skills for Child Care Teachers
| Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Teaching | 43,964 | 30% |
| Communication | 35,116 | 24% |
| Leadership | 24,085 | 16% |
| English Language | 20,926 | 14% |
| Planning | 18,961 | 13% |
Based on 148,843 job postings related to child care teachers, preschool education was the top specialized skill sought by employers, with 42% of all postings looking for that skillset. Skills for child development, lesson planning, early childhood education, working with children and classroom management were also highly sought.
As for common skills, teaching was the most desired skill found in job postings for child care teachers, followed by communication, leadership, english language, planning and customer service.
| Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Preschool Education | 62,941 | 42% |
| Child Development | 47,569 | 32% |
| Lesson Planning | 28,967 | 19% |
| Early Childhood Education | 16,713 | 11% |
| Working With Children | 13,272 | 9% |
| Classroom Management | 11,546 | 8% |
| Special Education | 7,010 | 5% |
| Diaper Changing | 5,562 | 4% |
| Developmental Psychology | 4,751 | 3% |
| Head Start (Education Program) | 4,385 | 3% |
| Curriculum Development | 4,338 | 3% |
| Individualized Education Programs (IEP) | 3,991 | 3% |
| Primary Education | 3,740 | 3% |
| Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) | 3,678 | 2% |
| Toileting | 3,663 | 2% |
| Housekeeping | 3,495 | 2% |
| Interactive Learning | 3,275 | 2% |
| Effective Communication | 3,139 | 2% |
| Learning Styles | 2,909 | 2% |
| Bilingual (Spanish/English) | 2,816 | 2% |
| Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Teaching | 43,964 | 30% |
| Communication | 35,116 | 24% |
| Leadership | 24,085 | 16% |
| English Language | 20,926 | 14% |
| Planning | 18,961 | 13% |
| Customer Service | 17,182 | 12% |
| Organizational Skills | 17,027 | 11% |
| Multitasking | 16,004 | 11% |
| Patience | 14,780 | 10% |
| Lifting Ability | 12,546 | 8% |
| Writing | 10,028 | 7% |
| Parent Communication | 9,187 | 6% |
| Management | 8,050 | 5% |
| Research | 7,528 | 5% |
| Energetic | 7,360 | 5% |
| Interpersonal Communications | 6,965 | 5% |
| Problem Solving | 6,300 | 4% |
| Professionalism | 5,629 | 4% |
| Cleanliness | 5,080 | 3% |
| Record Keeping | 4,831 | 3% |
Most In-Demand Jobs for Child Care Teachers
Top 5 Posted Job Titles
| Job Title | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Preschool Teachers | 83,391 | 20.5% |
| Child Care Teachers | 46,603 | 11.4% |
| Teachers | 68,593 | 16.8% |
| Early Childhood Teachers | 28,078 | 6.9% |
| Toddler Teachers | 27,188 | 6.7% |
According to job postings that were published between September 2022 and August 2023, the top job sought by employers was preschool teachers, with 21,762 unique job postings. Child care teachers were second, with 13,530 postings, followed by teachers, early childhood teachers and toddler teachers.
Expand the section below to see unique job postings for all occupations related to child care teachers.
| Job Title | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Preschool Teachers | 83,391 | 20.5% |
| Child Care Teachers | 46,603 | 11.4% |
| Teachers | 68,593 | 16.8% |
| Early Childhood Teachers | 28,078 | 6.9% |
| Toddler Teachers | 27,188 | 6.7% |
| Daycare Teachers | 21,861 | 5.4% |
| Infant Teachers | 22,517 | 5.5% |
| Infant/Toddler Teachers | 22,625 | 5.6% |
| Pre-K Teachers | 8,438 | 2.1% |
| Preschool Lead Teachers | 18,476 | 4.5% |
| Child Care Assistant Teachers | 8,487 | 2.1% |
| Early Childhood Educators | 7,254 | 1.8% |
| Lead Toddler Teachers | 10,845 | 2.7% |
| Infant/Toddler/Preschool Teachers | 5,728 | 1.4% |
| Two Year Old Teachers | 4,096 | 1% |
| Toddler/Preschool Teachers | 6,123 | 1.5% |
| Substitute Preschool Teachers | 3,569 | 0.9% |
| Lead Infant Teachers | 6,671 | 1.6% |
| Directors of Early Childhood Education | 3,987 | 1% |
| Substitute Teachers | 2,986 | 0.7% |
Additional Links
Ready to dig deeper into career information for child care teachers? Visit our other pages focused on salary and education for child care teachers.
How much do child care teachers make?
Child Care Teachers: How do you become one?
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