Career Guides
Plain-language guides for early educators: what each childcare role involves, the credentials it asks for, pay, and where it can lead.
What a daycare teacher does, the ages and settings they work in, what you need to become one, and what childcare teachers earn, with pay data.
What preschool teachers do, the ages and settings they teach, what they earn, and how to become one — a career guide for early educators.
What an infant teacher does, the ages in the infant room, the qualifications states set, and what the job pays. A career guide for infant room teachers.
What a toddler teacher does in a toddler or twos classroom, the ages the room serves, how to become one, the skills it demands, and what the pay data shows.
What a pre-K teacher does, where pre-K teachers work, the credentials the job needs, and what pre-K teachers earn, with May 2025 BLS pay data.
An assistant teacher supports the lead teacher in a childcare or preschool classroom: duties, requirements, pay, and how to move up to lead teacher.
A preschool teacher aide supports the lead teacher in a childcare classroom. See the duties, aide vs assistant teacher, state requirements and aide pay.
A floater teacher moves between classrooms to cover breaks, absences and staffing gaps. See what floaters do, what qualifications help, and what the role pays.
A childcare worker supervises babies, toddlers and preschoolers in daycare centers, homes and schools. See the job titles, duties, pay and how to become one.
Head Start teachers lead federally funded preschool classrooms. See the degree rule, group sizes, pay structure and how to get hired.
Early Head Start teachers work with infants and toddlers under 36 months. See the federal credential floor, class sizes, daily duties and the home-based option.
A Montessori teacher guides a prepared, mixed-age classroom. See what the job involves, how AMS, AMI and MACTE training works, and what the pay data shows.
School-age teachers run before- and after-school and summer programs for kids roughly ages 5 to 12. See duties, split-shift hours, requirements and pay.
An early childhood special education (ECSE) teacher teaches preschoolers with disabilities and IEPs. Duties, degree path, pay, and ECSE vs early intervention.
What early intervention specialists do under IDEA Part C, the credentials each state sets, what the nearest pay data shows, and where to find jobs.
A daycare substitute teacher fills in for absent staff at childcare centers and preschools. Learn how subbing works, what you need, and how pay compares.
A child and youth program assistant (CYPA) is a DoD classroom job in military child development centers. See CY pay bands, requirements and how to apply.
What a TK teacher does in California's universal transitional kindergarten: the credential rule, how TK differs from pre-K, and where the TK jobs are.
What a daycare director does: daily duties, where directors work, skills, state qualifications and pay. For job seekers and center operators.
What a daycare assistant director does: openings, closings, staff schedules, tours, covering for the director. Plus pay, skills and how to get the seat.
What an education coordinator (curriculum coordinator) does in early childhood: duties, settings, Head Start degree rules, pay and how to become one.
A family child care provider runs a home daycare: teaching and business ownership in one job. See the daily work, qualifications, pay and career paths.
What does a Head Start director do? See the day-to-day job, the federal qualification rule, the management roles around it, and what the pay data shows.
What a family advocate does in Head Start: partnership agreements, community engagement and a 40-family caseload cap from 2027. Plus pay and qualifications.
What does a childcare administrator do? The day-to-day office work in a childcare center, the skills it takes, what it pays, and how to get started.
A daycare cook runs a center kitchen: cooking for infants through pre-K and, in CACFP centers, planning menus to the federal pattern. Duties, pay, how to start.
An early childhood coach observes classrooms, runs coaching cycles and gives teachers feedback. See the duties, settings, skills and pay.
What a childcare licensing specialist (daycare inspector) does: inspections, complaint investigations, inquiries. Plus titles, pay and how to get in.
What does a daycare owner do? See the day-to-day duties, how owners differ from directors, and the routes into owning a childcare center.
Early Head Start home visitors teach in the family's home: weekly 90-minute visits, a 10-12 family caseload, group socializations. Duties, credentials and pay.
Daycare van drivers run school pickup routes, field trips and head counts for childcare centers. Here is the day-to-day work, the CDL question and the pay data.