Childcare Teacher Salary in California
BLS OEWS May 2025 · Broader BLS occupation: SOC 39-9011 Childcare Workers
The median annual wage for childcare workers in California was $40,020 in May 2025, $5,040 (14%) above the national median of $34,980.
BLS publishes no separate wage for lead teachers at childcare centers; this is all childcare workers (SOC 39-9011), employees only.
Many center lead teachers are counted as preschool teachers (SOC 25-2011) instead.
California ranks 5 of the 51 states and DC with a published median for this occupation.
The comparison is not adjusted for living costs.
BLS OEWS May 2025. Annual = hourly × 2,080. OEWS covers wage-and-salary workers only and leaves out the self-employed, workers in private households, overtime pay and most bonuses.
What the BLS figure covers
This is the California figure for every worker in SOC 39-9011 Childcare Workers.
BLS publishes no separate state series or percentiles for childcare teachers, so this page shows no percentile table for the role.