In 2002, hourly earnings of nonsupervisory workers in the child daycare services industry averaged $9.50, much less than the average of $14.95 throughout private industry. On a weekly basis, earnings in child daycare services averaged only $284 in 2002, compared with the average of $506 in private industry. Weekly earnings reflect, in part, hours worked-salaried workers in child daycare services averaged 29.9 hours a week, compared with about 33.9 throughout private industry.

Employee benefits often are minimal as well. A substantial number of child daycare centers offer no healthcare benefits to any teaching staff. Reduced child daycare fees for workers’ children, however, are a common benefit. Wage levels and employee benefits depend in part on the type of child daycare center. Nonprofit and religiously affiliated centers generally pay higher wages and offer more generous benefits than do for-profit establishments.

In 2002, less than 4 percent of all workers in child daycare services were union members or covered by union contract, compared with about 15 percent of workers in all industries.