Childcare Workers Salary in Denver, CO (2024)
Childcare Workers in the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metro area earn a median of $38,720 per year ($18.62 per hour) based on 7,000 jobs counted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2024. That is +20.8% against the national median of $32,050 for this occupation.
Pay distribution
The median is a single point on a wide curve. The table below shows where childcare workers actually sit across the pay range in Denver, CO, from the bottom decile to the top.
| Percentile | Hourly | Annual | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $15.19 | $31,590 | |
| 25th percentile | $16.78 | $34,900 | |
| Median | $18.62 | $38,720 | half earn more, half earn less |
| 75th percentile | $21.69 | $45,120 | |
| 90th percentile | $22.68 | $47,170 | |
| Average (mean) | $19.23 | $39,990 |
How Denver, CO compares
The local median of $38,720 runs +20.8% above the US median of $32,050 for this occupation; it pays 36.6% less than the metro-wide median across all jobs ($61,110); within the metro it ranks 599th of 635 detailed occupations by median pay.
| Benchmark | Median annual | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Denver, CO — this occupation | $38,720 | — |
| US median, same occupation (all areas) | $32,050 | +20.8% |
| Denver, CO — all occupations | $61,110 | -36.6% |
| Highest metro in the US for this job | $44,970 | -13.9% |
At a location quotient of 1.28, this occupation is over-represented locally: the metro has about 128% of the national share of these workers.
High confidence The relative standard error on this estimate is 1.9%, which is a tight margin — the figure is stable enough to plan around.
Ranked 599th of 635 detailed occupations in the metro by median annual wage.
Highest-paying jobs in Denver, CO
To put $38,720 in context, these are the best-paid detailed occupations in the same metro area. This occupation sits 599th.
| Occupation | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | $211,860 | 5,540 |
| Nurse Anesthetists | $207,120 | 220 |
| Chief Executives | $206,990 | — |
| Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates | $193,000 | 310 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $183,050 | 8,510 |
| Pediatricians, General | $182,320 | 280 |
| Lawyers | $180,940 | 12,590 |
| Financial Managers | $177,470 | 8,190 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | $177,340 | 2,600 |
| Sales Managers | $176,620 | 6,580 |
Where childcare workers earn the most
Across the 25 metro areas with released data for this occupation, medians run from $28,480 to $44,970. These are the top markets.
| Metro area | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $44,970 | 5,760 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $40,180 | 2,220 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $39,290 | 9,650 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $38,720 | 7,000 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $38,070 | 19,120 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $37,970 | 3,800 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $37,540 | 2,570 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $37,020 | 4,030 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $36,540 | 46,800 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $36,220 | 4,950 |
See the full national picture on the Childcare Workers salary by metro page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median salary for childcare workers in Denver, CO?
The median annual wage is $38,720, or $19 per hour. That means half of the childcare workers working in the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metro area earn more than this figure and half earn less. The average is $39,990.
What do the highest and lowest paid childcare workers in Denver, CO earn?
The bottom 10% earn $31,590 or less, while the top 10% earn $47,170 or more — a spread of $15,580 between the two ends of the distribution. The middle half of workers sit between $34,900 and $45,120.
Is childcare workers pay in Denver, CO above the local average?
Yes, it is 36.6% below the all-occupation median for the metro, which is $61,110. That comparison is the fairer one for judging local purchasing power, because it holds the metro's overall cost and wage level constant.
How does Denver, CO pay compare with the rest of the US for this job?
At $38,720 the metro median is 20.8% higher than the US median of $32,050 for childcare workers. Across the 25 metro areas covered here, this occupation ranges from $28,480 to $44,970.
How many childcare workers work in Denver, CO?
BLS counts about 7,000 people in this occupation in the metro area, or 4.33 jobs per 1,000 total jobs. At a location quotient of 1.28, this occupation is over-represented locally: the metro has about 128% of the national share of these workers.
About these figures
Figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey for 2024 (employment relative standard error 6.3%). OEWS measures what employers pay, not what any individual earns; it excludes self-employed workers, and it does not adjust for local cost of living.
Read the full methodology, or the original data at bls.gov/oes.