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What Can You Do With a Child Development Degree? Jobs (2026)
Key takeaway: A child development degree leads into three job families: early childhood classrooms, program leadership, and family and social services. Pay separates them sharply. Preschool teachers earned a median annual wage of $38,140 and childcare workers $34,980 while education and childcare administrators earned $59,300 and social and human service assistants $45,930 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS). Several better-paid titles in this field require a license the degree does not provide.
Child development is developmental science plus applied practice: how children grow, how to observe and document it, and how programs and families support it. That combination is broadly useful and narrowly credentialed. It opens doors in child care, Head Start, early intervention, youth programs, and family services. It does not by itself confer a teaching license, a social work license, or a clinical credential. Knowing which doors need a separate key is the whole planning problem.
Jobs you can get with a child development degree
| Occupation | Median annual wage |
|---|---|
| Special education teacher, preschool | $64,830 |
| Kindergarten teacher, except special education | $62,680 |
| Child, family, and school social worker | $59,550 |
| Education and childcare administrator, preschool and daycare | $59,300 |
| Community and social service specialist, all other | $56,730 |
| Social and human service assistant | $45,930 |
| Preschool teacher, except special education | $38,140 |
| Childcare worker | $34,980 |
View the data behind this chart
| Occupation | Avg. annual openings |
|---|---|
| Childcare Workers | 160,200/yr |
| Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education | 65,500/yr |
| Social and Human Service Assistants | 50,600/yr |
| Child, Family, and School Social Workers | 35,100/yr |
| Community and Social Service Specialists, All Other | 13,100/yr |
| Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education | 12,800/yr |
| Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare | 5,500/yr |
| Special Education Teachers, Preschool | 2,100/yr |
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS national medians. Median means half of workers in the occupation earned more and half earned less. Several occupations listed here require credentials beyond a child development degree, noted below.
Preschool teacher, except special education. The most common destination. The national median annual wage was $38,140 – the 10th percentile was $28,990 and the 90th $61,390 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS). Employment was 555,100 in 2024, projected to grow 4.1 percent through 2034, with 65,500 openings per year (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034). That 90th percentile is doing a lot of work: public school and Head Start classrooms pay near the top of the range, private centers near the bottom. Public pre-K positions typically require state teaching certification, which is the early childhood education route.
Childcare worker. Assistant teachers, infant and toddler caregivers, and school-age program staff. The median annual wage was $34,980 – the 10th percentile was $24,260 and the 90th $46,010 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS). Employment was 991,600 in 2024 and is projected to decline 2.9 percent through 2034, yet the occupation still turns over 160,200 openings per year (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034). Most positions do not require a bachelor’s, so use this as an entry point rather than a destination.
Education and childcare administrator, preschool and daycare. Center directors, assistant directors, and education coordinators. The median annual wage was $59,300 – the 10th percentile was $38,580 and the 90th $98,240 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS). Employment was 90,200 in 2024, projected to decline 2.5 percent through 2034, with 5,500 openings per year (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034). This is the standard promotion path out of the classroom, and state child care licensing rules usually set the qualifications. See how to become a childcare director.
Social and human service assistant. Family support specialists, home visitors, case aides, and youth program staff at nonprofits and public agencies. The median annual wage was $45,930 – the 10th percentile was $34,200 and the 90th $63,290 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS). Employment was 449,600 in 2024, projected to grow 6.4 percent through 2034 – the fastest growth on this list – with 50,600 openings per year (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034). HDFS coursework maps onto this work directly. Human services is the adjacent major.
Special education teacher, preschool. The highest median on this list, at $64,830 – the 10th percentile was $45,620 and the 90th $130,040 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS). Employment was 29,300 in 2024, projected to grow 1.4 percent, with 2,100 openings per year (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034). This role requires state special education licensure. A child development degree is useful preparation and is not the credential.
Kindergarten teacher, except special education. Median annual wage of $62,680 – the 10th percentile was $46,990 and the 90th $101,830 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS). Employment was 117,200 in 2024, projected to decline 1.6 percent, with 12,800 openings per year (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034). Requires a state teaching license, which means an approved preparation program – see education.
Child, family, and school social worker. Median annual wage of $59,550 – the 10th percentile was $42,280 and the 90th $95,530 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS). Employment was 399,900 in 2024, projected to grow 3.4 percent, with 35,100 openings per year (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034). The title usually requires a social work degree, and clinical roles require state licensure. Some child welfare and family support positions accept a related bachelor’s; read the posting. Social work is the direct path.
Community and social service specialist, all other. A catch-all for program coordinators, parent educators, and family life educators. Median annual wage of $56,730 – the 10th percentile was $37,310 and the 90th $84,210 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS). Employment was 119,200 in 2024, projected to grow 4.6 percent, with 13,100 openings per year (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034).
What the degree level changes
The online bachelor’s in child development is the working credential. It qualifies you for lead teacher roles at programs that require a degree, for the director track under most state licensing rules, and for family support and case-aide work. It is also the standard feeder into graduate study.
The online master’s in child development buys research training, a specialization, and access to program evaluation, policy, and college teaching work. It does not raise the wage floor in direct care, and it is not a clinical license. If therapy or clinical child work is the goal, plan a licensure-track graduate degree in counseling, marriage and family therapy, or clinical social work instead.
Common questions
What jobs can you get with a child development degree?
Preschool teacher, lead teacher, child care center director, Head Start education coordinator, early intervention assistant, family support specialist, home visitor, parent educator, youth program coordinator, case aide, and developmental research assistant. Some titles, including public school teaching roles, require a separate state license.
How much do child development majors make?
It depends entirely on the setting. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS national medians are $34,980 for childcare workers, $38,140 for preschool teachers, $45,930 for social and human service assistants, $56,730 for community and social service specialists, and $59,300 for education and childcare administrators.
Can I teach with a child development degree?
In private child care programs and many Head Start classrooms, yes. In a public school pre-K or kindergarten classroom, not without state teaching certification, which requires an approved educator preparation program. Verify your state’s route before you enroll if the classroom is the goal.
Which of these careers pays best?
Preschool special education teaching carries the highest national median at $64,830 – followed by kindergarten teaching at $62,680 and child, family, and school social work at $59,550 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS). All three require credentials beyond this degree. Among roles a child development bachelor’s reaches directly, program administration at $59,300 pays best.
Which of these careers is growing fastest?
Social and human service assistants, at 6.4 percent projected growth from 2024 to 2034 with 50,600 openings per year (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034). Preschool teaching grows 4.1 percent. Childcare work and preschool administration are both projected to shrink, though childcare turnover still produces 160,200 openings per year.
Is a child development degree worth it?
It is worth it when it moves you into a role that requires the degree – lead teacher at a program with a degree requirement, center director, Head Start coordinator, family support specialist – or when it is a step toward graduate study. It is worth less if you plan to stay in an entry-level child care role where the wage is set by the market rather than the credential. The is a child development degree worth it page walks through the trade-offs.
Keep exploring
- Start at the child development program hub, then compare levels: online bachelor’s and online master’s.
- Walk through how to become a childcare director, or weigh the trade-offs on is it worth it.
- Check how online child development degrees work, including practicum placement rules.
- Find programs near you at the state index.
- Compare related fields: early childhood education, social work, human services, psychology, and education.
Data verified: September 5, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.