About 2.2 million adults are paid to care for and educate more than 9.7 million children between birth and age five in center-based and home-based settings.¹Datta, R. A., Milesi, C., Srivastava, S., & Zapata-Gietl, C. (2021). Home-Based Early Care and Education Providers in 2012 and 2019: Counts and Characteristics. OPRE Report No. 2021-85. Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Datta, R. A., & Zapata-Gietl, C. (2023). Workers in Center-Based Early Care and Education Classrooms in 2012 and 2019: Counts and Characteristics. OPRE Report No. 2023-193. Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The predominantly female early care and education workforce reflects the racial, ethnic, and linguistic diversity of the children they serve, contrasting with the largely White K-12 workforce.²CSCCE is committed to eliminating oppressive language and using bias-free terms. Under this philosophy, for example, all terms used to describe race are capitalized, highlighting their use as a racial signifier rather than an adjective. In this section, we provide a national snapshot of the key demographics of the ECE workforce across workplace settings and job roles.

Systemic inequities based on gender, class, and linguistic and cultural diversity as well as race and ethnicity are embedded within the ECE sector in the United States, shaping the jobs and impacting the experience of the workforce. For example, women of color or immigrant women make up a larger proportion of early educators in home-based settings, where resource shortages and economic insecurity are more common.³Kim, Y., Austin, L. J. E., & Hess, H. (2024). The Multilayered Effects of Racism on Early Educators in California: An Examination of Disparities in Wages, Leadership Roles, and Education. Center for the Study of Child Care Employment, University of California, Berkeley; Paschall, K., Madill, R., & Halle, T. (2020). Professional Characteristics of the Early Care and Education Workforce: Descriptions by Race, Ethnicity, Languages Spoken, and Nativity Status. OPRE Report No. 2020-107. Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Educators of color are also more likely than their White colleagues to work with younger children, a role that typically corresponds with lower pay.⁴Austin, L. J. E., Edwards, B., Chávez, R., & Whitebook, M. (2019). Racial Wage Gaps in Early Education Employment. Center for the Study of Child Care Employment, University of California, Berkeley.

Workforce Size

The overall size of the early care and education workforce increased about 13 percent from nearly 2 million early educators in 2012 to more than 2.2 million in 2019 (Figure 2.1.1). The number of teaching staff in center-based settings increased about 35 percent, while there was an overall decrease in the number of providers working in home-based settings (approximately 26-percent decline among listed home-based providers and 7-percent decline among paid unlisted home-based providers).

Figure 2.1.1

Estimated Size of the Early Care and Education Workforce, By Setting, 2012 and 2019

Comparing by job roles within center-based settings, there was a greater increase in assistant teachers than in teachers between 2012 and 2019 (Figure 2.1.2). The number of assistant teachers grew by 51 percent, while the number of teachers increased by only 27 percent.

Figure 2.1.2.

Estimated Size of the Center-Based Early Care and Education Workforce, By Job Role, 2012 and 2019

Age of Children Served

The age of children served by the ECE workforce varies by setting (Figure 2.1.3). A much larger share of center-based teaching staff work exclusively with children age three to five, in comparison to those in unlisted and listed home-based programs (47 percent, 32 percent, and 7 percent, respectively). Listed home-based providers are more likely than unlisted home-based providers or center-based teaching staff to work with mixed-age groups, where children from birth to age five are served together (84 percent, 36 percent, and 24 percent, respectively).

Between 2012 and 2019, there were shifts in the share of the workforce serving different age groups in center-based settings. While about 9 percent of center-based teaching staff worked with mixed-age groups in 2012, close to one quarter (24 percent) of this workforce was working with mixed-age groups in 2019.

Figure 2.1.3.

Age of Children Served, By Setting, 2012 and 2019

Gender

The ECE workforce continues to be predominantly female, as documented in previous reports.⁵Whitebook, M., McLean, C., & Austin, L. J. E. (2016). Early Childhood Workforce Index – 2016. Center for the Study of Child Care Employment, University of California, Berkeley. About 98 percent of center-based teaching staff are female. The NSECE home-based provider surveys did not include questions about providers’ gender.

Age

Early educators age 30 to 49 make up about 40 percent of the workforce across all settings (Figure 2.1.4). Listed home-based providers tend to be older than those in center-based and unlisted home-based settings. 

Figure 2.1.4.

Age of the Early Care and Education Workforce, By Setting, 2019

Among center-based providers, educators in assistant teacher roles tend to be younger than those holding a teacher position (Figure 2.1.5).

Figure 2.1.5.

Age of Center-Based Teaching Staff, By Job Role, 2019

Languages Spoken 

The ECE workforce is linguistically diverse, largely reflecting the children they serve as a whole.⁶About 33 percent of children birth to age five have at least one parent who speaks a language other than English at home, based on the U.S. Census Bureau’s pooled 2015-2019 American Community Survey. See Migration Policy Institute. (n.d.). Young Dual Language Learners in the United States and by State. https://www.migrationpolicy.org/programs/data-hub/charts/us-state-profiles-young-dlls Early educators in home-based settings are more likely than those in center-based programs to speak another language in addition to English (Figure 2.1.6). Among center-based teaching staff, assistant teachers are slightly more likely than teachers to speak a language other than English.

Figure 2.1.6.

Languages Spoken by the Early Care and Education Workforce, By Setting and Job Role, 2019

Linguistic diversity among the ECE workforce varies by state. The American Community Survey helps paint a more nuanced picture. In all 50 states and Washington, D.C., English is the most common primary home language of early educators; however, the share of the workforce who speak English as their primary home language varies from 49 percent in California to 98 percent in North Dakota. 

In 45 states and Washington, D.C., the second most common home language is Spanish. States with the highest proportions of early educators who speak Spanish as their primary home language include California (37 percent), Florida (33 percent), Texas (32 percent), New Mexico (29 percent), Rhode Island (28 percent), and Arizona (26 percent). For detailed information on primary home languages by state, refer to Appendix Table 2.2. 

Country of Birth 

The ECE workforce includes a higher proportion of immigrants, compared to their K-12 counterparts, closely mirroring the demographics of the children they serve. Compared to center-based teaching staff, providers in home-based settings are more likely to be immigrants (Figure 2.1.7). Within center-based settings, assistant teachers are slightly more likely to be immigrants than teachers.

Figure 2.1.7.

Country of Birth of the Early Care and Education Workforce, By Setting and Job Role, 2019

Race and Ethnicity 

Overall, the racial and ethnic background of the ECE workforce⁸ The four categories of race and ethnicity used throughout this section are derived from two separate items in both the 2019 NSECE and ACS that inquire about Latino or Hispanic origin and racial identity. For our analyses, we categorize the educators who selected only Asian, Black, or White and chose “Not Hispanic or Latino” as Asian, Black, and White, respectively. We categorize the educators who reported being Hispanic or Latino and selected any racial category as “Latina.” Since the ECE workforce is predominantly composed of individuals who identify as women, we use the gender-specific term “Latina” to describe members of the workforce who identify as part of the Latin American diaspora. It should be noted that these categorizations may not fully reflect how people identify themselves. See Appendix 1: Data Sources & Methodology for detailed information on the race and ethnicity measure. is very similar to that of the children they serve,⁹ Paschall, K., Madill, R., & Halle, T. (2020). Demographic characteristics of the early care and education workforce: Comparisons with child and community characteristics. OPRE Report No. 2020-108. Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.acf.hhs.gov/opre/report/early-care-and-education-workforce-demographic-series-look-professional-characteristics unlike the K-12 teaching workforce, which is majority White.¹⁰ National Center for Education Statistics. (2023, May). Characteristics of Public School Teachers. Condition of Education. U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences. https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/clr About 40 percent of center-based teaching staff, about 49 percent of listed home-based providers, and 56 percent of unlisted home-based providers are women of color (Figure 2.1.8). 

Figure 2.1.8.

Race and Ethnicity of the Early Care and Education Workforce, By Setting, 2019

There is also a disparate representation of racial and ethnic groups in job roles among the center-based workforce. As shown in Figure 2.1.9, Asian and Latina educators are more likely than their Black and White peers to serve in assistant teacher roles. 

Figure 2.1.9.

Job Role of Center-Based Teaching Staff, By Race and Ethnicity, 2019

While the NSECE does not provide comprehensive data by state, the American Community Survey can shed some light on the overall demographics of the workforce at that level. For instance, in Mississippi and Washington, D.C., Black early educators make up the largest share of the workforce (48 and 55 percent, respectively). In California and New Mexico, Latina early educators are the largest group (47 and 55 percent, respectively). In Hawaii, Asian educators are the greatest in number (42 percent). In all other states, White educators are the largest group, ranging from 38 percent in Florida to 93 percent in New Hampshire. For detailed information on the race and ethnicity of the ECE workforce by state, refer to Appendix Table 2.3.

Age of Children Served, By Race and Ethnicity 

Early educators face a pay penalty for working with younger children (see Early Educator Pay & Economic Insecurity). As shown in Figure 2.1.10, the age of the children early educators work with varies based on the race and ethnicity of the workforce and across settings, contributing to racial wage gaps.¹¹ Austin, L. J. E., Edwards, B., Chávez, R., & Whitebook, M. (2019). Racial Wage Gaps in Early Education Employment. Center for the Study of Child Care Employment, University of California, Berkeley. Among center-based teaching staff, Black and Latina educators are somewhat more likely than White educators to work exclusively with infants and toddlers (birth to age three). Asian educators are substantially less likely than all populations to work with this age group and more likely to work with mixed-age groups. White educators are more likely than their colleagues to work exclusively with preschool-age children, a job that typically pays higher wages than working with infants and toddlers.

Unlike in other settings, most listed home-based providers work with mixed-age groups. Among listed home-based providers, Asian educators are the most likely to work exclusively with children birth to age three, and White educators are the most likely to work with mixed-age groups. Among unlisted home-based providers, Latina educators are the most likely to work with children birth to age three, and Black educators are the most likely to work with mixed-age groups.

Figure 2.1.10.

Age of Children Served, By Setting and Race and Ethnicity, 2019

Educational Background 

Contrary to the common misconception that members of the ECE workforce lack education or training, the majority of early childhood educators have some higher education across settings. Nationwide, close to one third (30 percent) of center-based teaching staff and one fifth (20 percent) of home-based providers hold a bachelor’s degree or higher (Figure 2.1.11). Another 18 percent of the ECE workforce in center-based settings, 20 percent in listed home-based settings, and about 10 percent of unlisted home-based providers hold an associate degree. 

When compared across settings, center-based teaching staff are more likely than home-based providers to have higher levels of education. This finding may be due to the fact that home-based providers tend to have fewer requirements for degree attainment (see Qualifications & Educational Supports). Home-based providers in listed settings are more likely than those in unlisted settings to have attended college or earned an associate degree.

Figure 2.1.11.

Education of the Early Care and Education Workforce, By Setting, 2019

Among the center-based workforce, teachers are more likely than assistant teachers to hold a bachelor’s degree or higher (Figure 2.1.12). This finding may be attributed to education requirements being higher for teachers than assistant teachers, especially within publicly funded pre-K programs. Compared to teachers, a higher proportion of assistant teachers hold an associate degree or have a high school diploma or less.

Figure 2.1.12.

Education of Center-Based Teaching Staff, By Job Role, 2019

Education, By Race and Ethnicity and Setting

The educational background of early educators varies with the race and ethnicity of the workforce and across settings (Figure 2.1.13). In center-based and listed home-based settings, Asian educators are the most likely to hold a bachelor’s degree or higher, compared to educators of other races or ethnicities. Among unlisted home-based providers, Black educators are more likely than educators of other races or ethnicities to hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. Across all settings, Latina educators are the least likely to hold college degrees. 

Differences in educational attainment within early care and education reflect wider racial and ethnic disparities in access to higher education, as well as differences in access to scholarships and other supports, which are unevenly available to the child care workforce (see Qualifications & Educational Supports).

Figure 2.1.13.

Education of the Early Care and Education Workforce, By Setting and Race and Ethnicity, 2019