SOC 39-9011 · Elkhart-Goshen, IN metro

Childcare Workers Salary in Elkhart, IN

The average salary for childcare workers in Elkhart, Indiana is $30,800 a year ($14.81 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $29,790: half of the 130 people in this job in the Elkhart-Goshen, IN metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 13% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($35,505).

$30,800average per year

$14.81 / hourMedian $29,790Take-home ≈ $25,438

  • $24K10th
  • $29K25th
  • $30KMedian
  • $31K75th
  • $37K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

130people in this job
-13%vs U.S. metro average
#6 of 11Indiana metros
90cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Childcare Workers pay range in Elkhart

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $24,290 a year or less, while the top 10% make $37,410 or more. The middle half of childcare workers in Elkhart earn between $28,630 and $30,830.

  • $24K10th
  • $29K25th
  • $30KMedian
  • $31K75th
  • $37K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$30,800$2,567$14.81
Median$29,790$2,482$14.32
Entry level (25th percentile)$28,630$2,386$13.76
Experienced (75th percentile)$30,830$2,569$14.82

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.

Childcare Workers salary after taxes in Elkhart

On the average salary of $30,800, a single filer in Elkhart takes home about $25,438 a year, or $2,120 a month and $978 every two weeks. Taxes take 17% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). Includes Elkhart's local income tax (2%).

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Is Elkhart a good place for childcare workers? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Elkhart area are 10% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 90.3), so the average $30,800 buys what about $34,099 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.6 times the median wage of all jobs in Elkhart ($48,070). A typical home costs $265,734, or 8.6 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $30,800 is worth in another city

Childcare Workers salary in other Indiana cities

Elkhart ranks 6th of 11 Indiana metro areas for this job; Muncie pays the most ($32,590).

All Childcare Workers salaries in Indiana

Highest-paying cities for childcare workers

Sarasota, FL pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($52,680).

Childcare Workers salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Childcare Workers in Elkhart, IN.

Childcare Workers salary in Elkhart: questions

How much do childcare workers make an hour in Elkhart?

$14.81 an hour on average, and $14.32 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level childcare workers salary in Elkhart?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $24,290 a year and the 25th percentile is $28,630, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the childcare workers take-home pay in Elkhart?

About $25,438 a year ($2,120 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $30,800. Includes Elkhart's local income tax (2%).

Do childcare workers earn more in Elkhart than elsewhere?

The average here is 13% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($35,505).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 39-9011; area Elkhart-Goshen, IN (21140). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.9%.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). Includes Elkhart's local income tax (2%).
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.29, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.29).

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