This factsheet is the second in a three-part series presenting findings from a survey of 2,379 Maryland early care and education (ECE) workers conducted in Fall 2024. This factsheet examines survey respondents' compensation, perceptions of pay, and source of health insurance.
Key Findings
- Compensation among center workers did not rise with experience and typically remained below the estimated living wage.
- Among family child care providers, 2 out of 3 reported their business either lost money or broke even over the past year.
- Across roles and settings, roughly half to two thirds of Maryland's ECE workforce reported that their pay is a source of stress and that they are considering other jobs due to pay.
- Most of Maryland’s ECE workforce members are not enrolled in an employer-sponsored health-insurance plan.
Methods
The research findings presented in this product were based on an analysis of a Maryland ECE workforce survey conducted in Fall 2024. Administrative data were used to identify eligible ECE workforce members who worked in licensed child care programs as of June 1, 2024 and had an email address in the data. A total of 24,726 ECE workforce members received an invitation to participate in the survey. Each ECE workforce member received a unique link to the survey. The final sample consisted of 2,379 respondents, including center directors (16%), center lead teachers (34%), center aides/floaters (11%), and family child care (FCC) owners (15%).
Data were weighted to be representative of the Maryland ECE workforce.
Suggested citation: Ulmen, K., Gerson, C., Forry, N., Lin, Y., Madill, R., Banghart, P., & Solomon, B. (2026). Compensation and benefits among Maryland child care providers. Child Trends. DOI: 10.56417/8561s1370s