AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 39-9011.00

Will AI replace Childcare Workers?

Childcare Workers: AI can already handle 3 of 24 tasks; the work mostly needs a standard-tier model.

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Every task, scored

The 24 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Childcare Workers, from most to least exposed. 3 reach 60 or more, the level at which AI already handles a task.

Task AI exposure Evidence Model tier Importance
Create developmentally appropriate lesson plans. 85 Observed Frontier 4.1
Perform general administrative tasks, such as taking attendance, editing internal paperwork, and making phone calls. 65 Observed Standard 4.2
Discipline children and recommend or initiate other measures to control behavior, such as caring for own clothing and picking up toys and books. 60 Estimated Standard 4.0
Observe and monitor children's play activities. 55 Estimated Standard 4.5
Communicate with children's parents or guardians about daily activities, behaviors, and related issues. 55 Estimated Frontier 4.4
Care for children in institutional setting, such as group homes, nursery schools, private businesses, or schools for people with disabilities. 55 Estimated Efficient 4.3
Sanitize toys and play equipment. 55 Estimated Efficient 4.3
Dress children and change diapers. 55 Estimated Efficient 4.3
Keep records on individual children, including daily observations and information about activities, meals served, and medications administered. 55 Estimated Standard 4.3
Instruct children in health and personal habits, such as eating, resting, and toilet habits. 55 Estimated Standard 4.2
Organize and store toys and materials to ensure order in activity areas. 55 Estimated Efficient 4.2
Sterilize bottles and prepare formulas. 55 Estimated Efficient 4.2
Help children with homework and school work. 55 Estimated Standard 4.2
Assist in preparing food and serving meals and refreshments to children. 55 Estimated Efficient 4.0
Regulate children's rest periods. 55 Estimated Efficient 3.8
Organize and participate in recreational activities and outings, such as games and field trips. 55 Estimated Frontier 3.8
Accompany children to and from school, on outings, and to medical appointments. 55 Estimated Efficient 3.5
Support children's emotional and social development, encouraging understanding of others and positive self-concepts. 50 Estimated Frontier 4.3
Identify signs of emotional or developmental problems in children and bring them to parents' or guardians' attention. 50 Estimated Standard 4.2
Read to children and teach them simple painting, drawing, handicrafts, and songs. 35 Estimated Efficient 4.0
Perform general personnel functions, such as supervision, training, and scheduling. 35 Estimated Efficient 3.8
Maintain a safe play environment. 20 Estimated Efficient 4.7
Perform housekeeping duties, such as laundry, cleaning, dish washing, and changing of linens. 12 Estimated No tier 4.1
Provide care for children with physical, developmental, or mental health disabilities. 10 Estimated No tier 4.2

Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 2 of 24 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 22 of 24. Importance is O*NET's 1 to 5 rating of how central the task is. Model tier is the lowest tier that can do the task under the published rubric; "No tier" marks hands-on work.

The model tier this role needs

A standard-tier model or lower covers 75% of the role's importance-weighted task work. 92% of the work is something AI can address at some tier, and 8% is hands-on.

Efficient, standard and frontier tiers come from the JobRoute model tier reference. The recommended tier is the lowest one that covers 80% of the work AI can address. How the method works.

Wages, employment and outlook

US employment
518,910
Median annual wage
$34,980
Middle half of earners
$29,360 to $38,570
Projected change, 2024 to 2034
-2.9%

Employment and wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, national. Projection: BLS Employment Projections 2024 to 2034. BLS publishes these figures by SOC code, so O*NET occupations that share a SOC code show the same figures.

Adjacent roles

The occupations that reuse the most of this role's skills, with the usual time to move. These are the first places to look when you plan to redeploy or retrain people in this role.

Skill overlap and transition time from the JobRoute role adjacency graph on O*NET 30.3 skills.

Questions about Childcare Workers and AI

Will AI replace Childcare Workers?

AI already handles 3 of the 24 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, at a task exposure of 60 or more, and the role's importance-weighted exposure is 50 out of 100. JobRoute scores tasks, not whole jobs, so the score shows how much of the work changes rather than whether the job disappears. BLS projects employment to change by -2.9% from 2024 to 2034.

What is the AI exposure of Childcare Workers?

50 out of 100 on JobRoute's task exposure measure, the importance-weighted average of the role's O*NET task scores. Higher means more of the work is AI-doable today. 2 of the 24 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 22 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.

Which Childcare Workers tasks can AI already do?

The tasks with the highest exposure are: Create developmentally appropriate lesson plans; Perform general administrative tasks, such as taking attendance, editing internal paperwork, and making phone calls; Discipline children and recommend or initiate other measures to control behavior, such as caring for own clothing and picking up toys and books. They are the tasks that reach 60 or more.

What AI model tier does this role need?

A standard-tier model or lower covers 75% of the role's importance-weighted task work. JobRoute assigns each task the lowest tier that can do it under a published rubric and recommends the lowest tier that covers 80% of the work AI can address.

How many people work as Childcare Workers, and what do they earn?

518,910 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $34,980 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of -2.9% from 2024 to 2034.

How to cite

Data version 2026-11-02, JobRoute method v1.0.0. Download all occupations or this occupation as JSON. Methodology.

JobRoute (2026). AI exposure: Childcare Workers. Data version 2026-11-02, method v1.0.0. Built on O*NET 30.3, BLS OEWS May 2025 and the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026). CC BY 4.0. https://www.jobroute.ai/jobs/childcare-workers

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