How much do child development specialists make on average? Or what are the growing challenges in this job? The statistics below will answer these questions.
The average salary for a child development specialist is $38,000 per year.
Child development specialists are responsible for the care and education of children under the age of six years old. Their duties include monitoring children’s development, preparing them for school, and helping them develop social skills.
Child development specialists may work in private homes, daycares, or other institutions that provide childcare services to children.
Salary for child development
The early stages of child development are essential as it contributes to the overall physical, emotional, and cognitive development. Experiences that a child encounters during this stage have a major impact on their behaviour and habits. A career in child development provides individuals the opportunity to shape the lives of young children. A career in child development has immense scope in India and abroad.
This Blog Includes:
- Reasons to Pursue a Career in Child Development
- Skills Required for a Career in Child Development
- Eligibility Criteria
- Popular Courses
- Top Universities Abroad for Career in Child Development
- Top Colleges in India
- Job Profiles & Salary
Reasons to Pursue a Career in Child Development
A career in child development can be extremely rewarding for individuals who have a natural affinity for young children. Formal education in child development can open up innumerable career opportunities in private and government institutions.
- Rewarding Career Path: You have the option to work with daycare centers, kindergarten and pre-school, family daycare as well as outside school hours. There is also a chance to work in center support roles such as operations manager, administration, consultative, early childhood training.
- Flexible Working Hours: Although jobs in the field of child development have a fixed schedule, there are many that offer flexible working hours. No matter your lifestyle, flexible working hours will help you build a proper work-life balance which has a positive effect on your personal life and commitments.
- Changing the Future: “Today’s children are tomorrow’s future”. As a trained professional in this field, you will get a chance to shape the lives of young children. You contribute to the development of a solid foundation through which they can build a bright future.
- Huge Demand: The increasing growth of early childhood education has led to significant demand for specialists and professionals in the field of child development. Parents and educators are seeking individuals who are well-versed in this field and have the necessary skills that can aid in the all-around development of their children.
- Relationship-Building: A career in child development requires individuals to be very practical and creative in their approach. They need to build meaningful relationships with parents, students, professional educators, and the learning community.
Skills Required for a Career in Child Development
Working with children requires individuals to have a unique set of skills. These skills are quite important and help because you will be working with different age groups.
- Verbal and non-verbal communication skills
- Empathy and compassion
- Patience and rapport
- Creativity and passion
- Enthusiasm and dedication
- Decision-making
- Analytical and problem-solving
- Behavioral management
- Leadership
- Planning
Eligibility Criteria
Before you begin your pursuit of a career in child development, you need to keep in mind that there are certain qualifications that you need to hold before applying for a job in this field. The minimum eligibility criteria for pursuing a career in child development are :
- Employers typically lookout for individuals who possess a bachelor’s degree in child development or a related field. A bachelor’s degree allows individuals to work at a preschool or elementary level or work with private or government agencies and institutions
- Individuals get more professional opportunities on the attainment of a master’s degree in this field. This allows them to set up their own clinical practice and apply for higher roles in the field of child development
- Individuals who have 2-5 years of experience working with young children are also considered for higher and professional roles
- Individuals can also earn voluntary certification which increases their chances of employability. The most well-known certification is the Child Development Associate (CDA) credential which is often a requirement for working with children under the age of 5
Popular Courses
Are you looking to build a career in child development but not sure which course will help you take one step forward? There are many courses available in India and abroad offered by top-ranked universities but do you know which course is right for you? Our AI Course Finder will match you with the right course, saving hours of research.
Bachelor’s Courses
- BA in Child Development
- BSc in Child Development
- BSc in Developmental Counseling
- BSc in Child, Adult, and Family Services
- BSc in Human Development & Family Studies: Child & Adolescent Development
- BSc in Early Childhood Education
- BEd in Special Education
- BA in Child and Adolescent Psychology
Master’s Courses
- MA in Child Development
- MA in Child and Adolescent Psychology
- MSc in Child Development
- MSc in Developmental Psychology
- MSc in Early Childhood Education
- MEd in Early Childhood Education
Top Universities Abroad for Career in Child Development
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| Name of the University | Location |
| University College London (UCL) | UK |
| Harvard University | USA |
| Stanford University | USA |
| The University of Melbourne | Australia |
| The University of Cambridge | UK |
| Nanyang Technological University (NTU) | Singapore |
| Monash University | Australia |
| The University of Auckland | New Zealand |
| Vanderbilt University | USA |
| Columbia University | USA |
| University of Toronto | Canada |
| University of Amsterdam | Netherlands |
Top Colleges in India
There are also a number of colleges across all cities in India that will provide all courses you need to study for a career in child development. Check out the list of top colleges you should consider:
| Name of the College | Location |
| St. Teresa’s College | Kerala |
| Tata Institute of Social Studies | Mumbai |
| Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) | Delhi |
| University of Delhi | Delhi |
| Bharathiar University | Coimbatore |
| SNDT Women’s University | Mumbai |
| Osmania University | Hyderabad |
Job Profiles & Salary
One of the top reasons why many people opt for a career in child development is the feeling of satisfaction and personal reward that it brings. Professionals in this field have the immense pleasure of discovering the budding potential of young children and inspire them to be the best version of themselves.
| Job Roles | Salary (p.a) |
| Child Life Specialist | Rs. 6,02,916 |
| Preschool and Childcare Centre Director | Rs. 9,75,000 |
| Parent Educator | Rs. 2,31,492 |
| Social Worker | Rs.4,89,796 |
| Kindergarten and Elementary School Teacher | Rs.2,50,252 |
| Special Education Paraprofessional | Rs.2,68,500 |
| Early Childhood Education Consultant | Rs.3,48,171 |
| Early Childhood Education Regulator | Rs.4,47,259 |
| Child Psychiatrist | Rs.19,18,712 |
| Child Psychologist | Rs.10,20,976 |
| Intervention Specialist | Rs. 1,000,000 |
