State-Level Median Earnings Data to Inform Draft “Do No Harm” Regulations
Median earnings estimates derived from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2024 ACS 5-year data
Unless otherwise noted, estimates are from the 2024 American Community Survey (ACS), 5-Year Estimates and reflect working adults ages 25–34 who were not enrolled in postsecondary education at the time of the survey. “Working adults” are defined as individuals with nonzero earnings in the previous year.
Estimates marked with an asterisk (*) are based on sample sizes of 50 or fewer individuals and should be interpreted with caution, as small samples can produce unstable or erratic estimates. Blank cells indicate that there were no applicable individuals in the sample, rather than that data were unavailable.
The childcare workforce is identified using the methodology developed by the Center for the Study of Child Care Employment (CSCCE) for the Early Childhood Workforce Index 2024. This method combines ACS occupation and industry codes to define the set of roles included in the childcare workforce category.
The final column uses data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and is included for comparison. Because ACS and BLS data are drawn from different sources and may use different definitions, collection methods, and universes, values in that column may not be directly comparable to the ACS-based estimates.