Childcare Landscape Study - Flipbook - Page 102
Davidson County Child Care Landscape Study Results
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In other words, in the cost estimation model, each classroom educator receives a wage that
recognizes their level of responsibility (i.e., lead or rotating assistant), education level, and
experience. Using a wage scale ensures fair wages across educators and provides a pathway for
career advancement to promote educator growth and retention. The wage scale starts at $23.00
per hour (i.e., above the ALICE Household Survival Budget Threshold) for rotating assistants
with the minimum level of education and no experience. Lead teachers have a starting wage of
$27.60 per hour to recognize the additional responsibilities of their role.
Each additional degree or level of educational attainment increases an educator’s wage, and
each year of experience increases an educator’s wage (see Appendix A). First-year lead
educators with a bachelor’s degree would earn $32.20 using this wage scale. By comparison,
certified pre-K teachers with a bachelor's degree employed by Metro Nashville Public Schools
earn $35.57 per hour under the district's 2025 salary schedule.f,22 Leadership and support staff
were also assigned wages according to the level of responsibility and expectations of their role.
Next, we estimated total staffing costs at the example center. We use data on the education
and experience levels of educators in greater Davidson County, as reported on the Child
Care Provider Survey, to estimate wages for educators at the example center. Greater
Davidson County has many educators with more than the minimum required education and
experience levels; therefore, on average, educators would earn $32.64 per hour. For
example, an estimated 36 percent of the workforce have a bachelor’s degree or higher, and
66 percent have at least 3 years of experience.g,23 Figure 3 compares the average wage used
in the cost estimation model to the current average local wage and the ALICE Threshold.
Figure 3: Comparison of Greater Davidson County ECE Hourly Wage Levels
$32.64
$22.50
$18.15
Current Average Wage
ALICE Household Survival
Budget Threashold
Cost Estimation Model Average
Wage
Source: Davidson County Child Care Provider Experience Survey. The Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center, 2025. n=246. 2025
Davidson County Child Care Cost Estimation Model. The Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center, 2025. United for ALICE, 2025.
f Metro Nashville Public School 2025 salary schedule can be found at
https://www.mnps.org/careers/salaries-and-resources.
g The wages used in this cost estimation model are specific to the cost of living in the greater Davidson County area, which
has a relatively high cost of living compared to other areas in the state; the minimum wage needed to provide for basic needs
would be lower in areas with a lower cost of living, which would lead to lower overall child care costs.
Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center 2026
www.pn3policy.org
