Jobs You Can Do to Work With Children

When searching for jobs working with children, there are several career paths to consider, such as the fields of education, psychology, and medicine. This article explores some of the options available to those who want to work with children. Jobs working with children offer a wide range of options that provide workplace satisfaction. Here are some options to consider:

Kindergarten teacher

Average base pay: $46,035 per year The duties of a kindergarten teacher involve basic instruction in subjects such as reading and math. Additional duties include teaching social interaction with others, teaching and supporting proper behavior, creating lesson plans, supervising children, and communicating with a child’s parent or guardian.

Elementary school teacher

Average base pay: $43,520 per year Elementary school teachers teach children basic social and academic skills and also evaluate the children’s abilities through testing and daily classwork. Teachers also grade assignments, help students develop critical-thinking skills, and help prepare those in their last year of elementary school for the transition to middle school.

Special education teacher

Average base pay: $49,235 per year Special education teachers work with students from preschool and up with physical, mental, emotional, and learning disabilities. Jobs are mostly in the public sector with a traditional school year schedule, but some schools will hold classes year-round.

School administrator

Average base pay: $44,285 per year An occupation as a school administrator covers kindergarten through secondary school-age children. There are multiple job responsibilities in this position, which include directing, coordinating, or planning the academic and administrative activities of the school or center.

Preschool director

Average base pay: $40,615 per year A preschool or childcare center director supervises the school or center’s staff. The director also creates programs, prepares the budget, and oversees day-to-day activities.

Athletic coach

Average base pay: $40,089 per year Jobs working with children who attend a school with a sports program require the services of an athletic coach whose responsibility is teaching children athletic skills and how to play games confidently as an individual, within a team environment, and competitively.

School psychologist

Average base pay: $73,460 per year School psychologists work with students on an individual basis within the school environment. They study, observe, interpret, and record information about a child’s social interactions, academics, behavior, and cognitive and emotional processes, then recommend treatment if necessary

Child social worker

Average base pay: $49,450 per year A social worker aids the child and their family in support of positive home and school environments. Responsibilities of child social workers include providing clinical services, assessments, and therapy programs and maintaining communication with the child’s parents and teachers.

School principal

Average base pay: $106,951 per year A school principal may work in a public school or a private setting performing duties for elementary through high school. The job is generally on a year-round basis. School principals are tasked with the responsibility of planning, overseeing, and monitoring the school’s daily activities and overall operations.

Pediatric dental hygienist

Average base pay: $62,027 per year As a licensed pediatric dental hygienist, the primary duties are examining the child’s mouth for oral diseases, completing cleanings, taking impressions, helping educate the child about proper oral hygiene, and doing x-rays.

Pediatric dentist

Average base pay: $161,018 per year Specializing in children’s dental health, a pediatric dentist provides diagnosis, performs checkups, and applies applicable procedures when needed. Dentists can work independently, with partners, or as part of the staff in a dental practice.

Speech and language pathologists

Average base pay: $61,172 per year A career with children as a speech and language pathologist may be in a private practice or the school system. The pathologist’s responsibility is to help children prevent swallowing and communication disorders through observation and diagnosis and to provide treatment.

Respiratory therapy technician

Average base pay: $49,395 per year Working with kids who have asthma or other respiratory issues is the responsibility of a respiratory therapist. Standard duties include interviewing patients, performing diagnostic tests, conferring with doctors to create a plan for treatment, monitoring the patient throughout treatment, and explaining the proper use of equipment and medication.

Occupational therapist

Average base pay: $75,816 per year An occupational therapist provides care for children who have been injured or have disabilities. Responsibilities include interviewing the patient, evaluating their needs, designing a treatment plan with specific activities, providing treatment, recording patient progress, and educating parents about proper care for their child while in therapy.

Pediatric registered nurse practitioner

Average base pay: $110,076 per year A nurse practitioner may work in a hospital or within the school system with several duties to perform for children, which include immunizations, physical examinations, and providing health screenings.

Art therapist

Average base pay: $45,371 per year Art therapists use a combination of psychology and art to provide therapy in support of a patient’s emotional well-being or help children with special needs due to mental or physical illness. Therapists work with a variety of art media, do individual assessments, design plans for specific treatments, and continue to expand their knowledge base via research and implementing new techniques.

Recreation worker

Average base pay: $67,782 per year Recreation workers spend their time working in parks, community and recreation centers, residential facilities, and camps. Their duties include planning and leading activities for various ages and skill levels, explaining rules and regulations, maintaining a safe environment, and sometimes providing basic first aid.

Children’s photographer

Average base pay: $30,367 per year Photographers use their expertise, equipment, lighting, and software along with planning photographic compositions to capture individual images or family pictures in different poses and settings.

Library assistant

Average base pay: $24,960 per year Whether working in a public setting or a school, one of the duties of a library assistant is helping children find books to read and videos to watch. Duties may also include planning and participating in programs for children, issuing library cards, checking out materials and collecting returned items, and instructing kids on how to use library resources.

Nanny

Average base pay: $30,001 per year Working part-time or full-time, a private nanny usually provides services in the child’s home. General duties involve supervising and monitoring children to ensure safety, dressing, preparing and feeding, organizing activities, playing, and keeping records for parents.