Early Childhood Educators Pay Equity: A Dream Deferred

Abstract

Insufficient wages and unequal pay create challenges in attracting and retaining highquality early educators, critical for young children’s success in early care and education (ECE) programs. While ECE professional wages are already lower than similar workers, there may be wage disparities based on race/ethnicity and gender within the workforce. To examine whether hourly wages were associated with race/ethnicity and gender after considering demographic and professional characteristics, this study used a nationally representative sample of 5,192 ECE professionals in the 2019 National Survey of Early Care and Education (NSECE) workforce survey. Multivariate regression analyses showed that compared to their White counterparts, Black, Asian, Hispanic/Latino, and other races, educators earned lower hourly wages. Additionally, this study revealed that the intersection of race/ethnicity and gender has a compounding effect on pay equity among early childhood educators. For example, the wage gap between Black/African American male and female educators is significant, with male educators earning higher hourly wages. Moreover, the study found that women of color, including Black, Hispanic/Latina, Asian, and other races, had the lowest average hourly wages compared to other ECE workers. Additionally, the study’s results indicate that Black and Hispanic/Latino men had higher average hourly wages than women of color but lower average hourly wages than white women. The study explored possible reasons for these findings and their implications for policies and support.