Careers Working With Babies

Careers that involve working with babies span multiple industries, including childcare, education, healthcare, and social services. Child development specialists, neonatal dieticians, pediatricians, and child and family social workers all work with babies on a daily basis. Others working with babies include childcare workers, neonatal nurses, and developmental psychologists.

This guide introduces several careers that involve working with babies and young children. It also includes information on common degrees, career and salary outlooks, and scholarship opportunities for students seeking careers working with babies.

Pursuing a degree that leads to careers working with babies offers several personal and professional benefits. The following list outlines several of these benefits.

Careers in healthcare and education offer many opportunities to care for newborns, infants, and toddlers. For example, both neonatal nurses and childcare workers spend their days caring for babies.

Some careers working with babies require an associate degree or bachelor’s degree, while other career paths require a graduate degree. For example, pediatricians and child psychologists need a doctorate.

This section introduces common specializations, also known as concentrations or tracks, for careers that involve working with babies. Many other specializations, including social work and dietetics, also lead to child-focused careers.

The most common degrees that lead to careers working with babies include healthcare, social science, and education. For example, nursing students, early childhood education majors, and social work majors often pursue careers working with babies. This section introduces common degrees that lead to jobs caring for babies.

A pre-med degree prepares college graduates for medical school. Most colleges do not offer a formal pre-med major. Instead, undergrads choose majors that meet the prerequisite requirements for med school, completing coursework in areas like biology, chemistry, physics, biochemistry, and statistics. A social science or humanities degree also prepares graduates for med school.

After earning an undergraduate degree, prospective doctors must take the MCAT and apply to medical school. In medical school, they complete specialized training for roles like pediatrician and pediatric surgeon.

Neonatal and pediatric nurses work with babies. Nurses can specialize their training during an undergraduate nursing degree. Nursing programs incorporate clinical rotations in different settings to prepare nurses for jobs working with babies. Graduate nursing programs prepare nurses to move into advanced practice roles that lead to working with babies, such as nurse midwife, pediatric nurse practitioner, and family nurse practitioner.

In addition to earning a nursing degree, registered nurses must apply for a license from their state and pass the NCLEX-RN exam.

An early childhood education degree prepares graduates for jobs working with babies and children, including childcare worker, preschool teacher, and preschool director. During an early childhood education degree, learners explore educational practices, developmental milestones, and early childhood curriculum development. Many programs emphasize a play-based learning approach where educators incorporate basic skills in playtime activities.

In addition to coursework, early childhood education majors complete practicum hours to gain hands-on experience working with babies.

A psychology degree emphasizes research, analytical, and critical thinking skills. During a psychology degree, majors take courses on topics like abnormal psychology, psychology research, experimental psychology, and statistics.

About 57% of graduates with a bachelor’s in psychology enter the workforce immediately after graduation, while the rest pursue a graduate degree. Psychology careers that involve working with babies include child psychologist and developmental psychologist, both of which require a doctorate. Other potential career paths include child development specialist, case worker, and childcare worker.

Professionals may interact with infants and care for young children in many fields, including education, childcare, social services, and healthcare. Salaries vary by factors like industry, role, experience, and education. This section introduces career and salary data for common careers that involve working with babies.

Preschool and childcare center directors manage childcare workers and oversee daily operations at childcare facilities. They create educational plans, manage budgets, and hire staff members. Preschool and childcare center directors also set policies, monitor standards, and communicate with parents.

Social workers help families manage various issues and challenges in their lives. Child and family social workers may investigate suspected neglect and abuse to protect young children. They may also help families find childcare and housing, arrange adoptions, and work closely with foster families.

Physicians and surgeons who specialize in family medicine or pediatrics care for babies. Pediatricians, for instance, care for newborns, infants, and young children. They diagnose medical conditions, recommend treatments, and educate parents on caring for babies. Pediatric surgeons treat neonatal and infant disorders and diseases. These careers require a medical degree.

Psychologists diagnose and treat mental health issues. Several psychology specializations involve working with infants and young children, including child psychology, clinical psychology, and developmental psychology. For example, developmental psychologists research psychological development from birth through old age, with some focusing on babies. Psychologists typically need a doctorate and a state-issued license to practice.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

Many organizations offer certifications and licenses for professionals in jobs that involve working with babies. For example, neonatal nurses, childcare workers, and social workers can pursue professional credentials to demonstrate their skills and training. Most certifications set minimum education requirements and include a certification exam.

Students pursuing degrees that lead to careers working with babies can take advantage of scholarships to lower the cost of their degree. Professional associations, private foundations, and government agencies all support degree-seekers interested in careers working with babies. The following list outlines several scholarship opportunities for students seeking careers that involve working with babies.