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Early Childhood Educator Compensation

Early Childcare Educator

Nova Scotia’s Early Childhood Educator (ECE) compensation framework will help support licensed centers to offer more care, stabilize and grow the Early Childhood Education workforce and the child care sector.

ECEs working in licensed centres and family home agencies that receive funding received a wage increase, retroactive to July 4, 2022. The wage increase took effect last Fall.

On this page

  1. Highlights
  2. Wage Scale
    • Current Wage Scale – In effect until March 31, 2023
    • New Wage Scale – Comes into effect April 1, 2023
    • ECE Compensation Fact Sheet
    • Timeline
    • How will retroactive pay work?
    • ECE Upskilling Fact Sheet
    • Quality Investment Grant (QIG) Operator Guide
  3. Frequently Asked Questions
  4. Sector Memos
    • Sector call (recording and slides)
  5. Posters

Highlights

  • Level 1, 2 and 3 ECEs and Directors working in licensed centres are now part of a provincially funded wage scale that will receive annual increases in line with the public sector.
  • All ECEs will receive the increase; including those with ‘red circled’ rates of pay
  • The first increase of 3% will occur on April 1, 2023
  • Another 0.5% increase will be provided on March 31, 2024
  • Other wage highlights include an education premium of $1.50/hour for graduates of the Advanced Practitioner Program
  • Wage increases will flow through employers (licensed, funded centres and agencies)

Are you interested in learning more about becoming an ECE or increasing your existing qualifications?

Check out the ECE Upskilling Factsheet and the programs and funding available, including the Advanced Practitioner Pilot Program at https://www.ednet.ns.ca/ece/training

Current Wage Scale

Position & Level Years of Experience
<1 1-2 2-3 3-4 4-5+
Director - Level 1 $22.92 $23.60​ $24.31​ $25.04​ $25.79​
Director - Level 2​ ​/ School Age $24.98​ $25.73​ $26.50​ $27.29​ $28.11​
Director - Level 3​ ​ $26.01​ $26.79​ $27.59​ $28.42​ $29.27​
Assistant Director / Inclusion Coordinator - Level 1​ ​ $21.01​ $21.64​ $22.29​ $22.96​ $23.64​
Assistant Director / Inclusion Coordinator - Level 2​ / School Age $22.90​ $23.58​ $24.29​ $25.02​ $25.77​
Assistant Director / Inclusion Coordinator - Level 3​ ​ $23.84​ $24.55​ $25.29​ $26.05​ $26.83​
ECE - Level 1​ $19.10​ $19.67​ $20.26​ $20.87​ $21.49​
ECE - Level 2 / School Age​ $20.81​ $21.44​ $22.08​ $22.74​ $23.43​
ECE - Level 3​ $21.67​ $22.32​ $22.99​ $23.68​ $24.39​

New Wage Scale – Comes into effect April 1, 2023

Position & Level Years of Experience
<1 1-2 2-3 3-4 4-5+
Director - Level 1 $23.61 $24.31​ $25.04 $25.79​ $26.56​
Director - Level 2​ /​ School Age $25.73 $26.50 $27.30 $28.11 $28.95​
Director - Level 3​ ​ ​$26.79 $27.59 $28.42 $29.27 $30.15
Assistant Director / Inclusion Coordinator - Level 1​ ​ $21.64 $22.29 $22.96 $23.65 $24.35
Assistant Director / Inclusion Coordinator - Level 2​ / School Age $23.59 $24.29 $25.02 $25.77 $26.54
Assistant Director / Inclusion Coordinator - Level 3​ ​ $24.56 $25.29 $26.05 $26.83 $27.63
ECE - Level 1​ $19.67 $20.26 $20.87 $21.50 $22.13
ECE - Level 2 / School Age​ $21.43 $22.08 $22.74 $23.42 $24.13
ECE - Level 3​ $22.32 $22.99 $23.68 $24.39 $25.12

Frequently Asked Questions

  • The wage increase applies to all trained and classified Level 1, 2 and 3 ECEs, Directors and Assistant Directors in funded, licenced child care settings.
  • ECEs working in Family Home Agencies are included

  • Yes. Classified ECEs (Level 1, 2, 3,) who are family home child care providers working with a family home child care agency, will receive additional compensation.
  • Funding will flow from Agencies to classified ECEs working in Family Home settings.  

  • The 3% wage increase will begin flowing after April 1, in accordance with employer’s payroll schedules. If you have questions about timing, please discuss with your Operator or Agency.

  • All entry level and untrained staff are receiving increased funding to account for minimum wage increases. 
  • We are committed to assessing other staff that support early learning and child care delivery through the development of an operational funding model.

  • Yes. The wage scale will be adjusted to ensure pay raises are consistent with overall public sector wage increases beyond 2023/2024.

Sector call: recording and presentation

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