Earning potential in childcare is (for first year out) around $22/hr. You also would only receive the 4 weeks annual leave per year and not those that teachers get. Also no paid maternity leave, etc. and conditions aren't as great as possibly in the school setting.

Each year you might go up a $ or so an hour but it ends up getting capped at probably close to the $30 mark - so definitely not the potential you have if you work in a school.