United Voice, the child care union has lodged an application for equal pay for early childhood educators with Fair Work Australia.

The application seeks to increase the wages of 68,000 early childhood educators working in long day care centres by around $10 per hour.

National President of United Voice Michael Crosby says early childhood educators are among Australia's lowest paid workers.

"The rate for Certificate III educators is just $19.07 per hour, approximately $10 an hour less than workers with comparable qualifications are paid."

"Our application is for appropriate increases which take into account educational levels and professional skills of staff. In the case of Certificate III educators it will equate to about $10 per hour," said Mr Crosby.

Mr Crosby says professional pay rates will ensure the early childhood education and care sector can attract and retain high quality staff.

"Educators' work has historically been underpaid because it has been viewed as 'women's work', drawing on skills that were traditionally unpaid as they were performed in the home. Today, child care is professionalised and its quality is assessed in accordance with high standards."

Mr Crosby said underpaying educators was not in the best interest of children being cared for:

"The low pay rates and consequent crisis in retaining and attracting staff are the greatest threat to the ability of the sector to provide quality, affordable and sustainable education and care to children," he said.