How much does a preschool teacher make? And how much does a kindergarten teacher make? If you’ve always enjoyed dealing with children, you might want to explore becoming an early childhood educator.
Because of the joy that comes with teaching essential skills to children under the age of six, teaching children under the age of six can be a highly gratifying way to earn a career. In this post, we’ll look at what an early childhood teacher does and what kind of salary you can anticipate.
What’s an early childhood teacher?
A teacher in the field of early childhood education usually works with children ranging in age from six months to six years. Some early childhood educators, on the other hand, can deal with children as young as eight years old.
They concentrate on a child’s early years, usually before they enter first grade. Children are taught at preschools, childcare facilities, and other educational settings. Teachers of young children guarantee that their students are in a secure and pleasant setting where they can learn and improve their abilities.
How to become an early childhood teacher
Teachers in early childhood education generally pursue a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education or similar fields of study by taking higher education courses in childhood development and teaching methodologies. To earn their teaching license or certificate, they must complete a student teaching practicum and pass an exam in addition to the coursework.
How much does a preschool teacher make? (average salary)
The average compensation for a preschool teacher in the United States is $12.60 per hour. The annual salary is mostly determined by the candidate’s educational degree and teaching location.
- Preschool teachers earn an average yearly salary of $24,070.
- Wages typically start from $16,672 and go up to $34,750.
How to become a preschool teacher
A preschool teacher’s main objective is to prepare children aged three to five for kindergarten by providing them with the necessary information. A high school diploma and an early childhood education certification are required for those teaching in a home school or private company environment.
Schools and daycare facilities often require employees to have an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in childhood development. They’ll almost certainly have to go through a background check and provide proof of vaccination.
Duties of a preschool teacher
Preschool instructors teach young children the fundamental abilities they will need later in life to be successful. This job requires people who like dealing with children and who have a patient and caring disposition.
The following are some of the primary responsibilities of a preschool teacher:
- Encourage language learning.
- Enhance social skills.
- Create lesson plans.
- Handle behavioral issues.
- Create a safe environment for learning and education.
- Adhere to the preschool curriculum.
- Teach fundamental math, scientific principles, letter recognition, color identification, and form recognition.
- Encourage creativity.
- Observe youngsters and report any concerns with their conduct.
- Keep track of your academic progress.
- Encourage people to interact positively.
- Allow time for naps and food.
- Make contact with your parents.
- Ensure that the environment is clean and safe.
- Use painting, music, and other creative activities.
- Make arrangements for field excursions and exploratory outings.
- Enforce the manners and norms.
How much do kindergarten teachers make? (average salary)
The average national pay for a kindergarten teacher in the United States is $41,021 per year, however these figures fluctuate. Pay varies a lot depending on where you work and what you do.
How to become a kindergarten teacher
A bachelor’s degree in elementary education is required for anyone wishing to work as a kindergarten teacher. Specialization in a certain field might help you get a better job and earn more money.
Kindergarten instructors are commonly found in elementary schools and daycare centers. They, like their students, are on summer break.
This allows them to augment their annual income, however they can opt to have their compensation spread out over a year or get more during the school year’s working months.
Duties of a kindergarten teacher
Kindergarten instructors work with students who are at least five years old at the start of the school year. Teachers focus on basic arithmetic and reading abilities throughout the year to build a strong foundation of essential topics.
Concepts taught throughout a child’s formative years, often known as early childhood, have a significant impact on his or her educational destiny. The majority of youngsters learn to read and solve elementary math problems at this age.
Teachers must endeavor to ensure that students have a pleasant learning experience that will stick with them throughout their lives.
Kindergarten instructors can have the following key responsibilities:
- Implement a core curriculum that is age-appropriate.
- Teach fundamental arithmetic, science, reading, writing, and language skills, as well as social studies.
- Make lesson plans and assessments.
- Grading assignments and keeping track of progress are both important.
- Fun activities can be used to enhance lectures.
- Make science and art projects.
- Encourage excellent manners and respect.
- Provide additional assistance in the classroom.
- Playtime and hands-on learning should be combined.
- Make grant applications.
- Maintain open lines of communication with parents and school personnel.
- Ensure that everyone in the classroom is safe.
- Notify authorities if you notice any symptoms of abuse or neglect.
- Students should be prepared for first grade.
- It’s not always simple to quantify the amount of effort required to educate a group of kids. People considering a career as a kindergarten teacher should have a fair idea of what to expect based on this list of key tasks.
How much do special education preschool teachers make? (average salary)
The average national income for a special education teacher in the United States is $48,216 per year. Teachers who deal with special needs preschoolers must have a bachelor’s degree in special education and, in certain cases, a master’s degree in special education.
How much do special education kindergarten teachers make? (average salary)
In the United States, the average national income for a special education kindergarten teacher is $48,216 per year. Teachers who work with kindergarten-aged children have a bachelor’s degree in special education and earn roughly the same as those who deal with preschool-aged children with special needs.
Salary, on the other hand, varies based on the type of job and degree of schooling. A professional’s average yearly salary is also influenced by further credentials.
Early childhood teachers earnings by seniority
Top-level preschool teacher earnings begin at:
$16.71 per hour, $34,750 per year.
Senior-level preschool teacher earnings begin at:
$14.04 per hour, $29,202 per year.
Mid-level preschool teacher earnings begin at:
$11.57 per hour, $24,070 per year.
Junior-level preschool teacher earnings begin at:
$9.54 per hour, $19,840 per year.
Starting level preschool teacher earnings begin at:
$8.02 per hour, $16,672 per year.
Early childhood teacher salaries by every state
Preschool teacher salary by state:
- Alabama: $11.28 per hour
- Alaska:$15.18 per hour
- Arizona: $15.09 per hour
- Arkansas: $11.29 per hour
- California: $17.44 per hour
- Colorado: $14.64 per hour
- Connecticut: $15.98 per hour
- Delaware: $11.35 per hour
- Florida: $12.38 per hour
- Georgia: $11.14 per hour
- Hawaii: $19.02 per hour
- Idaho: $11.25 per hour
- Illinois: $13.85 per hour
- Indiana: $11.24 per hour
- Iowa: $11.97 per hour
- Kansas: $11.39 per hour
- Kentucky: $11.16 per hour
- Louisiana: $14.06 per hour
- Maine: $13.55 per hour
- Maryland: $15.26 per hour
- Massachusetts: $16.65 per hour
- Michigan: $12.15 per hour
- Minnesota: $15.54 per hour
- Mississippi: $13.43 per hour
- Missouri: $12.72 per hour
- Montana: $14.98 per hour
- Nebraska: $12.29 per hour
- Nevada: $12.50 per hour
- New Hampshire: $13.52 per hour
- New Jersey: $16.08 per hour
- New Mexico: $12.62 per hour
- New York State: $18.13 per hour
- North Carolina: $12.21 per hour
- North Dakota: $13.57 per hour
- Ohio: $12.20 per hour
- Oklahoma: $10.27 per hour
- Oregon: $14.68 per hour
- Pennsylvania: $13.74 per hour
- Rhode Island: $12.08 per hour
- South Carolina: $10.44 per hour
- South Dakota: $14.84 per hour
- Tennessee: $11.83 per hour
- Texas: $11.29 per hour
- Utah: $13.16 per hour
- Vermont: $13.90 per hour
- Virginia: $13.22 per hour
- Washington: $16.74 per hour
- West Virginia: $15.53 per hour
- Wisconsin: $12.82 per hour
- Wyoming: $10.70 per hour
Information from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
How do preschool teacher salaries compare to similar careers?
Preschool instructors make 32% less than their counterparts in the United States. They earn less than clergies on average, but more than childcare workers.
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Patrick Algrim is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW), NCDA Certified Career Counselor (CCC), and general career expert. Patrick has completed the NACE Coaching Certification Program (CCP). And has been published as a career expert on Forbes, Glassdoor, American Express, Reader’s Digest, LiveCareer, Zety, Yahoo, Recruiter.com, SparkHire, SHRM.org, Process.st, FairyGodBoss, HRCI.org, St. Edwards University, NC State University, IBTimes.com, Thrive Global, TMCnet.com, Work It Daily, Workology, Career Guide, MyPerfectResume, College Career Life, The HR Digest, WorkWise, Career Cast, Elite Staffing, Women in HR, All About Careers, Upstart HR, The Street, Monster, The Ladders, Introvert Whisperer, and many more. Find him on LinkedIn.
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