SOC 25-2012.00

    Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education

    Teach academic and social skills to kindergarten students.

    Median pay
    $62,680
    Growth
    -0.3%
    Little or no change
    Openings a year
    11,900
    Typical education
    Bachelor's degree

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition

    Source: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

    See the pathway

    Annual pay range

    Lowest 10% earn less than
    $46,990
    Median
    $62,680
    Highest 10% earn more than
    $101,830
    National wages for all workers in this occupation. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

    108,870 people work in this occupation.

    In short

    Kindergarten teachers instruct young children in basic academic and social skills. These educators earn a median annual pay of $62,680, with salaries ranging from under $46,990 to over $101,830.

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What kindergarten teachers, except special education do

    Job Zone 4: Considerable preparation

    Teach academic and social skills to kindergarten students.

    Most need a bachelor's degree and several years of related experience.

    What the work is like

    Kindergarten teachers focus on teaching and training young students during a critical stage of development. Their daily work involves planning, organizing, and prioritizing classroom activities while developing clear learning objectives. Because this career is highly social, teachers must excel at establishing and maintaining interpersonal relationships, communicating clearly with colleagues and supervisors, and caring for their students. They use creative thinking to design engaging lessons and solve classroom problems as they arise.

    To succeed, teachers need strong skills in instructing, active listening, and social perceptiveness. They must monitor student progress, use effective learning strategies, and manage classroom time efficiently. This role requires deep knowledge of education, training, psychology, and the English language, alongside basic mathematics and personal service. Teachers must approach their work with empathy, cooperation, and optimism. Maintaining self-control, stress tolerance, and perseverance helps them navigate the daily challenges of a classroom environment.

    How to get there

    Entering this career typically requires a bachelor's degree. Because this occupation involves considerable preparation, most candidates also need several years of experience in a related educational setting. Students preparing for this field often major in teacher education and professional development for specific levels and methods, bilingual and multicultural education, or teaching English or French as a second language.

    Depending on the location, some states list a license for this work. Teachers can also pursue professional credentials to demonstrate their expertise. Examples of these certifications include the National Board Certification - Early Childhood - Generalist from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, the DoDEA Certification from the Department of Defense Education Activity, and the National Career Readiness Certificate from ACT.

    Pay and outlook explained

    In 2025, the median annual pay for these kindergarten teachers was $62,680. The lowest 10% of earners made less than $46,990, while the highest 10% earned more than $101,830. There are 108,870 people employed in this field. From 2025 to 2035, employment is projected to experience little or no change, with a growth rate of -0.3%. Despite this flat growth, schools are still projected to have 11,900 openings each year to replace teachers who leave the occupation.

    Interest profile

    Realistic (R)
    28 / 100
    Investigative (I)
    35 / 100
    Artistic (A)
    50 / 100
    Social (S) · strongest
    100 / 100
    Enterprising (E)
    25 / 100
    Conventional (C)
    47 / 100
    How strongly each interest area describes the work, from O*NET (scores rescaled to 0–100). The interest code lists the strongest areas in order.

    Interest code SAC. Compare it with yours

    What you'd do

    Thinking Creatively
    81
    Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
    80
    Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
    78
    Developing Objectives and Strategies
    76
    Making Decisions and Solving Problems
    75
    Training and Teaching Others
    74
    Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
    74
    Getting Information
    72
    Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
    70
    Assisting and Caring for Others
    69
    Work activities rated by importance for this occupation, O*NET (0–100).

    Skills and strengths

    Skills

    • Instructing
    • Social Perceptiveness
    • Active Listening
    • Learning Strategies
    • Monitoring
    • Speaking
    • Coordination
    • Reading Comprehension
    • Time Management
    • Service Orientation

    Knowledge

    • Education and Training
    • English Language
    • Psychology
    • Mathematics
    • Customer and Personal Service
    • Sociology and Anthropology
    • Public Safety and Security
    • Administrative
    • Therapy and Counseling
    • Computers and Electronics

    Abilities

    • Oral Expression
    • Written Comprehension
    • Oral Comprehension
    • Problem Sensitivity
    • Speech Clarity
    • Written Expression
    • Fluency of Ideas
    • Speech Recognition
    • Deductive Reasoning
    • Inductive Reasoning

    Work styles

    • Optimism
    • Cooperation
    • Dependability
    • Empathy
    • Social Orientation
    • Sincerity
    • Integrity
    • Self-Control
    • Stress Tolerance
    • Perseverance

    Also called

    Art Teacher · Bilingual Education Teacher · Bilingual Kindergarten Teacher · Classroom Teacher · Early Childhood Teacher · Educator · Instructor · Kinder Teacher · Kindergarten Classroom Teacher · Long Term Substitute Kindergarten Teacher

    Career pathway

    From your interests to kindergarten teachers, except special education

    Interests that fit the work, the career, majors that lead there and colleges whose graduates in those majors earn the most. Hover or focus a step to follow one path.

    1. Interests

    2. This career

      • Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education$62,680 median pay

    3. Majors

    4. Colleges

    College Scorecard program outcomes

    Colleges with strong outcomes

    Programs that lead to this career, ranked by what their graduates earn four years after finishing. Earnings are for graduates who received federal aid.

    1. 1
      College of Staten Island CUNY

      Staten Island, NY · Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $46,195
      4 yrs after
      $75,637
      Median debt
      Not reported
    2. 2
      CUNY Hunter College

      New York, NY · Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $46,784
      4 yrs after
      $73,857
      Median debt
      Not reported
    3. 3Monroe College logo
      Monroe College

      Bronx, NY · Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $63,150
      4 yrs after
      $73,537
      Median debt
      Not reported
    4. 4St. John's University-New York logo
      St. John's University-New York

      Queens, NY · Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      Not reported
      4 yrs after
      $69,439
      Median debt
      $27,000
    5. 5University of the Pacific logo
      University of the Pacific

      Stockton, CA · Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $44,998
      4 yrs after
      $69,342
      Median debt
      Not reported
    6. 6
      CUNY City College

      New York, NY · Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $56,145
      4 yrs after
      $68,614
      Median debt
      Not reported
    7. 7CUNY York College logo
      CUNY York College

      Jamaica, NY · Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $60,692
      4 yrs after
      $67,862
      Median debt
      Not reported
    8. 8Hofstra University logo
      Hofstra University

      Hempstead, NY · Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      Not reported
      4 yrs after
      $67,847
      Median debt
      $22,750

    Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard field-of-study data, 2025. Programs with few graduates are not listed.

    NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk

    Majors that lead here

    Related programs by four-digit CIP code. They are common routes in, not the only ones.

    CareerOneStop

    Certifications, licenses and pay by state

    What kindergarten teachers, except special education may need beyond a degree, where a license is required, and what the work pays in each state.

    Certifications

    Core certifications employers recognise for this work.

    Search all certifications on CareerOneStop

    Training

    Programs of study that prepare people for this work.

    • Bilingual and Multilingual Education
    • Early Childhood Education and Teaching
    • International Teaching and Learning
    • Kindergarten/Preschool Education and Teaching
    • Montessori Teacher Education
    • Teacher Education, Multiple Levels
    • Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language/ESL Language Instructor
    • Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language, Other
    • Teaching French as a Second or Foreign Language
    • Waldorf/Steiner Teacher Education

    Find training near you on CareerOneStop

    Licenses by state

    52 states list a license for this work. Open your state for the license and the agency that issues it.

    Check license requirements on CareerOneStop

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 9, 2026.

    Your plan

    Build my pathway plan

    Courses, majors, colleges, scholarships and a timeline for this career, built from your profile.

    Related careers

    Careers with similar work, interests or skills.

    All careers

    Questions about kindergarten teachers, except special education

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What are some common alternative job titles for this career?

    People in this field are often called classroom teachers, early childhood teachers, educators, instructors, or kinder teachers. They may also work under titles like bilingual kindergarten teacher or long term substitute kindergarten teacher.

    What are the primary interest areas and work styles for this job?

    The strongest interest area for this occupation is social. Important work styles include cooperation, dependability, empathy, sincerity, integrity, and social orientation.

    What are some related careers in the education field?

    Related careers include preschool teachers, elementary school teachers, and middle school teachers. Other similar roles are special education teachers at the kindergarten and elementary school levels.

    Sources and attribution

    Every figure on this page comes from these public datasets. Missing values are shown as not reported, never estimated.

    O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 9, 2026.

    Page data updated November 5, 2026.