# Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education

> Teach academic and social skills to kindergarten students.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/careers/kindergarten-teachers-except-special-education
- SOC code: 25-2012.00
- Career family: Education
- Median annual pay: $62,680 (10th percentile $46,990, 90th percentile $101,830)
- Projected growth: Little or no change, -0.3%
- Openings a year: 11,900
- Typical entry education: Bachelor's degree
- Bright outlook: no
- Data years: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

## Interest profile (code SAC)

| Interest area | Score (0–100) |
| --- | ---: |
| Realistic (R) | 28 |
| Investigative (I) | 35 |
| Artistic (A) | 50 |
| Social (S) | 100 |
| Enterprising (E) | 25 |
| Conventional (C) | 47 |

## What you'd do

- Thinking Creatively (importance 81/100)
- Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work (importance 80/100)
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships (importance 78/100)
- Developing Objectives and Strategies (importance 76/100)
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems (importance 75/100)
- Training and Teaching Others (importance 74/100)
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge (importance 74/100)
- Getting Information (importance 72/100)
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates (importance 70/100)
- Assisting and Caring for Others (importance 69/100)

## 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

## 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

## Majors that lead here (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk, 4-digit CIP)

- [Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/1312) (CIP 1312, 1,830 colleges)
- [Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/1314) (CIP 1314, 438 colleges)
- [Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/1302) (CIP 1302, 189 colleges)

## Colleges with strong outcomes (College Scorecard, 2025)

| College | Program | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| [College of Staten Island CUNY](https://www.collegesref.com/college/college-of-staten-island-cuny-621) | Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | $46,195 | $75,637 | not reported |
| [CUNY Hunter College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/cuny-hunter-college-739) | Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | $46,784 | $73,857 | not reported |
| [Monroe College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/monroe-college-1752) | Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | $63,150 | $73,537 | not reported |
| [St. John's University-New York](https://www.collegesref.com/college/st-john-s-university-new-york-2579) | Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | not reported | $69,439 | $27,000 |
| [University of the Pacific](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-the-pacific-3061) | Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | $44,998 | $69,342 | not reported |
| [CUNY City College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/cuny-city-college-736) | Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education | $56,145 | $68,614 | not reported |
| [CUNY York College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/cuny-york-college-749) | Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | $60,692 | $67,862 | not reported |
| [Hofstra University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/hofstra-university-1214) | Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | not reported | $67,847 | $22,750 |

## Related careers

- [Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/elementary-school-teachers-except-special-education): $63,970 median pay
- [Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/preschool-teachers-except-special-education): $38,140 median pay
- [Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/special-education-teachers-kindergarten): $65,120 median pay
- [Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/middle-school-teachers-except-special-and-career-technical-education): $64,370 median pay
- [Special Education Teachers, Elementary School](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/special-education-teachers-elementary-school): $65,120 median pay
- [Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/secondary-school-teachers-except-special-and-career-technical-education): $72,040 median pay

## Sources

- [O*NET Database](https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html), version 31.0 (CC BY 4.0)
- [BLS Employment Projections](https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables.htm), version 2025-35, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics](https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm), version 2025, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk](https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/resources.aspx?y=56), version 2020, data year 2020 (Public domain (U.S. government work))

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.