SOC 25-2011.00Bright outlook

    Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education

    Instruct preschool-aged students, following curricula or lesson plans, in activities designed to promote social, physical, and intellectual growth.

    Median pay
    $38,140
    Growth
    +4.5%
    As fast as average
    Openings a year
    66,700
    Typical education
    Associate'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
    $28,990
    Median
    $38,140
    Highest 10% earn more than
    $61,390
    National wages for all workers in this occupation. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

    478,780 people work in this occupation.

    In short

    Preschool teachers instruct young children using activities that support their physical, social, and intellectual development. The career offers a median annual pay of $38,140, with opportunities available across the country.

    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 preschool teachers, except special education do

    Job Zone 3: Medium preparation

    Instruct preschool-aged students, following curricula or lesson plans, in activities designed to promote social, physical, and intellectual growth.

    Usually vocational training, an associate degree or related experience.

    What the work is like

    Preschool teachers spend their days instructing and caring for young children. They design and follow lesson plans that promote social, physical, and mental growth. This work requires strong social interests, as teachers must focus on assisting others, teaching, and building positive relationships. On a daily basis, these educators resolve conflicts among children, make decisions regarding classroom safety, and communicate with parents and school staff.

    To succeed in this role, teachers need skills in active listening, speaking, and instructing. They must understand education and training principles, human psychology, and public safety. Because they work with young children, preschool teachers rely on work styles like empathy, cooperation, dependability, and self-control. They must remain optimistic and maintain high stress tolerance in a busy classroom environment.

    How to get there

    To enter this career, most people need an associate degree, though vocational training or related experience can also provide sufficient preparation. Students often major in human development, family studies, or teacher education with a focus on specific early childhood levels. Some also study bilingual education or teaching English as a second language.

    Depending on where they work, educators may need to meet state-specific requirements. Some states list a license for this profession. Additionally, teachers can pursue professional credentials to show their expertise. Examples of relevant certifications include the National Board Certification in Early Childhood, the DoDEA Certification, and the National Career Readiness Certificate.

    Pay and outlook explained

    The median annual pay for these teachers is $38,140. Earnings can vary significantly based on experience and location, with the lowest 10% earning less than $28,990 and the highest 10% earning more than $61,390.

    There are 478,780 people employed in this field. Between 2025 and 2035, employment is projected to grow by 4.5%, which is as fast as the average for all occupations. Employers are expected to hire for 66,700 openings each year.

    Interest profile

    Realistic (R)
    32 / 100
    Investigative (I)
    29 / 100
    Artistic (A)
    50 / 100
    Social (S) · strongest
    100 / 100
    Enterprising (E)
    25 / 100
    Conventional (C)
    44 / 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

    Assisting and Caring for Others
    81
    Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
    76
    Getting Information
    76
    Training and Teaching Others
    69
    Thinking Creatively
    67
    Developing and Building Teams
    65
    Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
    63
    Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
    61
    Making Decisions and Solving Problems
    61
    Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others
    60
    Work activities rated by importance for this occupation, O*NET (0–100).

    Skills and strengths

    Skills

    • Instructing
    • Speaking
    • Active Listening
    • Learning Strategies
    • Coordination
    • Critical Thinking
    • Monitoring
    • Reading Comprehension
    • Social Perceptiveness
    • Service Orientation

    Knowledge

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

    Abilities

    • Oral Comprehension
    • Oral Expression
    • Speech Clarity
    • Problem Sensitivity
    • Originality
    • Fluency of Ideas
    • Speech Recognition
    • Written Comprehension
    • Deductive Reasoning
    • Information Ordering

    Work styles

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

    Also called

    After School Teacher · Child Care Assistant Teacher · Child Development Teacher · Childcare Teacher · Childhood Development Teacher · Day Care Teacher · Daycare Teacher · Early Childhood Educator · Early Childhood Teacher · Group Teacher

    Career pathway

    From your interests to preschool 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

      • Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education$38,140 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. 4University of Virginia-Main Campus UVA logo
      University of Virginia-Main Campus UVA

      Charlottesville, VA · Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $46,352
      4 yrs after
      $71,638
      Median debt
      $19,500
    5. 5St. 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
    6. 6University 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
    7. 7
      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
    8. 8CUNY 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

    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 preschool 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
    • Child Care and Support Services Management
    • Child Development
    • 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

    14 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 preschool 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 alternative job titles for this career?

    People in this field are also called early childhood educators, childcare teachers, day care teachers, or childhood development teachers. Some may work under titles like child care assistant teacher or group teacher.

    What college majors are related to preschool teaching?

    Common majors include human development, family studies, and teacher education. Students can also prepare through programs in bilingual education or teaching English as a second language.

    Are there other teaching careers similar to this one?

    Yes, related careers include kindergarten teachers, elementary school teachers, and special education teachers at the preschool, kindergarten, elementary, or secondary 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.