How much does a Preschool Teacher make in the United States?
As of August 01, 2026, the average salary for a Preschool Teacher in the United States is $43,160 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $21.
However, a Preschool Teacher's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $51,394
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $38,030 to $47,470
Key Factors That Influence Preschool Teacher Salaries
A Preschool Teacher's salary isn't a fixed number.
It's shaped by several important factors.
Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education, and company size can directly affect your earning potential.
How Experience Level Affects Preschool Teacher Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of a Preschool Teacher's salary.
As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases.
Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:
Preschool Teacher (0-0 years): $43,160
Day Care Worker I (0-1 years): $32,980
Day Care Worker II (1-3 years): $37,225
Job Role
Years of Experience
Average Salary
Preschool Teacher
0-0 years
$43,160
Day Care Worker I
0-1 years
$32,980
Day Care Worker II
1-3 years
$37,225
$43,160Preschool...
$32,980Day Care ...
$37,225Day Care ...
View as Table
View as Graph
What Am I Worth?
How Do Preschool Teacher Salaries Vary from State to State?
Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work.
States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors
often pay more to attract Preschool Teachers.
For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
Salaries can also vary between different cities.
Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay.
Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:
San Jose: $54,440
San Francisco: $53,850
Oakland: $52,710
San Jose, CA$54,440
San Francisco, CA$53,850
Oakland, CA$52,710
New York, NY$49,700
Paramus, NJ$49,090
Queens Village, NY$49,090
Passaic, NJ$49,050
Bergenfield, NJ$49,050
Stamford, CT$48,950
Huntington, NY$48,940
Newark, NJ$48,620
Bridgeport, CT$48,530
Vallejo, CA$48,440
New Brunswick, NJ$48,420
Petaluma, CA$48,400
Middlesex, NJ$48,310
Somerset, NJ$48,280
Santa Cruz, CA$48,230
Boston, MA$47,960
Monterey, CA$47,810
Seattle, WA$47,710
Santa Rosa, CA$47,710
Los Angeles, CA$47,690
Juneau, AK$47,580
Washington, DC$47,530
Orange, CA$47,380
Santa Ana, CA$47,270
Long Beach, CA$47,220
Anaheim, CA$47,210
Anchorage, AK$47,190
Santa Maria, CA$47,060
Everett, WA$47,050
Danbury, CT$46,900
Bremerton, WA$46,840
Tacoma, WA$46,690
New Suffolk, NY$46,690
Sacramento, CA$46,670
Santa Barbara, CA$46,630
Trenton, NJ$46,580
San Diego, CA$46,580
Brockton, MA$46,530
Fairbanks, AK$46,430
Lompoc, CA$46,320
Lowell, MA$46,280
Ventura, CA$46,270
Nashua, NH$46,260
Stockton, CA$46,260
Modesto, CA$45,940
Poughkeepsie, NY$45,850
Kennewick, WA$45,770
Olympia, WA$45,770
New Haven, CT$45,750
Lawrence, MA$45,590
Hartford, CT$45,550
Riverside, CA$45,540
New Bedford, MA$45,500
Richland, WA$45,500
Bakersfield, CA$45,440
Atlantic City, NJ$45,420
San Bernardino, CA$45,420
New Britain, CT$45,420
New London, CT$45,400
Norwich, CT$45,390
Portsmouth, NH$45,380
Boulder, CO$45,290
Portland, OR$45,230
Worcester, MA$45,220
Minneapolis, MN$45,090
Philadelphia, PA$45,030
Honolulu, HI$44,890
Saint Paul, MN$44,870
Vineland, NJ$44,860
Providence, RI$44,730
Chicago, IL$44,610
Bellingham, WA$44,550
Springfield, MA$44,520
Baltimore, MD$44,510
Chico, CA$44,400
Pittsfield, MA$44,280
Manchester, NH$44,200
Spokane, WA$44,010
Denver, CO$44,010
Albany, NY$43,800
Troy, NY$43,790
Nassau, NY$43,740
Schenectady, NY$43,700
Wilmington, DE$43,660
Burlington, VT$43,600
Salem, OR$43,580
Portland, ME$43,450
Yakima, WA$43,410
Rochester, MN$43,270
Reno, NV$43,250
Fresno, CA$43,250
Milwaukee, WI$43,210
Detroit, MI$43,170
Allentown, PA$43,160
Ann Arbor, MI$43,160
Colorado Springs, CO$43,080
Syracuse, NY$43,060
Carson City, NV$43,060
Houston, TX$43,000
Eugene, OR$42,980
Gary, IN$42,930
Springfield, OR$42,890
Bismarck, ND$42,880
Galveston, TX$42,850
Medford, OR$42,790
Fort Collins, CO$42,770
Concord, NH$42,750
Austin, TX$42,740
Mesa, AZ$42,650
Reading, PA$42,640
Phoenix, AZ$42,640
Dallas, TX$42,630
Saint Cloud, MN$42,580
Madison, WI$42,530
Utica, NY$42,410
Rochester, NY$42,340
Des Moines, IA$42,340
Raleigh, NC$42,330
Atlanta, GA$42,270
Battle Creek, MI$42,250
Salt Lake City, UT$42,240
Lancaster, PA$42,180
Harrisburg, PA$42,120
Kansas City, MO$42,070
Kansas City, KS$42,060
Champaign, IL$42,060
Fort Worth, TX$42,060
Columbus, OH$42,050
Boca Raton, FL$42,040
Pittsburgh, PA$42,030
Richmond, VA$42,010
Indianapolis, IN$42,000
Cleveland, OH$42,000
Cincinnati, OH$41,940
Las Vegas, NV$41,940
Petersburg, VA$41,880
Huntsville, AL$41,810
Lansing, MI$41,790
Lebanon, PA$41,780
Pueblo, CO$41,780
Appleton, WI$41,760
Buffalo, NY$41,750
Dayton, OH$41,730
Charlotte, NC$41,720
Racine, WI$41,720
Saint Louis, MO$41,710
York, PA$41,680
Elkhart, IN$41,680
Gastonia, NC$41,670
Billings, MT$41,660
Beaumont, TX$41,650
Lorain, OH$41,640
Benton Harbor, MI$41,630
Toledo, OH$41,620
Rock Hill, SC$41,600
Binghamton, NY$41,600
Rockford, IL$41,580
Springfield, IL$41,560
Elyria, OH$41,560
Fargo, ND$41,560
Flagstaff, AZ$41,520
Fort Lauderdale, FL$41,500
Duluth, MN$41,470
Miami, FL$41,470
Cheyenne, WY$41,440
Grand Forks, ND$41,440
Bangor, ME$41,350
Cedar Rapids, IA$41,300
Durham, NC$41,280
Louisville, KY$41,280
Grand Rapids, MI$41,270
Hialeah, FL$41,270
Casper, WY$41,210
Scranton, PA$41,150
Virginia Beach, VA$41,140
New Orleans, LA$41,140
Akron, OH$41,110
Peoria, IL$41,060
Sarasota, FL$41,050
Nashville, TN$41,020
Omaha, NE$41,020
Green Bay, WI$41,020
Baton Rouge, LA$41,000
Charleston, SC$40,990
Jamestown, NY$40,970
Davenport, IA$40,970
Tucson, AZ$40,950
Saint Petersburg, FL$40,920
Tampa, FL$40,910
Evansville, IN$40,890
Port Arthur, TX$40,890
Bradenton, FL$40,870
Santa Fe, NM$40,790
Orlando, FL$40,710
Clearwater, FL$40,700
La Crosse, WI$40,610
Canton, OH$40,610
Albuquerque, NM$40,580
Newport News, VA$40,580
High Point, NC$40,570
Ogden, UT$40,550
Corpus Christi, TX$40,510
Norfolk, VA$40,490
Laramie, WY$40,490
Rock Island, IL$40,460
Saginaw, MI$40,450
Jacksonville, FL$40,450
Salisbury, NC$40,440
Boise, ID$40,430
Moline, IL$40,410
Fort Myers, FL$40,400
Memphis, TN$40,390
Tulsa, OK$40,370
Waterloo, IA$40,340
Spartanburg, SC$40,300
Lincoln, NE$40,280
Fort Wayne, IN$40,270
Provo, UT$40,260
Cedar Falls, IA$40,210
San Antonio, TX$40,200
Greensboro, NC$40,180
South Bend, IN$40,170
Savannah, GA$40,130
Muskegon, MI$40,110
Birmingham, AL$40,100
Winston Salem, NC$40,080
Lake Charles, LA$39,980
Anderson, IN$39,970
Lexington, KY$39,960
Augusta, GA$39,950
Greenville, SC$39,950
Lima, OH$39,910
Wichita, KS$39,910
Tuscaloosa, AL$39,910
Columbia, SC$39,870
Springfield, OH$39,860
Asheville, NC$39,790
Bloomington, IN$39,760
Knoxville, TN$39,600
Shreveport, LA$39,600
Wilmington, NC$39,540
Roanoke, VA$39,540
Topeka, KS$39,470
Frankfort, KY$39,460
Oklahoma City, OK$39,430
Chillicothe, OH$39,410
Longview, TX$39,410
Melbourne, FL$39,410
Sioux Falls, SD$39,340
Mobile, AL$39,330
Terre Haute, IN$39,320
Altoona, PA$39,290
Amarillo, TX$39,260
Killeen, TX$39,250
Fayetteville, AR$39,210
Chattanooga, TN$39,200
Sioux City, IA$39,160
Idaho Falls, ID$39,150
Lynchburg, VA$39,120
Gainesville, FL$39,060
Portsmouth, OH$39,040
Little Rock, AR$39,030
Lafayette, LA$39,010
Youngstown, OH$39,010
Daytona Beach, FL$38,990
Clarksville, TN$38,980
Pensacola, FL$38,980
Temple, TX$38,980
Hopkinsville, KY$38,850
Erie, PA$38,840
Florence, SC$38,820
Charleston, WV$38,750
Great Falls, MT$38,730
Tallahassee, FL$38,670
Macon, GA$38,670
Fayetteville, NC$38,660
Waco, TX$38,650
Helena, MT$38,620
Pine Bluff, AR$38,600
Vincennes, IN$38,550
Lubbock, TX$38,530
Alamogordo, NM$38,510
Twin Falls, ID$38,470
Rapid City, SD$38,460
Jackson, MS$38,380
Huntington, WV$38,380
Greenville, MS$38,370
Parkersburg, WV$38,330
Montgomery, AL$38,320
Wichita Falls, TX$38,280
Springfield, MO$38,280
Biloxi, MS$38,260
Monroe, LA$38,210
Johnstown, PA$38,180
Sumter, SC$38,170
Columbus, GA$38,160
Pascagoula, MS$38,080
Abilene, TX$38,080
Kingsport, TN$37,970
Albany, GA$37,970
Gulfport, MS$37,960
Alexandria, LA$37,810
Fort Smith, AR$37,710
El Paso, TX$37,590
Las Cruces, NM$37,390
Harlingen, TX$37,280
Pocatello, ID$37,280
Florence, AL$37,220
Brownsville, TX$37,210
Mcallen, TX$37,120
Dothan, AL$37,060
Columbus, MS$36,810
Altus, OK$36,600
Lawton, OK$36,520
Pierre, SD$36,370
What Skills Can Increase a Preschool Teacher's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Planning (Mentioned in 3.87% Job Postings): An act or process of making or carrying out plans. Establishment of goals, policies, and procedures for a social or economic unit city planning business planning.
First Aid (Mentioned in 6.98% Job Postings): First aid refers to medical attention that is usually administered immediately after the injury occurs and at the location where it occurred.
Child Abuse (Mentioned in 1.3% Job Postings): Child abuse is not just physical violence directed at a child. It is any form of maltreatment by an adult, which is violent or threatening for the child.
See More Skills
Skills
Demand Percentage
Planning
3.87%
First Aid
6.98%
Child Abuse
1.3%
What skills can make your compensation higher?
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay.
Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Preschool Teacher's salary.
Coaching: Can increase your salary by up to 12%.
IDEA: Can increase your salary by up to 9%.
Special Education: Can increase your salary by up to 8%.
Skill
Salary
Salary % Increase
Coaching
$48,339
12%
IDEA
$47,044
9%
Special Education
$46,613
8%
Confidentiality
$45,318
5%
Staff Development
$45,318
5%
Pediatric
$44,886
4%
Get Latest Data
Preschool Teacher Salary by Company Size: Startups vs. Enterprise
Preschool Teacher salary potential scales significantly with company size.
Data shows that Enterprise companies (5,000+ employees) pay the highest average salary at around $46,286.
While startup companies pay approximate $39,294.
Preschool Teacher Salary by Company Size
Company Size
Employees
Average Salary
Startup
1~50
$39,294
Growth Stage
51~500
$41,523
Established
501~5000
$44,734
Enterprise
5000+
$46,286
Preschool Teacher Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Preschool Teacher roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential
by as much as 100% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the Healthcare and Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 50% above the average.
In contrast, Preschool Teacher positions in Hospitality & Leisure or Business Services typically offer lower base pay,
as these industries often view Preschool Teacher as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industries for a Preschool Teacher
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Healthcare
$64,740
$31.0
50%
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
$51,792
$25.0
20%
How Education impacts a Preschool Teacher's Salary?
Your level of education can impact your salary potential.
While many Preschool Teachers enter the field with a No Diploma degree,
higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.
According to our 100% employer-reported salary data,
the median salary for a Preschool Teacher with a No Diploma is between
$36,562
and $38,860).
Preschool Teacher Salaries by Degree Level
Typical Education for Preschool Teacher
No Diploma1.0%
High School27.5%
Associates24.5%
Bachelors39.7%
Masters7.2%
Doctorate0.2%
view as table
Degree Level
% of user with this level of education
No Diploma
1.0%
High School
27.5%
Associates
24.5%
Bachelors
39.7%
Masters
7.2%
Doctorate
0.2%
view as graph
Preschool Teacher Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how a Preschool Teacher's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting.
Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role.
Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.
Hourly
Monthly
Weekly
Yearly
Table View
Last Updated on August 01, 2026
$38,030
Average$43,160/year
$47,470
$3,169
Average$3,597/month
$3,956
$731
Average$830/week
$913
$18
Average$21/hour
$23
Annual Salary
Monthly Pay
Weekly Pay
Hourly Wage
75th Percentile
$47,470
$3,956
$913
$23
Average
$43,160
$3,597
$830
$21
25th Percentile
$38,030
$3,169
$731
$18
Preschool Teacher Salary Growth & Career Path
For a Preschool Teacher, the most direct path to higher earnings is advancing to the Day Care Worker I role.
This promotion typically comes with a significant pay increase, bringing the average annual salary to
$33,000 - a projected growth of
-24%
over your current level.
Salaries for a Preschool Teacher can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $43,052 in 2023
to around $42,687 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Preschool Teacher salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Preschool Teacher Over Time
2022
$???
2023
$43,052
2024
$43,171
2025
$42,687
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$43,052
2024
$43,171
2025
$42,687
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Preschool Teacher
Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
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Common company salaries for Preschool Teacher
Here are companies hiring for Preschool Teacher and their salaries, click below for more details.
K
$114,295/per year
Kpmg Us LLP
Business Services
the United States
W
$114,096/per year
Warner Bros Discovery
Business Services
the United States
D
$111,927/per year
Dentsu International Ltd
Business Services
the United States
G
$111,873/per year
GroupM Worldwide Inc
Business Services
the United States
C
$111,651/per year
CoWorx Staffing
Business Services
the United States
C
$110,194/per year
Contemporary Services Corp
Business Services
the United States
S
$107,128/per year
Showcase Cinemas
Business Services
the United States
A
$106,429/per year
Amentum Services Inc
Business Services
the United States
A
$106,199/per year
Allied Universal Security Services LLC
Business Services
the United States
S
$106,104/per year
Sodexo USA
Business Services
the United States
J
$105,192/per year
JLL Technologies
Business Services
the United States
I
$104,478/per year
Intact Insurance Group USA LLC
Business Services
the United States
N
$101,619/per year
NielsenIQ
Business Services
the United States
T
$101,470/per year
The Leading Edge Alliance
Business Services
the United States
H
$101,308/per year
Honeywell UOP
Business Services
the United States
R
$97,720/per year
Reeve & Associates
Business Services
the United States
M
$97,584/per year
ManpowerGroup Global Inc
Business Services
the United States
F
$95,980/per year
Financial Sys Nco
Business Services
the United States
A
$95,314/per year
Arrow Global Ltd
Business Services
the United States
C
$94,777/per year
CarMax Enterprise Services LLC
Business Services
the United States
D
$94,479/per year
DZConneX
Business Services
the United States
A
$93,802/per year
Adecco Staffing, USA
Business Services
the United States
R
$92,937/per year
Resource MFG
Business Services
the United States
Z
$92,774/per year
Zachry Brands Inc
Business Services
the United States
G
$88,138/per year
Greystar Worldwide LLC
Business Services
the United States
Find Your Next Preschool Teacher Job
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Browse thousands of current Preschool Teacher job openings on our job board.
Use the search bar below to find your perfect match.
The Goddard School of Worthington Hills, OH | Columbus, OH
Job Description. Job Description. Benefits. 401(k). Dental insurance. Flexible schedule. Health insurance. Training & development. The Goddard School® loca...
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Job Description. Job Description. We are seeking a Lead Teacher to join our organization. The opportunities are in our Pre-K area as well as our Infant Tod...
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Job Description. Job Description. We are seeking a Preschool Lead Teacher to join our organization. This individual will plan and present age appropriate a...
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Job Description. Job Description. We believe children learn best through play, curiosity and connection — and our classrooms bring those moments to life ev...
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Job Description. Job Description. Join our team at Starting Point Learning Center, a school inspired by the Reggio Emilia philosophy, in the role of Studio...
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Job Description. Job Description. Benefits/Perks. Competitive Compensations. Career Advancement Opportunities. Great Work Environment. Job Summary. We are ...
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FAQ about Preschool Teacher
1. What industry pays the highest salary for Preschool Teacher?
The Healthcare industry offers the highest average compensation for Preschool Teacher roles,
with salaries approximately 50% above the market median.
Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?
Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.
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