How much does a Preschool Teacher make in the United States?
As of October 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 geographic location, education
and company size
can directly affect your earning potential.
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: $53,840
Oakland: $52,710
San Jose, CA$54,440
San Francisco, CA$53,840
Oakland, CA$52,710
New York, NY$49,690
Paramus, NJ$49,090
Queens Village, NY$49,090
Passaic, NJ$49,050
Bergenfield, NJ$49,040
Stamford, CT$48,950
Huntington, NY$48,930
Newark, NJ$48,610
Bridgeport, CT$48,520
Vallejo, CA$48,430
New Brunswick, NJ$48,420
Petaluma, CA$48,390
Middlesex, NJ$48,310
Somerset, NJ$48,280
Santa Cruz, CA$48,220
Boston, MA$47,960
Monterey, CA$47,810
Seattle, WA$47,710
Santa Rosa, CA$47,700
Los Angeles, CA$47,690
Juneau, AK$47,570
Washington, DC$47,530
Orange, CA$47,370
Santa Ana, CA$47,260
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$46,680
New Suffolk, NY$46,680
Sacramento, CA$46,670
Santa Barbara, CA$46,620
Trenton, NJ$46,570
San Diego, CA$46,570
Brockton, MA$46,530
Fairbanks, AK$46,420
Lompoc, CA$46,310
Lowell, MA$46,280
Ventura, CA$46,270
Nashua, NH$46,260
Stockton, CA$46,250
Modesto, CA$45,940
Poughkeepsie, NY$45,840
Olympia, WA$45,760
Kennewick, WA$45,760
New Haven, CT$45,740
Lawrence, MA$45,590
Hartford, CT$45,550
Riverside, CA$45,540
New Bedford, MA$45,490
Richland, WA$45,490
Bakersfield, CA$45,430
San Bernardino, CA$45,420
New Britain, CT$45,410
Atlantic City, NJ$45,410
New London, CT$45,400
Norwich, CT$45,380
Portsmouth, NH$45,370
Boulder, CO$45,280
Portland, OR$45,220
Worcester, MA$45,220
Minneapolis, MN$45,080
Philadelphia, PA$45,020
Honolulu, HI$44,880
Saint Paul, MN$44,860
Vineland, NJ$44,850
Providence, RI$44,730
Chicago, IL$44,600
Bellingham, WA$44,550
Springfield, MA$44,520
Baltimore, MD$44,500
Chico, CA$44,390
Pittsfield, MA$44,280
Manchester, NH$44,200
Spokane, WA$44,010
Denver, CO$44,000
Albany, NY$43,800
Troy, NY$43,780
Nassau, NY$43,740
Schenectady, NY$43,690
Wilmington, DE$43,660
Burlington, VT$43,600
Salem, OR$43,580
Portland, ME$43,440
Yakima, WA$43,400
Rochester, MN$43,270
Reno, NV$43,250
Fresno, CA$43,250
Milwaukee, WI$43,210
Detroit, MI$43,160
Ann Arbor, MI$43,160
Allentown, PA$43,150
Colorado Springs, CO$43,080
Syracuse, NY$43,060
Carson City, NV$43,060
Houston, TX$43,000
Eugene, OR$42,970
Gary, IN$42,920
Springfield, OR$42,890
Bismarck, ND$42,880
Galveston, TX$42,850
Medford, OR$42,780
Fort Collins, CO$42,770
Concord, NH$42,750
Austin, TX$42,730
Mesa, AZ$42,640
Reading, PA$42,640
Phoenix, AZ$42,630
Dallas, TX$42,620
Saint Cloud, MN$42,580
Madison, WI$42,520
Utica, NY$42,400
Rochester, NY$42,340
Des Moines, IA$42,330
Raleigh, NC$42,330
Atlanta, GA$42,260
Battle Creek, MI$42,250
Salt Lake City, UT$42,240
Lancaster, PA$42,170
Harrisburg, PA$42,110
Kansas City, MO$42,070
Fort Worth, TX$42,060
Champaign, IL$42,060
Kansas City, KS$42,060
Columbus, OH$42,050
Boca Raton, FL$42,040
Pittsburgh, PA$42,020
Richmond, VA$42,000
Indianapolis, IN$41,990
Cleveland, OH$41,990
Las Vegas, NV$41,940
Cincinnati, OH$41,940
Petersburg, VA$41,870
Huntsville, AL$41,810
Lansing, MI$41,780
Lebanon, PA$41,770
Pueblo, CO$41,770
Appleton, WI$41,760
Buffalo, NY$41,740
Dayton, OH$41,730
Racine, WI$41,720
Charlotte, NC$41,710
Saint Louis, MO$41,700
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
Binghamton, NY$41,600
Rock Hill, SC$41,590
Rockford, IL$41,570
Springfield, IL$41,550
Elyria, OH$41,550
Fargo, ND$41,550
Flagstaff, AZ$41,520
Fort Lauderdale, FL$41,490
Duluth, MN$41,470
Miami, FL$41,470
Cheyenne, WY$41,440
Grand Forks, ND$41,440
Bangor, ME$41,340
Cedar Rapids, IA$41,300
Durham, NC$41,280
Louisville, KY$41,270
Grand Rapids, MI$41,270
Hialeah, FL$41,260
Casper, WY$41,200
Scranton, PA$41,150
New Orleans, LA$41,140
Virginia Beach, VA$41,130
Akron, OH$41,110
Peoria, IL$41,050
Sarasota, FL$41,050
Nashville, TN$41,020
Omaha, NE$41,020
Green Bay, WI$41,020
Baton Rouge, LA$40,990
Charleston, SC$40,980
Jamestown, NY$40,960
Davenport, IA$40,960
Tucson, AZ$40,940
Saint Petersburg, FL$40,920
Tampa, FL$40,910
Evansville, IN$40,880
Port Arthur, TX$40,880
Bradenton, FL$40,860
Santa Fe, NM$40,790
Orlando, FL$40,710
Clearwater, FL$40,700
Canton, OH$40,610
La Crosse, WI$40,610
Albuquerque, NM$40,580
Newport News, VA$40,580
High Point, NC$40,560
Ogden, UT$40,540
Corpus Christi, TX$40,510
Norfolk, VA$40,480
Laramie, WY$40,480
Rock Island, IL$40,460
Jacksonville, FL$40,450
Saginaw, MI$40,450
Salisbury, NC$40,440
Boise, ID$40,430
Moline, IL$40,410
Fort Myers, FL$40,390
Memphis, TN$40,390
Tulsa, OK$40,360
Waterloo, IA$40,340
Spartanburg, SC$40,290
Lincoln, NE$40,270
Fort Wayne, IN$40,260
Provo, UT$40,260
Cedar Falls, IA$40,210
San Antonio, TX$40,190
Greensboro, NC$40,170
South Bend, IN$40,170
Savannah, GA$40,120
Muskegon, MI$40,100
Birmingham, AL$40,100
Winston Salem, NC$40,080
Lake Charles, LA$39,980
Anderson, IN$39,970
Lexington, KY$39,950
Augusta, GA$39,940
Greenville, SC$39,940
Lima, OH$39,910
Wichita, KS$39,900
Tuscaloosa, AL$39,900
Columbia, SC$39,860
Springfield, OH$39,850
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$39,460
Frankfort, KY$39,460
Oklahoma City, OK$39,430
Longview, TX$39,410
Chillicothe, OH$39,410
Melbourne, FL$39,400
Sioux Falls, SD$39,330
Mobile, AL$39,330
Terre Haute, IN$39,310
Altoona, PA$39,280
Amarillo, TX$39,250
Killeen, TX$39,240
Fayetteville, AR$39,210
Chattanooga, TN$39,190
Sioux City, IA$39,160
Idaho Falls, ID$39,150
Lynchburg, VA$39,110
Gainesville, FL$39,060
Portsmouth, OH$39,030
Little Rock, AR$39,030
Lafayette, LA$39,010
Youngstown, OH$39,010
Clarksville, TN$38,980
Daytona Beach, FL$38,980
Pensacola, FL$38,970
Temple, TX$38,970
Hopkinsville, KY$38,840
Erie, PA$38,840
Florence, SC$38,820
Charleston, WV$38,750
Great Falls, MT$38,730
Macon, GA$38,670
Tallahassee, FL$38,660
Waco, TX$38,650
Fayetteville, NC$38,650
Helena, MT$38,620
Pine Bluff, AR$38,600
Vincennes, IN$38,550
Lubbock, TX$38,530
Alamogordo, NM$38,500
Twin Falls, ID$38,460
Rapid City, SD$38,450
Greenville, MS$38,370
Huntington, WV$38,370
Jackson, MS$38,370
Parkersburg, WV$38,330
Montgomery, AL$38,320
Wichita Falls, TX$38,270
Springfield, MO$38,270
Biloxi, MS$38,250
Monroe, LA$38,210
Johnstown, PA$38,180
Columbus, GA$38,160
Sumter, SC$38,160
Pascagoula, MS$38,080
Abilene, TX$38,080
Kingsport, TN$37,960
Albany, GA$37,960
Gulfport, MS$37,950
Alexandria, LA$37,810
Fort Smith, AR$37,700
El Paso, TX$37,580
Las Cruces, NM$37,390
Harlingen, TX$37,280
Pocatello, ID$37,270
Florence, AL$37,220
Brownsville, TX$37,210
Mcallen, TX$37,120
Dothan, AL$37,060
Columbus, MS$36,800
Altus, OK$36,600
Lawton, OK$36,520
Pierre, SD$36,360
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.
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%.
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 $46,215.
While startup companies pay approximate $39,252.
Preschool Teacher Salary by Company Size
Company Size
Employees
Average Salary
Startup
1~50
$39,252
Growth Stage
51~500
$41,476
Established
501~5000
$44,656
Enterprise
5000+
$46,215
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 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.
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
$???
$43,052
$43,171
$42,687
$???
$???
2022
2023
2024
2025
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)
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 LLPBusiness Servicesthe United States
W$114,096/per year
Warner Bros DiscoveryBusiness Servicesthe United States
D$111,927/per year
Dentsu International LtdBusiness Servicesthe United States
G$111,873/per year
GroupM Worldwide IncBusiness Servicesthe United States
C$111,651/per year
CoWorx StaffingBusiness Servicesthe United States
C$110,194/per year
Contemporary Services CorpBusiness Servicesthe United States
S$107,128/per year
Showcase CinemasBusiness Servicesthe United States
A$106,429/per year
Amentum Services IncBusiness Servicesthe United States
A$106,199/per year
Allied Universal Security Services LLCBusiness Servicesthe United States
S$106,104/per year
Sodexo USABusiness Servicesthe United States
J$105,192/per year
JLL TechnologiesBusiness Servicesthe United States
I$104,478/per year
Intact Insurance Group USA LLCBusiness Servicesthe United States
N$101,619/per year
NielsenIQBusiness Servicesthe United States
T$101,470/per year
The Leading Edge AllianceBusiness Servicesthe United States
H$101,308/per year
Honeywell UOPBusiness Servicesthe United States
R$97,720/per year
Reeve & AssociatesBusiness Servicesthe United States
M$97,584/per year
ManpowerGroup Global IncBusiness Servicesthe United States
F$95,980/per year
Financial Sys NcoBusiness Servicesthe United States
A$95,314/per year
Arrow Global LtdBusiness Servicesthe United States
C$94,777/per year
CarMax Enterprise Services LLCBusiness Servicesthe United States
D$94,479/per year
DZConneXBusiness Servicesthe United States
A$93,802/per year
Adecco Staffing, USABusiness Servicesthe United States
R$92,937/per year
Resource MFGBusiness Servicesthe United States
Z$92,774/per year
Zachry Brands IncBusiness Servicesthe United States
G$88,138/per year
Greystar Worldwide LLCBusiness Servicesthe United States
Find Your Next Preschool Teacher Job
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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.
