Early Learning Specialist Salary in the United States
How much does an Early Learning Specialist make in the United States?
As of October 01, 2026, the average salary for an Early Learning Specialist in the United States is $41,651 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $20.
However, an Early Learning Specialist's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $49,307
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $36,279 to $45,659
Key Factors That Influence Early Learning Specialist Salaries
An Early Learning Specialist'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 Early Learning Specialist 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 Early Learning Specialists. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
District of Columbia: $46,116.
California: $45,941.
Massachusetts: $45,329.
District of Columbia$46,116
California$45,941
Massachusetts$45,329
Washington$45,162
New Jersey$45,146
Alaska$45,087
Connecticut$44,513
New York$44,279
Hawaii$43,534
Rhode Island$43,184
Maryland$42,947
Minnesota$42,622
Colorado$42,497
Illinois$42,455
Oregon$42,297
Delaware$42,180
New Hampshire$42,107
Virginia$41,943
Pennsylvania$41,464
Nevada$41,222
North Dakota$41,143
Michigan$41,018
Wisconsin$40,972
Vermont$40,881
Texas$40,627
Maine$40,610
Arizona$40,585
Ohio$40,556
Georgia$40,173
Indiana$39,981
Wyoming$39,944
Utah$39,885
Iowa$39,860
Kansas$39,660
Louisiana$39,602
North Carolina$39,581
Missouri$39,573
Florida$39,410
Montana$39,323
Nebraska$39,240
Kentucky$39,194
South Carolina$39,027
Tennessee$38,923
Idaho$38,881
New Mexico$38,577
Oklahoma$38,511
Alabama$38,265
South Dakota$37,853
Arkansas$37,628
West Virginia$37,507
Mississippi$37,145
Top Paying Cities for Early Learning Specialists
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: $52,535
San Francisco: $51,959
Oakland: $50,864
San Jose, CA$52,535
San Francisco, CA$51,959
Oakland, CA$50,864
New York, NY$47,957
Paramus, NJ$47,374
Queens Village, NY$47,372
Passaic, NJ$47,332
Bergenfield, NJ$47,328
Stamford, CT$47,237
Huntington, NY$47,220
Newark, NJ$46,912
Bridgeport, CT$46,824
Vallejo, CA$46,741
New Brunswick, NJ$46,724
Petaluma, CA$46,699
Middlesex, NJ$46,620
Somerset, NJ$46,591
Santa Cruz, CA$46,537
Boston, MA$46,283
Monterey, CA$46,137
Seattle, WA$46,041
Santa Rosa, CA$46,033
Los Angeles, CA$46,020
Juneau, AK$45,912
Washington, DC$45,866
Orange, CA$45,718
Santa Ana, CA$45,608
Long Beach, CA$45,566
Anaheim, CA$45,558
Anchorage, AK$45,537
Santa Maria, CA$45,412
Everett, WA$45,404
Danbury, CT$45,257
Bremerton, WA$45,200
Tacoma, WA$45,050
New Suffolk, NY$45,049
Sacramento, CA$45,037
Santa Barbara, CA$44,992
Trenton, NJ$44,946
San Diego, CA$44,946
Brockton, MA$44,900
Fairbanks, AK$44,798
Lompoc, CA$44,692
Lowell, MA$44,658
Ventura, CA$44,650
Nashua, NH$44,642
Stockton, CA$44,638
Modesto, CA$44,334
Poughkeepsie, NY$44,242
Olympia, WA$44,163
Kennewick, WA$44,163
New Haven, CT$44,146
Lawrence, MA$43,996
Hartford, CT$43,955
Riverside, CA$43,946
New Bedford, MA$43,905
Richland, WA$43,905
Bakersfield, CA$43,846
San Bernardino, CA$43,830
New Britain, CT$43,825
Atlantic City, NJ$43,825
New London, CT$43,809
Norwich, CT$43,796
Portsmouth, NH$43,788
Boulder, CO$43,700
Portland, OR$43,642
Worcester, MA$43,638
Minneapolis, MN$43,509
Philadelphia, PA$43,451
Honolulu, HI$43,313
Saint Paul, MN$43,293
Vineland, NJ$43,284
Providence, RI$43,163
Chicago, IL$43,042
Bellingham, WA$42,992
Springfield, MA$42,959
Baltimore, MD$42,947
Chico, CA$42,842
Pittsfield, MA$42,730
Manchester, NH$42,651
Spokane, WA$42,468
Denver, CO$42,463
Albany, NY$42,268
Troy, NY$42,251
Nassau, NY$42,206
Schenectady, NY$42,164
Wilmington, DE$42,130
Burlington, VT$42,072
Salem, OR$42,055
Portland, ME$41,926
Yakima, WA$41,884
Rochester, MN$41,755
Reno, NV$41,735
Fresno, CA$41,735
Milwaukee, WI$41,697
Detroit, MI$41,655
Ann Arbor, MI$41,648
Allentown, PA$41,643
Colorado Springs, CO$41,572
Syracuse, NY$41,551
Carson City, NV$41,551
Houston, TX$41,493
Eugene, OR$41,472
Gary, IN$41,422
Springfield, OR$41,389
Bismarck, ND$41,380
Galveston, TX$41,351
Medford, OR$41,289
Fort Collins, CO$41,272
Concord, NH$41,251
Austin, TX$41,239
Mesa, AZ$41,151
Reading, PA$41,147
Phoenix, AZ$41,143
Dallas, TX$41,131
Saint Cloud, MN$41,091
Madison, WI$41,035
Utica, NY$40,922
Rochester, NY$40,856
Des Moines, IA$40,851
Raleigh, NC$40,847
Atlanta, GA$40,785
Battle Creek, MI$40,772
Salt Lake City, UT$40,760
Lancaster, PA$40,697
Harrisburg, PA$40,639
Kansas City, MO$40,597
Champaign, IL$40,589
Kansas City, KS$40,589
Fort Worth, TX$40,585
Columbus, OH$40,578
Boca Raton, FL$40,568
Pittsburgh, PA$40,552
Richmond, VA$40,535
Indianapolis, IN$40,527
Cleveland, OH$40,522
Las Vegas, NV$40,472
Cincinnati, OH$40,472
Petersburg, VA$40,410
Huntsville, AL$40,348
Lansing, MI$40,320
Lebanon, PA$40,314
Pueblo, CO$40,310
Appleton, WI$40,298
Buffalo, NY$40,281
Dayton, OH$40,268
Racine, WI$40,260
Charlotte, NC$40,256
Saint Louis, MO$40,243
York, PA$40,218
Elkhart, IN$40,218
Gastonia, NC$40,210
Billings, MT$40,200
Beaumont, TX$40,189
Lorain, OH$40,181
Benton Harbor, MI$40,173
Toledo, OH$40,164
Binghamton, NY$40,143
Rock Hill, SC$40,139
Rockford, IL$40,118
Springfield, IL$40,102
Elyria, OH$40,098
Fargo, ND$40,098
Flagstaff, AZ$40,068
Fort Lauderdale, FL$40,043
Duluth, MN$40,018
Miami, FL$40,018
Cheyenne, WY$39,989
Grand Forks, ND$39,989
Bangor, ME$39,898
Cedar Rapids, IA$39,852
Durham, NC$39,834
Louisville, KY$39,831
Grand Rapids, MI$39,823
Hialeah, FL$39,819
Casper, WY$39,760
Scranton, PA$39,710
New Orleans, LA$39,698
Virginia Beach, VA$39,694
Akron, OH$39,673
Peoria, IL$39,619
Sarasota, FL$39,610
Nashville, TN$39,581
Omaha, NE$39,581
Green Bay, WI$39,581
Baton Rouge, LA$39,560
Charleston, SC$39,552
Jamestown, NY$39,531
Davenport, IA$39,531
Tucson, AZ$39,510
Saint Petersburg, FL$39,485
Tampa, FL$39,477
Evansville, IN$39,452
Port Arthur, TX$39,452
Bradenton, FL$39,435
Santa Fe, NM$39,360
Orlando, FL$39,285
Clearwater, FL$39,273
Canton, OH$39,185
La Crosse, WI$39,185
Albuquerque, NM$39,160
Newport News, VA$39,156
High Point, NC$39,144
Ogden, UT$39,127
Corpus Christi, TX$39,094
Norfolk, VA$39,069
Laramie, WY$39,069
Rock Island, IL$39,044
Saginaw, MI$39,036
Jacksonville, FL$39,031
Salisbury, NC$39,023
Boise, ID$39,015
Moline, IL$38,994
Fort Myers, FL$38,981
Memphis, TN$38,973
Tulsa, OK$38,952
Waterloo, IA$38,927
Spartanburg, SC$38,886
Lincoln, NE$38,865
Fort Wayne, IN$38,856
Provo, UT$38,852
Cedar Falls, IA$38,802
San Antonio, TX$38,786
Greensboro, NC$38,769
South Bend, IN$38,765
Savannah, GA$38,719
Muskegon, MI$38,702
Birmingham, AL$38,698
Winston Salem, NC$38,678
Lake Charles, LA$38,577
Anderson, IN$38,569
Lexington, KY$38,557
Augusta, GA$38,544
Greenville, SC$38,544
Lima, OH$38,511
Wichita, KS$38,507
Tuscaloosa, AL$38,507
Columbia, SC$38,469
Springfield, OH$38,461
Asheville, NC$38,394
Bloomington, IN$38,365
Knoxville, TN$38,215
Shreveport, LA$38,211
Wilmington, NC$38,157
Roanoke, VA$38,157
Topeka, KS$38,082
Frankfort, KY$38,077
Oklahoma City, OK$38,048
Chillicothe, OH$38,032
Longview, TX$38,028
Melbourne, FL$38,023
Sioux Falls, SD$37,957
Mobile, AL$37,953
Terre Haute, IN$37,936
Altoona, PA$37,911
Amarillo, TX$37,882
Killeen, TX$37,869
Fayetteville, AR$37,836
Chattanooga, TN$37,823
Sioux City, IA$37,786
Idaho Falls, ID$37,778
Lynchburg, VA$37,744
Gainesville, FL$37,690
Portsmouth, OH$37,669
Little Rock, AR$37,661
Lafayette, LA$37,644
Youngstown, OH$37,644
Daytona Beach, FL$37,619
Clarksville, TN$37,615
Pensacola, FL$37,611
Temple, TX$37,608
Hopkinsville, KY$37,486
Erie, PA$37,478
Florence, SC$37,461
Charleston, WV$37,394
Great Falls, MT$37,374
Macon, GA$37,315
Tallahassee, FL$37,311
Fayetteville, NC$37,303
Waco, TX$37,294
Helena, MT$37,265
Pine Bluff, AR$37,250
Vincennes, IN$37,199
Lubbock, TX$37,182
Alamogordo, NM$37,157
Twin Falls, ID$37,120
Rapid City, SD$37,107
Jackson, MS$37,032
Huntington, WV$37,029
Greenville, MS$37,028
Parkersburg, WV$36,985
Montgomery, AL$36,978
Wichita Falls, TX$36,936
Springfield, MO$36,936
Biloxi, MS$36,915
Monroe, LA$36,874
Johnstown, PA$36,845
Sumter, SC$36,828
Columbus, GA$36,824
Pascagoula, MS$36,745
Abilene, TX$36,745
Kingsport, TN$36,636
Albany, GA$36,636
Gulfport, MS$36,624
Alexandria, LA$36,486
Fort Smith, AR$36,382
El Paso, TX$36,270
Las Cruces, NM$36,082
Harlingen, TX$35,977
Pocatello, ID$35,970
Florence, AL$35,916
Brownsville, TX$35,907
Mcallen, TX$35,820
Dothan, AL$35,762
Columbus, MS$35,514
Altus, OK$35,320
Lawton, OK$35,241
Pierre, SD$35,091
What Skills Can Increase an Early Learning Specialist'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 an Early Learning Specialist'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%.
Early Learning Specialist Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Early Learning Specialist 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, Early Learning Specialist positions in Hospitality & Leisure or Business Services typically offer lower base pay,
as these industries often view Early Learning Specialist as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industries for an Early Learning Specialist
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Healthcare
$62,477
$30.0
50%
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
$49,981
$24.0
20%
How Education impacts an Early Learning Specialist's Salary?
Your level of education can impact your salary potential.
While many Early Learning Specialists 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 an Early Learning Specialist with a No Diploma is between
$36,746
and $39,056).
Early Learning Specialist Salaries by Degree Level
Early Learning Specialist Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how an Early Learning Specialist'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 October 01, 2026
$36,279
Average$41,651/year
$45,659
$3,023
Average$3,471/month
$3,805
$698
Average$801/week
$878
$17
Average$20/hour
$22
Annual Salary
Monthly Pay
Weekly Pay
Hourly Wage
75th Percentile
$45,659
$3,805
$878
$22
Average
$41,651
$3,471
$801
$20
25th Percentile
$36,279
$3,023
$698
$17
Salaries of Jobs related to Early Learning Specialist
Early Learning Center Director$76,016
Early Learning Educator$59,372
Early Intervention Specialist$55,615
Early Childhood Specialist$54,728
Learning Specialist$54,251
Outdoor Early Learning Teacher$44,207
Early Learning Center Teacher$44,081
Outdoor Early Learning Instructor$43,707
Early Learning Teacher$41,926
Early Childhood Intervention Specialist$41,820
Early Learning and Care Representative$38,554
Salary Trends for Early Learning Specialist
Salaries for an Early Learning Specialist can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $41,924 in 2023
to around $41,569 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Early Learning Specialist salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Early Learning Specialist Over Time
$???
$41,924
$42,040
$41,569
$???
$???
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$41,924
2024
$42,040
2025
$41,569
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Early Learning Specialist
Social Security
401 (k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
Common company salaries for Early Learning Specialist
Here are companies hiring for Early Learning Specialist 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
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FAQ about Early Learning Specialist
1. What industry pays the highest salary for Early Learning Specialist?
The Healthcare industry offers the highest average compensation for Early Learning Specialist 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.
