What are the main factors that influence a Preschool Educator's salary?

The primary factors are: 1) Experience Level, 2) Geographic Location, 3) Education/Skills, 4) Company Size & Industry

How does experience change A Preschool Educator's salary?

A Preschool Educator's salary grows with experience: a Child Care Center Teacher (0-0 years)earns $43,872, a Preschool Educator (0-1 years)earns $33,524, a Child Caregiver II (1-3 years)earns $37,839,

What are the highest paying states for a Preschool Educator?

Preschool Educator salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Preschool Educator roles are District of Columbia $37,356, California $37,214, Massachusetts $36,718. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Preschool Educator roles make?

Salaries for Preschool Educator level roles vary by specialization: Preschool Director: $150,182; Preschool Principal: $106,503; Preschool Manager: $64,537; Montessori PreSchool Preschool Director: $61,700; Preschool Administrator: $53,351.

How do different companies affect a Preschool Educator's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Preschool Educator roles. Large, established industry leaders like Kpmg Us LLP ($114,295) and Warner Bros Discovery ($114,096) offer base salaries 35-40% above the national average. In contrast, smaller firms or startups may offer closer to $88,138.

Preschool Educator Salary in the United States

How much does a Preschool Educator make in the United States?

As of August 01, 2026, the average salary for a Preschool Educator in the United States is $33,739 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $16.

However, a Preschool Educator's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

Top Earners (90th percentile): $39,321
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $31,273 to $36,661
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $29,027

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Preschool Educator Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$36,661	$3,055	$705	$18
Average	$33,739	$2,812	$649	$16
25th Percentile	$31,273	$2,606	$601	$15

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Key Factors That Influence Preschool Educator Salaries

A Preschool Educator'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 and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Do Preschool Educator 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 Educators. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $37,356.
California: $37,214.
Massachusetts: $36,718.

District of Columbia $37,356

California $37,214

Massachusetts $36,718

Washington $36,583

New Jersey $36,570

Alaska $36,522

Connecticut $36,057

New York $35,868

Hawaii $35,264

Rhode Island $34,981

Maryland $34,788

Minnesota $34,525

Colorado $34,424

Illinois $34,390

Oregon $34,262

Delaware $34,167

New Hampshire $34,108

Virginia $33,975

Pennsylvania $33,587

Nevada $33,391

North Dakota $33,327

Michigan $33,226

Wisconsin $33,189

Vermont $33,115

Texas $32,909

Maine $32,896

Arizona $32,875

Ohio $32,852

Georgia $32,541

Indiana $32,386

Wyoming $32,356

Utah $32,308

Iowa $32,288

Kansas $32,126

Louisiana $32,079

North Carolina $32,062

Missouri $32,055

Florida $31,924

Montana $31,853

Nebraska $31,786

Kentucky $31,748

South Carolina $31,613

Tennessee $31,529

Idaho $31,495

New Mexico $31,249

Oklahoma $31,195

Alabama $30,996

South Dakota $30,662

Arkansas $30,480

West Virginia $30,382

Mississippi $30,088

Top Paying Cities for Preschool Educators

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: $42,555
San Francisco: $42,089
Oakland: $41,202

San Jose, CA $42,555

San Francisco, CA $42,089

Oakland, CA $41,202

New York, NY $38,847

Paramus, NJ $38,374

Queens Village, NY $38,373

Passaic, NJ $38,341

Bergenfield, NJ $38,338

Stamford, CT $38,263

Huntington, NY $38,250

Newark, NJ $38,000

Bridgeport, CT $37,929

Vallejo, CA $37,862

New Brunswick, NJ $37,848

Petaluma, CA $37,828

Middlesex, NJ $37,764

Somerset, NJ $37,740

Santa Cruz, CA $37,697

Boston, MA $37,491

Monterey, CA $37,372

Seattle, WA $37,295

Santa Rosa, CA $37,288

Los Angeles, CA $37,278

Juneau, AK $37,190

Washington, DC $37,153

Orange, CA $37,033

Santa Ana, CA $36,944

Long Beach, CA $36,910

Anaheim, CA $36,904

Anchorage, AK $36,887

Santa Maria, CA $36,786

Everett, WA $36,779

Danbury, CT $36,660

Bremerton, WA $36,614

Tacoma, WA $36,492

New Suffolk, NY $36,491

Sacramento, CA $36,482

Santa Barbara, CA $36,445

Trenton, NJ $36,408

San Diego, CA $36,408

Brockton, MA $36,371

Fairbanks, AK $36,288

Lompoc, CA $36,202

Lowell, MA $36,175

Ventura, CA $36,168

Nashua, NH $36,161

Stockton, CA $36,158

Modesto, CA $35,912

Poughkeepsie, NY $35,838

Olympia, WA $35,773

Kennewick, WA $35,773

New Haven, CT $35,760

Lawrence, MA $35,639

Hartford, CT $35,605

Riverside, CA $35,598

New Bedford, MA $35,564

Richland, WA $35,564

Bakersfield, CA $35,517

San Bernardino, CA $35,504

New Britain, CT $35,500

Atlantic City, NJ $35,500

New London, CT $35,487

Norwich, CT $35,477

Portsmouth, NH $35,470

Boulder, CO $35,398

Portland, OR $35,352

Worcester, MA $35,348

Minneapolis, MN $35,244

Philadelphia, PA $35,197

Honolulu, HI $35,085

Saint Paul, MN $35,069

Vineland, NJ $35,062

Providence, RI $34,964

Chicago, IL $34,866

Bellingham, WA $34,825

Springfield, MA $34,798

Baltimore, MD $34,788

Chico, CA $34,704

Pittsfield, MA $34,613

Manchester, NH $34,549

Spokane, WA $34,400

Denver, CO $34,397

Albany, NY $34,238

Troy, NY $34,225

Nassau, NY $34,189

Schenectady, NY $34,154

Wilmington, DE $34,127

Burlington, VT $34,080

Salem, OR $34,066

Portland, ME $33,962

Yakima, WA $33,928

Rochester, MN $33,823

Reno, NV $33,806

Fresno, CA $33,806

Milwaukee, WI $33,776

Detroit, MI $33,742

Ann Arbor, MI $33,737

Allentown, PA $33,732

Colorado Springs, CO $33,675

Syracuse, NY $33,658

Carson City, NV $33,658

Houston, TX $33,611

Eugene, OR $33,594

Gary, IN $33,553

Springfield, OR $33,526

Bismarck, ND $33,520

Galveston, TX $33,496

Medford, OR $33,445

Fort Collins, CO $33,432

Concord, NH $33,415

Austin, TX $33,405

Mesa, AZ $33,334

Reading, PA $33,331

Phoenix, AZ $33,327

Dallas, TX $33,317

Saint Cloud, MN $33,285

Madison, WI $33,240

Utica, NY $33,149

Rochester, NY $33,095

Des Moines, IA $33,091

Raleigh, NC $33,088

Atlanta, GA $33,037

Battle Creek, MI $33,027

Salt Lake City, UT $33,017

Lancaster, PA $32,966

Harrisburg, PA $32,919

Kansas City, MO $32,885

Champaign, IL $32,879

Kansas City, KS $32,879

Fort Worth, TX $32,875

Columbus, OH $32,870

Boca Raton, FL $32,862

Pittsburgh, PA $32,848

Richmond, VA $32,835

Indianapolis, IN $32,828

Cleveland, OH $32,825

Las Vegas, NV $32,784

Cincinnati, OH $32,784

Petersburg, VA $32,734

Huntsville, AL $32,683

Lansing, MI $32,660

Lebanon, PA $32,656

Pueblo, CO $32,653

Appleton, WI $32,642

Buffalo, NY $32,629

Dayton, OH $32,619

Racine, WI $32,612

Charlotte, NC $32,609

Saint Louis, MO $32,599

York, PA $32,578

Elkhart, IN $32,578

Gastonia, NC $32,572

Billings, MT $32,564

Beaumont, TX $32,555

Lorain, OH $32,548

Benton Harbor, MI $32,541

Toledo, OH $32,535

Binghamton, NY $32,518

Rock Hill, SC $32,514

Rockford, IL $32,497

Springfield, IL $32,484

Elyria, OH $32,481

Fargo, ND $32,481

Flagstaff, AZ $32,457

Fort Lauderdale, FL $32,437

Duluth, MN $32,416

Miami, FL $32,416

Cheyenne, WY $32,393

Grand Forks, ND $32,393

Bangor, ME $32,319

Cedar Rapids, IA $32,281

Durham, NC $32,267

Louisville, KY $32,265

Grand Rapids, MI $32,258

Hialeah, FL $32,254

Casper, WY $32,207

Scranton, PA $32,167

New Orleans, LA $32,157

Virginia Beach, VA $32,153

Akron, OH $32,136

Peoria, IL $32,093

Sarasota, FL $32,086

Nashville, TN $32,062

Omaha, NE $32,062

Green Bay, WI $32,062

Baton Rouge, LA $32,045

Charleston, SC $32,039

Jamestown, NY $32,022

Davenport, IA $32,022

Tucson, AZ $32,005

Saint Petersburg, FL $31,985

Tampa, FL $31,978

Evansville, IN $31,958

Port Arthur, TX $31,958

Bradenton, FL $31,944

Santa Fe, NM $31,883

Orlando, FL $31,823

Clearwater, FL $31,813

Canton, OH $31,742

La Crosse, WI $31,742

Albuquerque, NM $31,721

Newport News, VA $31,718

High Point, NC $31,708

Ogden, UT $31,694

Corpus Christi, TX $31,667

Norfolk, VA $31,647

Laramie, WY $31,647

Rock Island, IL $31,627

Saginaw, MI $31,620

Jacksonville, FL $31,617

Salisbury, NC $31,610

Boise, ID $31,603

Moline, IL $31,586

Fort Myers, FL $31,576

Memphis, TN $31,570

Tulsa, OK $31,553

Waterloo, IA $31,532

Spartanburg, SC $31,499

Lincoln, NE $31,482

Fort Wayne, IN $31,475

Provo, UT $31,472

Cedar Falls, IA $31,431

San Antonio, TX $31,418

Greensboro, NC $31,404

South Bend, IN $31,401

Savannah, GA $31,364

Muskegon, MI $31,350

Birmingham, AL $31,347

Winston Salem, NC $31,330

Lake Charles, LA $31,249

Anderson, IN $31,242

Lexington, KY $31,232

Augusta, GA $31,222

Greenville, SC $31,222

Lima, OH $31,195

Wichita, KS $31,192

Tuscaloosa, AL $31,192

Columbia, SC $31,161

Springfield, OH $31,155

Asheville, NC $31,101

Bloomington, IN $31,077

Knoxville, TN $30,956

Shreveport, LA $30,952

Wilmington, NC $30,908

Roanoke, VA $30,908

Topeka, KS $30,848

Frankfort, KY $30,844

Oklahoma City, OK $30,821

Chillicothe, OH $30,807

Longview, TX $30,804

Melbourne, FL $30,800

Sioux Falls, SD $30,746

Mobile, AL $30,743

Terre Haute, IN $30,729

Altoona, PA $30,709

Amarillo, TX $30,686

Killeen, TX $30,675

Fayetteville, AR $30,649

Chattanooga, TN $30,638

Sioux City, IA $30,608

Idaho Falls, ID $30,601

Lynchburg, VA $30,574

Gainesville, FL $30,530

Portsmouth, OH $30,514

Little Rock, AR $30,507

Lafayette, LA $30,493

Youngstown, OH $30,493

Daytona Beach, FL $30,473

Clarksville, TN $30,470

Pensacola, FL $30,466

Temple, TX $30,464

Hopkinsville, KY $30,365

Erie, PA $30,358

Florence, SC $30,345

Charleston, WV $30,291

Great Falls, MT $30,274

Macon, GA $30,227

Tallahassee, FL $30,223

Fayetteville, NC $30,217

Waco, TX $30,210

Helena, MT $30,186

Pine Bluff, AR $30,173

Vincennes, IN $30,132

Lubbock, TX $30,119

Alamogordo, NM $30,099

Twin Falls, ID $30,068

Rapid City, SD $30,058

Jackson, MS $29,997

Huntington, WV $29,995

Greenville, MS $29,994

Parkersburg, WV $29,960

Montgomery, AL $29,953

Wichita Falls, TX $29,920

Springfield, MO $29,920

Biloxi, MS $29,903

Monroe, LA $29,869

Johnstown, PA $29,846

Sumter, SC $29,832

Columbus, GA $29,829

Pascagoula, MS $29,765

Abilene, TX $29,765

Kingsport, TN $29,677

Albany, GA $29,677

Gulfport, MS $29,667

Alexandria, LA $29,555

Fort Smith, AR $29,471

El Paso, TX $29,380

Las Cruces, NM $29,228

Harlingen, TX $29,142

Pocatello, ID $29,137

Florence, AL $29,093

Brownsville, TX $29,086

Mcallen, TX $29,016

Dothan, AL $28,968

Columbus, MS $28,768

Altus, OK $28,611

Lawton, OK $28,547

Pierre, SD $28,425

What Skills Can Increase a Preschool Educator's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Commitment (Mentioned in 3.73% Job Postings): An agreement or pledge to do something in the future a commitment to improve conditions at the prison especially : an engagement to assume a financial obligation at a future date.
Child Development (Mentioned in 9.81% Job Postings): Child development refers to the sequence of physical, language, thought and emotional changes that occur in a child from birth to the beginning of adulthood.
Early Childhood Education (Mentioned in 4.68% Job Postings): Early childhood education, also known as nursery education, is a branch of education theory that relates to the teaching of children from birth up to the age of eight.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Commitment	3.73%
Child Development	9.81%
Early Childhood Education	4.68%

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 Educator's salary.

Motivating: Can increase your salary by up to 15%.
Coordination: Can increase your salary by up to 9%.
Problem Solving: Can increase your salary by up to 8%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Motivating	$38,800	15%
Coordination	$36,776	9%
Problem Solving	$36,438	8%
Accountability	$36,438	8%
Customer Service	$36,101	7%
Leadership	$35,763	6%

Get Latest Data

Preschool Educator Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Preschool Educator roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 60% (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 30% above the average. In contrast, Preschool Educator positions in Hospitality & Leisure or Business Services typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Preschool Educator as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industries for a Preschool Educator

Industry Sector	Average Annual Salary	Average Hourly Rate	Pay vs.Avg
Healthcare	$43,861	$21.0	30%
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit	$37,113	$18.0	10%

Preschool Educator Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Preschool Educator'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.

Last Updated on August 01, 2026

$31,273

Average $33,739/year

$36,661

$2,606

Average $2,812/month

$3,055

$601

Average $649/week

$705

$15

Average $16/hour

$18

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$36,661	$3,055	$705	$18
Average	$33,739	$2,812	$649	$16
25th Percentile	$31,273	$2,606	$601	$15

Salaries of jobs related to Preschool Educator

Salary Trends for Preschool Educator

Salaries for a Preschool Educator can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $37,441 in 2023 to around $36,428 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Preschool Educator salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Preschool Educator Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$37,441

2024

$36,823

2025

$36,428

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$37,441
2024	$36,823
2025	$36,428
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Preschool Educator

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Disability

Healthcare

Pension

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FAQ about Preschool Educator

1. What industry pays the highest salary for Preschool Educator?

The Healthcare industry offers the highest average compensation for Preschool Educator roles, with salaries approximately 30% 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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