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 $43,880, a Preschool Educator (0-1 years)earns $33,535, a Child Caregiver II (1-3 years)earns $37,841,

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 $37,368, California $37,226, Massachusetts $36,730. 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: $150,060; Preschool Principal: $106,478; Preschool Manager: $64,545; Montessori PreSchool Preschool Director: $61,668; Preschool Administrator: $53,356.

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 May 01, 2026, the average salary for a Preschool Educator in the United States is $33,750 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): $39,332
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $31,283 to $36,672
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $29,036

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Preschool Educator Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$36,672	$3,056	$705	$18
Average	$33,750	$2,813	$649	$16
25th Percentile	$31,283	$2,607	$602	$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: $37,368.
California: $37,226.
Massachusetts: $36,730.

District of Columbia $37,368

California $37,226

Massachusetts $36,730

Washington $36,595

New Jersey $36,582

Alaska $36,535

Connecticut $36,069

New York $35,880

Hawaii $35,276

Rhode Island $34,992

Maryland $34,800

Minnesota $34,537

Colorado $34,435

Illinois $34,402

Oregon $34,273

Delaware $34,179

New Hampshire $34,119

Virginia $33,986

Pennsylvania $33,598

Nevada $33,403

North Dakota $33,338

Michigan $33,237

Wisconsin $33,200

Vermont $33,126

Texas $32,920

Maine $32,906

Arizona $32,886

Ohio $32,863

Georgia $32,552

Indiana $32,397

Wyoming $32,366

Utah $32,319

Iowa $32,299

Kansas $32,137

Louisiana $32,090

North Carolina $32,073

Missouri $32,066

Florida $31,934

Montana $31,864

Nebraska $31,796

Kentucky $31,759

South Carolina $31,624

Tennessee $31,540

Idaho $31,506

New Mexico $31,259

Oklahoma $31,205

Alabama $31,006

South Dakota $30,672

Arkansas $30,490

West Virginia $30,392

Mississippi $30,098

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: $42,569
San Francisco: $42,103
Oakland: $41,216

San Jose, CA $42,569

San Francisco, CA $42,103

Oakland, CA $41,216

New York, NY $38,860

Paramus, NJ $38,387

Queens Village, NY $38,385

Passaic, NJ $38,353

Bergenfield, NJ $38,350

Stamford, CT $38,276

Huntington, NY $38,262

Newark, NJ $38,013

Bridgeport, CT $37,942

Vallejo, CA $37,874

New Brunswick, NJ $37,861

Petaluma, CA $37,841

Middlesex, NJ $37,777

Somerset, NJ $37,753

Santa Cruz, CA $37,709

Boston, MA $37,503

Monterey, CA $37,385

Seattle, WA $37,307

Santa Rosa, CA $37,301

Los Angeles, CA $37,291

Juneau, AK $37,203

Washington, DC $37,166

Orange, CA $37,046

Santa Ana, CA $36,956

Long Beach, CA $36,923

Anaheim, CA $36,916

Anchorage, AK $36,899

Santa Maria, CA $36,798

Everett, WA $36,791

Danbury, CT $36,672

Bremerton, WA $36,626

Tacoma, WA $36,504

New Suffolk, NY $36,504

Sacramento, CA $36,494

Santa Barbara, CA $36,457

Trenton, NJ $36,420

San Diego, CA $36,420

Brockton, MA $36,383

Fairbanks, AK $36,300

Lompoc, CA $36,214

Lowell, MA $36,187

Ventura, CA $36,180

Nashua, NH $36,173

Stockton, CA $36,170

Modesto, CA $35,924

Poughkeepsie, NY $35,849

Olympia, WA $35,785

Kennewick, WA $35,785

New Haven, CT $35,772

Lawrence, MA $35,650

Hartford, CT $35,617

Riverside, CA $35,610

New Bedford, MA $35,576

Richland, WA $35,576

Bakersfield, CA $35,529

San Bernardino, CA $35,515

New Britain, CT $35,512

Atlantic City, NJ $35,512

New London, CT $35,498

Norwich, CT $35,488

Portsmouth, NH $35,482

Boulder, CO $35,410

Portland, OR $35,363

Worcester, MA $35,360

Minneapolis, MN $35,255

Philadelphia, PA $35,208

Honolulu, HI $35,097

Saint Paul, MN $35,081

Vineland, NJ $35,073

Providence, RI $34,975

Chicago, IL $34,877

Bellingham, WA $34,837

Springfield, MA $34,810

Baltimore, MD $34,800

Chico, CA $34,715

Pittsfield, MA $34,624

Manchester, NH $34,560

Spokane, WA $34,412

Denver, CO $34,408

Albany, NY $34,250

Troy, NY $34,236

Nassau, NY $34,200

Schenectady, NY $34,165

Wilmington, DE $34,138

Burlington, VT $34,091

Salem, OR $34,078

Portland, ME $33,973

Yakima, WA $33,939

Rochester, MN $33,835

Reno, NV $33,818

Fresno, CA $33,818

Milwaukee, WI $33,787

Detroit, MI $33,754

Ann Arbor, MI $33,748

Allentown, PA $33,743

Colorado Springs, CO $33,686

Syracuse, NY $33,669

Carson City, NV $33,669

Houston, TX $33,622

Eugene, OR $33,605

Gary, IN $33,565

Springfield, OR $33,538

Bismarck, ND $33,531

Galveston, TX $33,507

Medford, OR $33,457

Fort Collins, CO $33,443

Concord, NH $33,426

Austin, TX $33,416

Mesa, AZ $33,345

Reading, PA $33,342

Phoenix, AZ $33,338

Dallas, TX $33,328

Saint Cloud, MN $33,296

Madison, WI $33,251

Utica, NY $33,160

Rochester, NY $33,106

Des Moines, IA $33,102

Raleigh, NC $33,099

Atlanta, GA $33,048

Battle Creek, MI $33,038

Salt Lake City, UT $33,028

Lancaster, PA $32,977

Harrisburg, PA $32,930

Kansas City, MO $32,896

Champaign, IL $32,890

Kansas City, KS $32,890

Fort Worth, TX $32,886

Columbus, OH $32,880

Boca Raton, FL $32,873

Pittsburgh, PA $32,859

Richmond, VA $32,846

Indianapolis, IN $32,839

Cleveland, OH $32,836

Las Vegas, NV $32,795

Cincinnati, OH $32,795

Petersburg, VA $32,744

Huntsville, AL $32,694

Lansing, MI $32,671

Lebanon, PA $32,667

Pueblo, CO $32,663

Appleton, WI $32,653

Buffalo, NY $32,640

Dayton, OH $32,630

Racine, WI $32,623

Charlotte, NC $32,620

Saint Louis, MO $32,609

York, PA $32,589

Elkhart, IN $32,589

Gastonia, NC $32,583

Billings, MT $32,575

Beaumont, TX $32,566

Lorain, OH $32,559

Benton Harbor, MI $32,552

Toledo, OH $32,545

Binghamton, NY $32,528

Rock Hill, SC $32,525

Rockford, IL $32,508

Springfield, IL $32,495

Elyria, OH $32,491

Fargo, ND $32,491

Flagstaff, AZ $32,468

Fort Lauderdale, FL $32,447

Duluth, MN $32,427

Miami, FL $32,427

Cheyenne, WY $32,404

Grand Forks, ND $32,404

Bangor, ME $32,329

Cedar Rapids, IA $32,292

Durham, NC $32,278

Louisville, KY $32,275

Grand Rapids, MI $32,269

Hialeah, FL $32,265

Casper, WY $32,218

Scranton, PA $32,177

New Orleans, LA $32,167

Virginia Beach, VA $32,164

Akron, OH $32,147

Peoria, IL $32,103

Sarasota, FL $32,096

Nashville, TN $32,073

Omaha, NE $32,073

Green Bay, WI $32,073

Baton Rouge, LA $32,056

Charleston, SC $32,049

Jamestown, NY $32,032

Davenport, IA $32,032

Tucson, AZ $32,015

Saint Petersburg, FL $31,995

Tampa, FL $31,988

Evansville, IN $31,968

Port Arthur, TX $31,968

Bradenton, FL $31,955

Santa Fe, NM $31,894

Orlando, FL $31,833

Clearwater, FL $31,823

Canton, OH $31,752

La Crosse, WI $31,752

Albuquerque, NM $31,732

Newport News, VA $31,729

High Point, NC $31,718

Ogden, UT $31,705

Corpus Christi, TX $31,678

Norfolk, VA $31,658

Laramie, WY $31,658

Rock Island, IL $31,637

Saginaw, MI $31,631

Jacksonville, FL $31,627

Salisbury, NC $31,621

Boise, ID $31,614

Moline, IL $31,597

Fort Myers, FL $31,587

Memphis, TN $31,580

Tulsa, OK $31,563

Waterloo, IA $31,543

Spartanburg, SC $31,509

Lincoln, NE $31,492

Fort Wayne, IN $31,486

Provo, UT $31,482

Cedar Falls, IA $31,442

San Antonio, TX $31,428

Greensboro, NC $31,415

South Bend, IN $31,411

Savannah, GA $31,374

Muskegon, MI $31,361

Birmingham, AL $31,357

Winston Salem, NC $31,341

Lake Charles, LA $31,259

Anderson, IN $31,253

Lexington, KY $31,243

Augusta, GA $31,232

Greenville, SC $31,232

Lima, OH $31,205

Wichita, KS $31,202

Tuscaloosa, AL $31,202

Columbia, SC $31,172

Springfield, OH $31,165

Asheville, NC $31,111

Bloomington, IN $31,087

Knoxville, TN $30,966

Shreveport, LA $30,962

Wilmington, NC $30,919

Roanoke, VA $30,919

Topeka, KS $30,858

Frankfort, KY $30,854

Oklahoma City, OK $30,831

Chillicothe, OH $30,817

Longview, TX $30,814

Melbourne, FL $30,811

Sioux Falls, SD $30,757

Mobile, AL $30,753

Terre Haute, IN $30,740

Altoona, PA $30,719

Amarillo, TX $30,696

Killeen, TX $30,686

Fayetteville, AR $30,659

Chattanooga, TN $30,649

Sioux City, IA $30,618

Idaho Falls, ID $30,611

Lynchburg, VA $30,584

Gainesville, FL $30,541

Portsmouth, OH $30,524

Little Rock, AR $30,517

Lafayette, LA $30,503

Youngstown, OH $30,503

Daytona Beach, FL $30,483

Clarksville, TN $30,480

Pensacola, FL $30,476

Temple, TX $30,474

Hopkinsville, KY $30,375

Erie, PA $30,368

Florence, SC $30,355

Charleston, WV $30,301

Great Falls, MT $30,284

Macon, GA $30,237

Tallahassee, FL $30,233

Fayetteville, NC $30,227

Waco, TX $30,220

Helena, MT $30,196

Pine Bluff, AR $30,183

Vincennes, IN $30,142

Lubbock, TX $30,129

Alamogordo, NM $30,109

Twin Falls, ID $30,078

Rapid City, SD $30,068

Jackson, MS $30,007

Huntington, WV $30,005

Greenville, MS $30,004

Parkersburg, WV $29,970

Montgomery, AL $29,963

Wichita Falls, TX $29,930

Springfield, MO $29,930

Biloxi, MS $29,913

Monroe, LA $29,879

Johnstown, PA $29,855

Sumter, SC $29,842

Columbus, GA $29,839

Pascagoula, MS $29,774

Abilene, TX $29,774

Kingsport, TN $29,687

Albany, GA $29,687

Gulfport, MS $29,677

Alexandria, LA $29,565

Fort Smith, AR $29,481

El Paso, TX $29,390

Las Cruces, NM $29,238

Harlingen, TX $29,152

Pocatello, ID $29,147

Florence, AL $29,103

Brownsville, TX $29,096

Mcallen, TX $29,025

Dothan, AL $28,978

Columbus, MS $28,777

Altus, OK $28,620

Lawton, OK $28,556

Pierre, SD $28,435

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	$38,813	15%
Coordination	$36,788	9%
Problem Solving	$36,450	8%
Accountability	$36,450	8%
Customer Service	$36,113	7%
Leadership	$35,775	6%

Get Latest Data

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 May 01, 2026

$31,283

Average $33,750/year

$36,672

$2,607

Average $2,813/month

$3,056

$602

Average $649/week

$705

$15

Average $16/hour

$18

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$36,672	$3,056	$705	$18
Average	$33,750	$2,813	$649	$16
25th Percentile	$31,283	$2,607	$602	$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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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

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