SalariesWhat the occupation covers
Instruct preschool-aged students, following curricula or lesson plans, in activities designed to promote social, physical, and intellectual growth. Excludes “Special Education Teachers” (25-2050), “Substitute Teachers, Short-Term” (25-3031), and “Childcare Workers” (39-9011).
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 25-2011.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $28,990 | $2,416 | $558 | $13.94 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $34,530 | $2,878 | $664 | $16.60 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $38,140 | $3,178 | $733 | $18.34 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $47,550 | $3,962 | $914 | $22.86 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $61,390 | $5,116 | $1,181 | $29.52 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education is $38,140, which is 25% lower. Among the 64 occupations of the field Educational Instruction and Library, it ranks number 63 by median pay. With 478,780 jobs, it makes up about 31 of every 10,000 jobs in the country. The average ($43,030) is well above the median, a sign that a smaller group of high earners pulls the average up.
Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education pay by state
The highest median pay was in District of Columbia ($62,150), Vermont ($49,730) and Hawaii ($48,780). The lowest was in Guam ($22,120), Alabama ($28,310) and Kentucky ($29,780). The most jobs were in California (55,700), Texas (41,200) and Florida (35,740). The occupation is most concentrated in Massachusetts, where its share of all jobs is 1.7 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 2,350 | $62,150 | $68,100 | $29.88 |
| Vermont | 940 | $49,730 | $52,520 | $23.91 |
| Hawaii | 1,410 | $48,780 | $50,670 | $23.45 |
| New Jersey | 16,190 | $48,220 | $56,770 | $23.19 |
| Kansas | 1,330 | $47,750 | $46,580 | $22.96 |
| California | 55,700 | $47,400 | $51,190 | $22.79 |
| Nebraska | 1,630 | $47,040 | $50,150 | $22.62 |
| New York | 23,870 | $46,520 | $51,930 | $22.37 |
| Alaska | 520 | $46,130 | $50,670 | $22.18 |
| Massachusetts | 18,710 | $45,890 | $48,460 | $22.06 |
| Connecticut | 5,230 | $45,740 | $50,830 | $21.99 |
| Washington | 13,210 | $45,660 | $48,140 | $21.95 |
| Colorado | 5,210 | $45,500 | $53,270 | $21.87 |
| Oregon | 6,300 | $45,140 | $48,130 | $21.70 |
| Virgin Islands | 100 | $44,790 | $38,490 | $21.53 |
| Maryland | 8,020 | $44,600 | $47,470 | $21.44 |
| South Dakota | 1,470 | $44,500 | $42,440 | $21.39 |
| New Mexico | 2,490 | $44,070 | $50,510 | $21.19 |
| Georgia | 16,850 | $43,920 | $47,920 | $21.12 |
| Maine | 1,110 | $43,890 | $45,350 | $21.10 |
| Minnesota | 10,320 | $43,430 | $45,130 | $20.88 |
| Illinois | 22,420 | $40,910 | $45,150 | $19.67 |
| North Dakota | 540 | $39,720 | $41,620 | $19.10 |
| New Hampshire | 2,220 | $39,350 | $41,950 | $18.92 |
| Nevada | 2,360 | $38,870 | $42,970 | $18.69 |
| Louisiana | 3,570 | $38,020 | $41,280 | $18.28 |
| Virginia | 13,570 | $37,140 | $42,490 | $17.86 |
| Michigan | 10,950 | $37,110 | $39,730 | $17.84 |
| Rhode Island | 1,890 | $36,830 | $39,850 | $17.71 |
| Indiana | 7,110 | $36,650 | $38,240 | $17.62 |
| Montana | 960 | $36,540 | $38,440 | $17.57 |
| Delaware | 2,000 | $36,360 | $37,240 | $17.48 |
| Arizona | 9,400 | $36,300 | $38,800 | $17.45 |
| Mississippi | 3,600 | $36,250 | $35,500 | $17.43 |
| Wisconsin | 11,330 | $36,160 | $36,500 | $17.39 |
| Missouri | 5,580 | $36,090 | $39,030 | $17.35 |
| Pennsylvania | 22,760 | $36,050 | $37,250 | $17.33 |
| Florida | 35,740 | $35,860 | $37,040 | $17.24 |
| North Carolina | 18,370 | $35,710 | $37,340 | $17.17 |
| Ohio | 19,840 | $35,180 | $36,500 | $16.91 |
| Utah | 3,670 | $35,010 | $36,450 | $16.83 |
| South Carolina | 4,550 | $34,500 | $36,190 | $16.59 |
| Tennessee | 5,420 | $34,280 | $41,170 | $16.48 |
| Arkansas | 3,270 | $34,190 | $38,180 | $16.44 |
| Texas | 41,200 | $33,860 | $35,970 | $16.28 |
| Iowa | 5,910 | $33,830 | $35,760 | $16.26 |
| Idaho | 1,010 | $32,800 | $35,650 | $15.77 |
| West Virginia | 2,190 | $32,480 | $37,650 | $15.62 |
| Puerto Rico | 2,960 | $32,120 | $33,650 | $15.44 |
| Oklahoma | 7,010 | $31,790 | $37,310 | $15.29 |
| Wyoming | 1,040 | $29,930 | $37,330 | $14.39 |
| Kentucky | 8,520 | $29,780 | $35,400 | $14.32 |
| Alabama | 7,910 | $28,310 | $31,160 | $13.61 |
| Guam | 160 | $22,120 | $26,680 | $10.64 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Tutors$43,350 a year
- Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary$42,910 a year
- Substitute Teachers, Short-Term$41,670 a year
- Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary$36,780 a year
Common questions
How much do Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education earn in the United States?
The median pay was $38,140 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $28,990 and the highest-paid 10% more than $61,390.
How many people work as Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education?
About 478,780 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.