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Best states for an early childhood education instructor
Quoted expert
Ye Chen Ph.D.
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
It seems like early childhood education instructors are becoming more and more common across America. But working conditions and demand for early childhood education instructors aren't the same everywhere in the U.S. Our research shows that Illinois is the best state in the country for early childhood education instructors.
Illinois is the best state for jobs for early childhood education instructors, and Georgia is the worst. The most common pay in Illinois is $40,736, while the median pay in Georgia is $24,072.If you are currently seeking employment as an early childhood education instructor, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.
10 best states for early childhood education instructors in 2026
1. Illinois
Total early childhood education instructor jobs: 2,095 Average annual salary: $40,736 Lowest 10 percent earn: $32,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $50,000 Location Quotient: 1.21
2. Kansas
Total early childhood education instructor jobs: 443 Average annual salary: $39,937 Lowest 10 percent earn: $31,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $50,000 Location Quotient: 1.01
3. Montana
Total early childhood education instructor jobs: 260 Average annual salary: $38,789 Lowest 10 percent earn: $31,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $47,000 Location Quotient: 1.55
4. North Dakota
Total early childhood education instructor jobs: 115 Average annual salary: $43,823 Lowest 10 percent earn: $36,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $52,000 Location Quotient: 0.85
5. New Jersey
Total early childhood education instructor jobs: 1,618 Average annual salary: $41,359 Lowest 10 percent earn: $30,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $55,000 Location Quotient: 1.4
6. Wyoming
Total early childhood education instructor jobs: 145 Average annual salary: $37,957 Lowest 10 percent earn: $30,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $47,000 Location Quotient: 1.67
7. New York
Total early childhood education instructor jobs: 2,029 Average annual salary: $41,738 Lowest 10 percent earn: $31,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $55,000 Location Quotient: 1.09
8. South Carolina
Total early childhood education instructor jobs: 695 Average annual salary: $39,296 Lowest 10 percent earn: $30,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $51,000 Location Quotient: 1.07
9. California
Total early childhood education instructor jobs: 3,991 Average annual salary: $46,662 Lowest 10 percent earn: $33,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $64,000 Location Quotient: 0.94
10. Minnesota
Total early childhood education instructor jobs: 1,224 Average annual salary: $39,251 Lowest 10 percent earn: $31,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $48,000 Location Quotient: 1.27
Early childhood education instructor jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be an early childhood education instructor
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for an early childhood education instructor
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Illinois | $40,736 | $32,000 | 12,802,023 | 2,095 |
| 2 | Kansas | $39,937 | $31,000 | 2,913,123 | 443 |
| 3 | Montana | $38,789 | $31,000 | 1,050,493 | 260 |
| 4 | North Dakota | $43,823 | $36,000 | 755,393 | 115 |
| 5 | New Jersey | $41,359 | $30,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,618 |
| 6 | Wyoming | $37,957 | $30,000 | 579,315 | 145 |
| 7 | New York | $41,738 | $31,000 | 19,849,399 | 2,029 |
| 8 | South Carolina | $39,296 | $30,000 | 5,024,369 | 695 |
| 9 | California | $46,662 | $33,000 | 39,536,653 | 3,991 |
| 10 | Minnesota | $39,251 | $31,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,224 |
| 11 | Pennsylvania | $41,033 | $30,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,397 |
| 12 | Idaho | $39,239 | $30,000 | 1,716,943 | 257 |
| 13 | Indiana | $39,727 | $31,000 | 6,666,818 | 732 |
| 14 | Hawaii | $44,143 | $39,000 | 1,427,538 | 120 |
| 15 | Louisiana | $40,218 | $29,000 | 4,684,333 | 404 |
| 16 | Maine | $37,904 | $32,000 | 1,335,907 | 202 |
| 17 | South Dakota | $39,294 | $31,000 | 869,666 | 116 |
| 18 | Washington | $40,477 | $31,000 | 7,405,743 | 795 |
| 19 | Alabama | $38,643 | $29,000 | 4,874,747 | 401 |
| 20 | Maryland | $37,294 | $27,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,135 |
| 21 | Wisconsin | $38,025 | $30,000 | 5,795,483 | 567 |
| 22 | Virginia | $36,398 | $27,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,338 |
| 23 | Nevada | $31,158 | $23,000 | 2,998,039 | 727 |
| 24 | Florida | $34,567 | $24,000 | 20,984,400 | 2,207 |
| 25 | Iowa | $33,660 | $26,000 | 3,145,711 | 485 |
| 26 | Oregon | $34,421 | $25,000 | 4,142,776 | 588 |
| 27 | North Carolina | $32,234 | $24,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,504 |
| 28 | Ohio | $35,318 | $27,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,021 |
| 29 | Arizona | $30,883 | $23,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,393 |
| 30 | Michigan | $31,237 | $24,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,393 |
| 31 | Delaware | $31,666 | $23,000 | 961,939 | 264 |
| 32 | Colorado | $32,042 | $25,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,315 |
| 33 | Alaska | $32,293 | $28,000 | 739,795 | 163 |
| 34 | New Mexico | $31,032 | $23,000 | 2,088,070 | 351 |
| 35 | West Virginia | $32,857 | $25,000 | 1,815,857 | 146 |
| 36 | Connecticut | $30,629 | $23,000 | 3,588,184 | 748 |
| 37 | Massachusetts | $34,341 | $28,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,046 |
| 38 | Kentucky | $32,261 | $25,000 | 4,454,189 | 398 |
| 39 | Texas | $31,406 | $23,000 | 28,304,596 | 2,464 |
| 40 | Vermont | $28,887 | $24,000 | 623,657 | 161 |
| 41 | New Hampshire | $29,053 | $24,000 | 1,342,795 | 362 |
| 42 | Mississippi | $30,196 | $23,000 | 2,984,100 | 273 |
| 43 | Nebraska | $29,649 | $23,000 | 1,920,076 | 330 |
| 44 | Tennessee | $30,318 | $23,000 | 6,715,984 | 630 |
| 45 | District of Columbia | $31,057 | $23,000 | 693,972 | 202 |
| 46 | Arkansas | $30,336 | $23,000 | 3,004,279 | 243 |
| 47 | Rhode Island | $29,889 | $23,000 | 1,059,639 | 153 |
| 48 | Missouri | $29,828 | $23,000 | 6,113,532 | 651 |
| 49 | Utah | $29,973 | $23,000 | 3,101,833 | 316 |
| 50 | Oklahoma | $27,556 | $21,000 | 3,930,864 | 430 |
| 51 | Georgia | $24,072 | $18,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,390 |
Highest paying states for early childhood education instructors
| Rank | State | Avg. Early Childhood Education Instructor Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Illinois | $40,736 |
| 2 | Kansas | $39,937 |
| 3 | Montana | $38,789 |
| 4 | North Dakota | $43,823 |
| 5 | New Jersey | $41,359 |
| 6 | Wyoming | $37,957 |
| 7 | New York | $41,738 |
| 8 | South Carolina | $39,296 |
| 9 | California | $46,662 |
| 10 | Minnesota | $39,251 |
| 11 | Pennsylvania | $41,033 |
| 12 | Idaho | $39,239 |
| 13 | Indiana | $39,727 |
| 14 | Hawaii | $44,143 |
| 15 | Louisiana | $40,218 |
| 16 | Maine | $37,904 |
| 17 | South Dakota | $39,294 |
| 18 | Washington | $40,477 |
| 19 | Alabama | $38,643 |
| 20 | Maryland | $37,294 |
| 21 | Wisconsin | $38,025 |
| 22 | Virginia | $36,398 |
| 23 | Nevada | $31,158 |
| 24 | Florida | $34,567 |
| 25 | Iowa | $33,660 |
| 26 | Oregon | $34,421 |
| 27 | North Carolina | $32,234 |
| 28 | Ohio | $35,318 |
| 29 | Arizona | $30,883 |
| 30 | Michigan | $31,237 |
| 31 | Delaware | $31,666 |
| 32 | Colorado | $32,042 |
| 33 | Alaska | $32,293 |
| 34 | New Mexico | $31,032 |
| 35 | West Virginia | $32,857 |
| 36 | Connecticut | $30,629 |
| 37 | Massachusetts | $34,341 |
| 38 | Kentucky | $32,261 |
| 39 | Texas | $31,406 |
| 40 | Vermont | $28,887 |
| 41 | New Hampshire | $29,053 |
| 42 | Mississippi | $30,196 |
| 43 | Nebraska | $29,649 |
| 44 | Tennessee | $30,318 |
| 45 | District of Columbia | $31,057 |
| 46 | Arkansas | $30,336 |
| 47 | Rhode Island | $29,889 |
| 48 | Missouri | $29,828 |
| 49 | Utah | $29,973 |
| 50 | Oklahoma | $27,556 |
| 51 | Georgia | $24,072 |
Expert opinions on the best states for early childhood education instructors
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for early childhood education instructors to find work opportunities?
Ye Chen Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, University of West Georgia
You could go to higheredjobs.com, https://jobs.chronicle.com/, or university websites for a higher ed job, go-to company, or other organization websites (e.g., Google) industry/government jobs; or use LinkedIn, attend job fairs and professional conferences, to search for job opportunities.
Early childhood education instructor best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025