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Early childhood education instructor salary
Average early childhood education instructor salary
$41,294
Understanding Early Childhood Education Instructor Salaries
Early Childhood Education Instructors play a fundamental role in shaping young minds, and their salaries reflect their importance in the education sector. As of October 2025, the average salary stands at $41,294 annually, or about $20 per hour. Salaries can vary significantly based on factors such as geographic location, years of experience, and the specific educational institution. For example, certain states and cities offer higher compensation due to demand and cost of living considerations.
Salary Breakdown by State
In states like California and New York, Early Childhood Education Instructors can earn above the national average due to higher living expenses and a greater demand for qualified educators. Conversely, states with lower costs of living may offer salaries closer to the average.
Opportunities for Advancement
For those looking to enhance their earning potential, pursuing additional credentials or specializations can lead to higher-paying positions. Roles such as lead teacher or program director typically command higher salaries and offer more responsibilities.
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Where can an Early Childhood Education Instructor earn more?
Average early childhood education instructor salary by state
The average early childhood education instructor salary in California, Hawaii, and North Dakota are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average early childhood education instructor salary states are Missouri, Nebraska, and New Hampshire.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for early childhood education instructors
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Illinois | $40,736 | $19.58 |
| 2 | Kansas | $39,937 | $19.20 |
| 3 | Montana | $38,789 | $18.65 |
| 4 | North Dakota | $43,823 | $21.07 |
| 5 | New Jersey | $41,359 | $19.88 |
| 6 | Wyoming | $37,957 | $18.25 |
| 7 | New York | $41,738 | $20.07 |
| 8 | South Carolina | $39,296 | $18.89 |
| 9 | California | $46,662 | $22.43 |
| 10 | Minnesota | $39,251 | $18.87 |
| 11 | Pennsylvania | $41,033 | $19.73 |
| 12 | Idaho | $39,239 | $18.86 |
| 13 | Indiana | $39,727 | $19.10 |
| 14 | Hawaii | $44,143 | $21.22 |
| 15 | Louisiana | $40,218 | $19.34 |
| 16 | Maine | $37,904 | $18.22 |
| 17 | South Dakota | $39,294 | $18.89 |
| 18 | Washington | $40,477 | $19.46 |
| 19 | Alabama | $38,643 | $18.58 |
| 20 | Maryland | $37,294 | $17.93 |
| 21 | Wisconsin | $38,025 | $18.28 |
| 22 | Virginia | $36,398 | $17.50 |
| 23 | Nevada | $31,158 | $14.98 |
| 24 | Florida | $34,567 | $16.62 |
| 25 | Iowa | $33,660 | $16.18 |
| 26 | Oregon | $34,421 | $16.55 |
| 27 | North Carolina | $32,234 | $15.50 |
| 28 | Ohio | $35,318 | $16.98 |
| 29 | Arizona | $30,883 | $14.85 |
| 30 | Michigan | $31,237 | $15.02 |
| 31 | Delaware | $31,666 | $15.22 |
| 32 | Colorado | $32,042 | $15.40 |
| 33 | Alaska | $32,293 | $15.53 |
| 34 | New Mexico | $31,032 | $14.92 |
| 35 | West Virginia | $32,857 | $15.80 |
| 36 | Connecticut | $30,629 | $14.73 |
| 37 | Massachusetts | $34,341 | $16.51 |
| 38 | Kentucky | $32,261 | $15.51 |
| 39 | Texas | $31,406 | $15.10 |
| 40 | Vermont | $28,887 | $13.89 |
| 41 | New Hampshire | $29,053 | $13.97 |
| 42 | Mississippi | $30,196 | $14.52 |
| 43 | Nebraska | $29,649 | $14.25 |
| 44 | Tennessee | $30,318 | $14.58 |
| 45 | District of Columbia | $31,057 | $14.93 |
| 46 | Arkansas | $30,336 | $14.58 |
| 47 | Rhode Island | $29,889 | $14.37 |
| 48 | Missouri | $29,828 | $14.34 |
| 49 | Utah | $29,973 | $14.41 |
| 50 | Oklahoma | $27,556 | $13.25 |
| 51 | Georgia | $24,072 | $11.57 |
Highest paying cities for early childhood education instructors
The highest-paying cities for early childhood education instructors are San Mateo, CA, New York, NY, and Trenton, NJ.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Mateo, CA | $47,829 | $22.99 |
| 2 | New York, NY | $41,985 | $20.19 |
| 3 | Trenton, NJ | $41,626 | $20.01 |
| 4 | Abington, PA | $41,292 | $19.85 |
| 5 | Chicago, IL | $40,841 | $19.64 |
| 6 | Greenville, SC | $39,384 | $18.93 |
| 7 | Annapolis, MD | $37,306 | $17.94 |
| 8 | Athens, OH | $35,028 | $16.84 |
| 9 | Miami, FL | $34,882 | $16.77 |
| 10 | Brockton, MA | $34,439 | $16.56 |
| 11 | Asheville, NC | $32,211 | $15.49 |
| 12 | Castle Rock, CO | $32,065 | $15.42 |
| 13 | San Antonio, TX | $31,923 | $15.35 |
| 14 | Las Vegas, NV | $31,109 | $14.96 |
| 15 | Washington, DC | $31,054 | $14.93 |
| 16 | Norwalk, CT | $31,040 | $14.92 |
| 17 | Saint Louis, MO | $29,842 | $14.35 |
| 18 | Tulsa, OK | $27,453 | $13.20 |
| 19 | Lawrenceville, GA | $24,090 | $11.58 |
Early childhood education instructor salary details
An early childhood education instructor's salary ranges from $29,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $57,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is an early childhood education instructor's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $57,000 | $4,750 | $27 |
| 75th Percentile | $49,000 | $4,083 | $24 |
| Average | $41,294 | $3,441 | $20 |
| 25th Percentile | $34,000 | $2,833 | $16 |
| 10th Percentile | $29,000 | $2,417 | $14 |
Highest paying early childhood education instructor jobs
The highest paying types of early childhood education instructors are special educator, instructor, and middle school teacher.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Resource Teacher | $43,487 | $3,624 | $20.91 | 73,796 |
| Pre-K Teacher | $40,301 | $3,358 | $19.38 | 60,464 |
| Infant Teacher | $29,076 | $2,423 | $13.98 | 63,079 |
| Head Start Teacher | $33,865 | $2,822 | $16.28 | 67,747 |
| Toddler Teacher | $30,703 | $2,559 | $14.76 | 67,810 |
| Learning Support Teacher | $33,914 | $2,826 | $16.30 | 120,054 |
Top companies hiring early childhood education instructors now:
Which companies pay early childhood education instructors the most?
Early childhood education instructor salaries at Northwestern University and COLLEGE OF SOUTHERN MARYLAND are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average early childhood education instructor salary at companies like Chicago Public Schools and Florida International University are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northwestern University | $59,897 | $28.80 |
| 2 | COLLEGE OF SOUTHERN MARYLAND | $50,951 | $24.50 |
| 3 | Chicago Public Schools | $49,989 | $24.03 |
| 4 | Florida International University | $48,338 | $23.24 |
| 5 | University of Colorado Boulder | $47,460 | $22.82 |
| 6 | Univ Of Colorado-Colorado Spgs | $46,592 | $22.40 |
| 7 | Community College of Aurora | $42,895 | $20.62 |
| 8 | Mt. Hood Community College | $42,480 | $20.42 |
| 9 | PSEA | $42,357 | $20.36 |
| 10 | WCCA - Wright County Community Action | $41,304 | $19.86 |
| 11 | Cincinnati State | $41,139 | $19.78 |
| 12 | East Coast Migrant Head Start Project | $41,135 | $19.78 |
| 13 | United Way of Larimer County | $40,650 | $19.54 |
| 14 | Shalom Austin JCC | $40,369 | $19.41 |
| 15 | Metropolitan State University of Denver | $40,231 | $19.34 |
| 16 | Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo County | $40,135 | $19.30 |
| 17 | Chippewa Valley Schools | $39,832 | $19.15 |
| 18 | College of Lake County | $39,152 | $18.82 |
| 19 | Eastern Oregon University | $39,065 | $18.78 |
| 20 | Americorps | $38,761 | $18.64 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Early childhood education instructor salary trends
The average early childhood education instructor salary has risen by $5,954 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average early childhood education instructor earned $35,340 annually, but today, they earn $41,294 a year. That works out to a 9% change in pay for early childhood education instructors over the last decade.
Compare early childhood education instructor salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average early childhood education instructor salary over time
Compare early childhood education instructor salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Early childhood education instructor salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $41,300 | $19.85 | +1.8% |
| 2024 | $40,500 | $19.49 | +1.3% |
| 2023 | $40,000 | $19.24 | +2.9% |
| 2022 | $38,900 | $18.69 | +2.8% |
| 2021 | $37,800 | $18.17 | +0.7% |
Recently added early childhood education instructor salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indiana Public Schools | Early Childhood Education Instructor | Anderson, IN | 06/30/2025 | $43,055 |
| Chicago Park District | Activities Instructor-Early Childhood | Chicago, IL | 06/28/2025 | $66,316 |
| Los Angeles Education Partnership | Home-Based Early Childhood Educator | Los Angeles, CA | 06/28/2025 | $52,175 |
| Brynmor Lorton | Early Childhood Educator | Culpeper, VA | 06/27/2025 | $37,566 |
| Learning Care Group | Lead Early Childhood Educator | Aurora, IL | 06/26/2025 | $37,566 |
| Southeast Application Consortium | Early Childhood Education-Long Term Substitute | Nore, MN | 06/24/2025 | $51,465 |
| Soccer Shots | Early Childhood Educator Sports Coach | Jacksonville, FL | 06/21/2025 | $41,740 |
| Primrose School | Early Childhood Educator | Algonquin, IL | 06/20/2025 | $33,392 |
| La Jolla Country Day School | Early Childhood Center: Assistant Educator | Ione, CA | 06/19/2025 | $53,219 |
| Easterseals Southern California | Early Childhood Educator I, II, or III-Temp | Oxnard, CA | 06/16/2025 | $48,669 |
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