Early childhood teacher demographics and statistics in the US
Early childhood teacher demographics research summary. Zippia estimates early childhood teacher demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our early childhood teacher estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about early childhood teachers after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 2,069,884 early childhood teachers currently employed in the United States.
- 92.4% of all early childhood teachers are women, while 7.6% are men.
- The average early childhood teacher age is 39 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of early childhood teachers is White (62.3%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (18.3%), Black or African American (8.7%) and Asian (5.4%).
- Early childhood teachers are most in-demand in New York, NY.
- Washington, DC pays an annual average wage of $50,989, the highest in the US.
- In 2022, women early childhood teachers earned 94% of what men earned.
- District of Columbia is the best state for early childhood teachers to live.
- Early childhood teachers are 66% more likely to work at education companies in comparison to private companies.
On this page
Early childhood teacher demographics by:
Early childhood teacher gender statistics
92.4% of early childhood teachers are women and 7.6% of early childhood teachers are men.
- Female, 92.4%
- Male, 7.6%
Early childhood teacher gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 92.4% |
| Male | 7.6% |
Early childhood teacher gender pay gap
Women earn 94¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$35,738
Female income
$33,666
Early childhood teacher gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in early childhood teacher positions over time. Currently, 92.4% of early childhood teachers are female.
Early childhood teacher gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 5.20% | 94.80% |
| 2011 | 5.54% | 94.46% |
| 2012 | 5.97% | 94.03% |
| 2013 | 6.60% | 93.40% |
| 2014 | 5.61% | 94.39% |
| 2015 | 6.35% | 93.65% |
| 2016 | 5.55% | 94.45% |
| 2017 | 5.92% | 94.08% |
| 2018 | 6.52% | 93.48% |
| 2019 | 6.15% | 93.85% |
| 2020 | 7.74% | 92.26% |
| 2021 | 7.63% | 92.37% |
Early childhood teacher related jobs gender ratio
We compared early childhood teachers with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, auto collision repair instructor and automotive technology instructor have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Child Development Associate Teacher | 3% | 97% |
| Prekindergarten Teacher | 5% | 95% |
| Infant And Toddler Teacher | 5% | 95% |
| Early Childhood Teacher | 8% | 92% |
| Automotive Instructor | 96% | 4% |
| Automotive Technology Instructor | 96% | 4% |
| Auto Collision Repair Instructor | 98% | 2% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Early childhood teacher demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among early childhood teachers is White, which makes up 62.3% of all early childhood teachers. Comparatively, 18.3% of early childhood teachers are Hispanic or Latino and 8.7% of early childhood teachers are Black or African American.
- White, 62.3%
- Hispanic or Latino, 18.3%
- Black or African American, 8.7%
- Asian, 5.4%
- Unknown, 4.5%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
Early childhood teacher race
| Early childhood teacher race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 62.3% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 18.3% |
| Black or African American | 8.7% |
| Asian | 5.4% |
| Unknown | 4.5% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.8% |
Early childhood teacher race and ethnicity over time
See how early childhood teacher racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Early childhood teacher race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 65.51% | 11.99% | 4.56% | 15.46% |
| 2011 | 63.98% | 12.85% | 4.26% | 15.67% |
| 2012 | 63.26% | 13.28% | 4.79% | 16.03% |
| 2013 | 64.40% | 12.36% | 4.88% | 15.74% |
| 2014 | 64.79% | 12.08% | 4.50% | 15.83% |
| 2015 | 64.44% | 11.63% | 4.56% | 16.31% |
| 2016 | 63.93% | 12.59% | 4.78% | 15.95% |
| 2017 | 63.13% | 11.17% | 5.01% | 17.54% |
| 2018 | 63.13% | 10.88% | 4.80% | 18.25% |
| 2019 | 65.56% | 9.04% | 5.23% | 17.28% |
| 2020 | 63.24% | 8.99% | 5.67% | 17.05% |
| 2021 | 62.32% | 8.72% | 5.35% | 18.27% |
Early childhood teacher wage gap by race
According to our data, hispanic or latino early childhood teachers have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american early childhood teachers have the lowest average salary at $35,015.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $36,348 |
| White | $35,275 |
| Black or African American | $35,015 |
| Asian | $35,359 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $36,722 |
Average early childhood teacher age
See how the average age of early childhood teachers varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Early childhood teacher age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Black or African American | 32 | 42 |
| Unknown | 38 | |
| Asian | 33 | 43 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 30 | 38 |
| White | 36 | 39 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 39 |
Early childhood teacher age breakdown
The average age of early childhood teachers is 40+ years years old, representing 48% of the early childhood teacher population.
Early childhood teacher age breakdown
| Early Childhood Teacher Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 48% |
| 30-40 years | 27% |
| 20-30 years | 23% |
Early childhood teacher educational attainment
The most common degree for early childhood teachers is bachelor's degree, with 58% of early childhood teachers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 16% and associate degree degree at 14%.
- Bachelor's, 58%
- Associate, 16%
- Master's, 14%
- High School Diploma, 7%
- Other Degrees, 5%
Early childhood teachers by degree level
| Early childhood teacher degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 58% |
| Associate | 16% |
| Master's | 14% |
| High School Diploma | 7% |
| Other Degrees | 5% |
Early childhood teacher jobs you might like
Early childhood teacher wage gap by degree level
According to the data, early childhood teachers with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $46,055 annually. With a Doctorate degree, early childhood teachers earn a median annual income of $44,712 compared to $38,225 for early childhood teachers with an Bachelor's degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $46,055 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $29,282 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $38,225 |
| Doctorate Degree | $44,712 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $30,417 |
Early childhood teacher employment statistics
Most early childhood teachers work for a education in the education industry.
Company size where early childhood teachers work
Below, you can see the size of companies where early childhood teachers work.
Early childhood teacher jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 11% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 28% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 27% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 8% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 20% |
| > 10,000 employees | 7% |
Early childhood teacher jobs by company type
Employees with the early childhood teacher job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most early childhood teachers prefer to work at education companies over private companies.
Early childhood teacher jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 66% |
| Public | 4% |
| Private | 22% |
| Government | 8% |
Early childhood teacher jobs by industry
The most common industries for early childhood teachers are education, non profits and health care.
Early childhood teacher industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 53% |
| Non Profits | 15% |
| Health Care | 10% |
| Government | 6% |
| Professional | 6% |
| Manufacturing | 2% |
| Retail | 1% |
| Media | 1% |
| Fortune 500 | 1% |
| Hospitality | 1% |
| Technology | 1% |
Early childhood teacher turnover and employment statistics
Early childhood teacher unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for early childhood teachers between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Early childhood teacher unemployment rate by year
| Year | Early childhood teacher unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 6.15% |
| 2011 | 6.72% |
| 2012 | 6.69% |
| 2013 | 6.20% |
| 2014 | 4.71% |
| 2015 | 4.39% |
| 2016 | 3.73% |
| 2017 | 2.88% |
| 2018 | 2.72% |
| 2019 | 2.90% |
| 2020 | 4.48% |
| 2021 | 4.49% |
Average early childhood teacher tenure
The average early childhood teacher stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 4,119 early childhood teachers resumes in Zippia's database.
Early childhood teacher tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 22% |
| 1-2 years | 33% |
| 3-4 years | 14% |
| 5-7 years | 15% |
| 8-10 years | 6% |
| 11+ years | 10% |
Early childhood teacher LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of early childhood teachers that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Early Childhood Teacher | 5.04% | - |
| Mildly Disabled Student Special Education Teacher | 7.55% | 71,684 |
| Middle School Science Teacher | 8.89% | 86,059 |
| Speech Teacher | 11.94% | 75,550 |
Similar early childhood teacher jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Mildly Disabled Student Special Education Teacher | 7.55% | 71,684 |
| Middle School Science Teacher | 8.89% | 86,059 |
| Speech Teacher | 11.94% | 75,550 |
Foreign languages spoken by early childhood teachers
The most common foreign language among early childhood teachers is Spanish at 69.0%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 8.2% and German is the third-most popular at 3.8%.
- Spanish, 69.0%
- French, 8.2%
- German, 3.8%
- Italian, 2.7%
- Arabic, 2.2%
- Other, 14.1%
Early childhood teacher languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 69.0% |
| French | 8.2% |
| German | 3.8% |
| Italian | 2.7% |
| Arabic | 2.2% |
| Other | 14.1% |
