How to hire an elementary educator

How to hire an elementary educator, step by step

Here's a step-by-step elementary educator hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an elementary educator job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new elementary educator
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an elementary educator do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the elementary educator you need to hire. Certain elementary educator roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them an elementary educator to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire an elementary educator that fits the bill.

   The following list breaks down different types of elementary educators and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Elementary Educator	Description	Hourly rate
   Elementary Educator	Kindergarten and elementary school teachers prepare younger students for future schooling by teaching them basic subjects such as math and reading.	$12-26
   Language Arts Teacher	A language arts teacher is responsible for teaching the English language to the students, improving their written and oral English communication by sharing the best practices, conducting engaging lesson plans, assigning group activities, and providing comprehensive educational materials. Language arts teachers strictly adhere to the learning curriculum, as well as monitoring the students' progress through individual evaluation, identifying their areas of improvement, and adjust learning strategies to address the difficulties... Show more	$19-31
   Summer School Teacher	A Summer School Teacher is a teacher who works during the summer period. They develop and implement schemes of work and lesson plans in line with curriculum objectives... Show more	$17-36

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Mathematics
   • Math
   • Elementary Education
   • Public Schools
   • Kindergarten
   • Autism
   • Classroom Management
   • General Education
   • Adaptive
   • Curriculum Development
   • Social Studies
   • K-12
   • K-6
   • Staff Development

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Provide departmentalized instruction in language arts, mathematics, and social studies.
   • Provide general classroom support with administrative duties such as obtaining and distributing worksheets, reading packets and math packets for students.
   • Recommend and implement online math programs for school wide implementation.
   • Develop high quality standards-base lessons including extension menus, differentiate instruction, depth and complexity charts, and literature circles.
   • Adapt curricula to meet the specific needs and interests of students from Pre-K all the way through high school.
   • Strengthen student's cumulative learning and preparedness with FCAT reinforcement lessons.

   More elementary educator duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your elementary educator job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. An elementary educator can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, elementary educators' average salary in idaho is 49% less than in maryland.
   • Seniority. Entry-level elementary educators 54% less than senior-level elementary educators.
   • Certifications. An elementary educator with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in an elementary educator's salary.

   Average elementary educator salary

   $38,957yearly

   $18.73 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level elementary educator salary

   $26,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 20, 2025

   Average elementary educator salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New York	$53,038	$26
   2	Minnesota	$43,691	$21
   3	Pennsylvania	$42,800	$21
   4	Connecticut	$42,759	$21
   5	Michigan	$41,051	$20
   6	Washington	$39,843	$19
   7	California	$39,347	$19
   8	Oregon	$37,769	$18
   9	Kansas	$37,487	$18
   10	Delaware	$37,281	$18
   11	Florida	$36,931	$18
   12	Indiana	$31,818	$15
   13	Texas	$31,507	$15
   14	Mississippi	$30,772	$15
   15	Colorado	$30,747	$15
   16	Nevada	$30,072	$14
   17	Iowa	$29,859	$14
   18	Arizona	$29,739	$14

   Average elementary educator salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Erie 2-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES	$41,937	$20.16
   2	International Rescue Committee	$40,387	$19.42
   3	PSEA	$39,444	$18.96	1
   4	East Stroudsburg University	$38,438	$18.48
   5	Salem-Keizer Public Schools	$38,016	$18.28	15
   6	Western Washington University	$37,005	$17.79	4
   7	ProCare Therapy	$37,000	$17.79
   8	Ball State University	$36,975	$17.78
   9	KIPP Nashville	$36,925	$17.75	5
   10	Archdiocese Of San Antonio	$36,830	$17.71	21
   11	Lynwood Unified School District	$36,182	$17.40	2
   12	Soccer Shots	$35,794	$17.21	31
   13	Hillsboro School District	$35,182	$16.91	4
   14	Duplin County Schools	$34,362	$16.52	3
   15	Americorps	$34,245	$16.46	14
   16	Denver Public Schools	$34,218	$16.45	37
   17	Metropolitan State University of Denver	$33,703	$16.20	6
   18	Hudson Guild	$33,368	$16.04	7
   19	Yaamava' Resort & Casino	$33,045	$15.89
   20	KIPP DC	$33,036	$15.88	39

4. Writing an elementary educator job description

   A good elementary educator job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of an elementary educator job description:

   Elementary educator job description example

   The KPPS Liberty Teaching Fellowship
   The unique structure of the Liberty Teaching Fellowship gives novice or aspiring teachers the development, mentorship, and experience necessary to grow into effective, confident lead teachers in an urban, college-preparatory environment within one year. Liberty Teaching Fellows (LTFs) spend the year working side-by-side with a lead teacher who serves as their mentor. LTFs teach a combination of whole class, small group, and individualized instruction, and have teaching and lesson planning responsibilities that increase throughout the year. Uncertified LTFs earn their teaching credentials through a PA-approved certification program and are awarded $3000 in tuition reimbursement toward this end.
   
   The Liberty Fellows Teaching program is for you if -
   
   You are inspired by KIPP's mission, believe in our children's potential, and are committed to disrupting inequity
   
   You strive to work in a school where you receive the mentorship, professional development, coaching and support you need to become the best teacher you can be
   
   You are a college graduate who did not pursue a traditional education path but you have a desire to teach; OR, you have a degree in education and are seeking your first teaching position
   
   You are self-aware and possess the humility, ownership, and desire necessary to evolve your craft
   
   Key Responsibilities
   
   Classroom Responsibilities (working closely with the lead teacher):
   
   Do whatever it takes to ensure all students are meeting their potential
   
   Teach and facilitate small group and whole class instruction
   
   Create rigorous and engaging long-term plans, unit plans, and daily lesson plans
   
   Infuse core values into daily lessons and every school practice
   
   Maintain a productive, organized, safe, neat and focused learning environment
   
   Administer meaningful and frequent assessments in a timely manner
   
   Analyze and act on student work and learning data
   
   Provide necessary accommodations and modifications for growth and success of all students
   
   Effectively teach KIPP Philadelphia's adopted or developed curriculum
   
   Keep parents well-informed about students' progress through daily behavior reports and academic progress reports
   
   Model and implement all school policies and school-wide culture systems within the classroom
   
   Professional Responsibilities:
   
   Take ownership for the development of your craft (meet 1x/1-2 weeks with an instructional coach, implement feedback, engage in active practice, etc.)
   
   Actively engage in all school-wide professional development
   
   Serve as a positive, contributing member of a grade team, collaborating with colleagues to tackle common challenges and implement grade-wide
   
   Share candid, solutions-oriented feedback with peers and school leadership on a regular basis
   
   Embody KPPS core values: Children First, Cultural Competence, Ownership, Community
   
   Complete all required assignments for Liberty Fellows training in a timely manner
   
   Enroll in/complete a teacher certification program (if applicable)
   
   School Responsibilities:
   
   Arrive at school by 8:00 a.m. and stay until 4:30 p.m. daily
   
   Attend designated school functions outside of school hours (Back to School Night, Report Card Conferences, Community Events, etc.)
   
   Contribute to the planning and execution of all school-wide events
   
   Develop strong relationships with the families of students through home visits, participation in school events and phone calls home
   
   Perform necessary support duties including (but not limited to) bus, lunch, and dismissal duties
   
   Chaperone field lessons/field trips
   
   Additional responsibilities may arise during the school year. They will be communicated to all employees with as much notice and flexibility as possible.
   
   

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find elementary educators for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any elementary educators they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level elementary educators with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your elementary educator job on Zippia to find and attract quality elementary educator candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as k12jobspot, learn4good, serious teachers, teachingjobs.com.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting elementary educators requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new elementary educator

   Once you've found the elementary educator candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   To prepare for the new elementary educator first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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