How to hire a head start teacher

How to hire a head start teacher, step by step

Here's a step-by-step head start teacher hiring guide:

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

What does a head start teacher do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the head start teacher you need to hire. Certain head start teacher 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

   Hiring the perfect head start teacher also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   This list presents head start teacher salaries for various positions.

   Type of Head Start Teacher	Description	Hourly rate
   Head Start Teacher	Preschool teachers educate and care for children younger than age 5 who have not yet entered kindergarten. They teach reading, writing, science, and other subjects in a way that young children can understand.	$11-23
   Teacher Aide	Teacher aides help lead teachers in managing the classroom. They assist teachers in conducting classroom sessions by setting up the classroom in advance, sourcing materials needed for class activities, helping in presentations, and guiding students during class activities... Show more	$11-17
   Early Childhood Teacher	An early childhood teacher specializes in handling and teaching young learners as they prepare for their formal schooling stage. Their responsibilities revolve around addressing and meeting the needs of students, organizing recreational activities for learning processes, and devising strategies to help the learners with their interpersonal and emotional growth... Show more	$10-23

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Kids
   • Math
   • CPR
   • Child Development
   • Classroom Environment
   • Performance Standards
   • Classroom Management
   • Child Care
   • Professional Development
   • Parent Conferences
   • Teacher Conferences
   • Mental Health
   • Kindergarten
   • Early Childhood Development

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead debates with advance students on topics including globalization, economics, and political history.
   • Participate in the IEP, IFSP, and/or IIIP process for serving children with special needs and implementation of appropriate planning.
   • Hold CPR and basic emergency first aid certification.
   • Obtain trainings as needed to keep CDA current.
   • Assist teacher in the full implementation of IEP's and inclusion of children with disabilities and special needs.
   • Plan IEP, administer ASQ and ESI screenings, weekly home visits, implement technological approaches to subject material.

   More head start teacher duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your head start teacher job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A head start teacher salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, head start teachers' average salary in alabama is 52% less than in massachusetts.
   • Seniority. Entry-level head start teachers earn 53% less than senior-level head start teachers.
   • Certifications. A head start teacher with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a head start teacher's salary.

   Average head start teacher salary

   $16.28hourly

   $33,865 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level head start teacher salary

   $23,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 21, 2026

   Average head start teacher salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New York	$42,882	$21
   2	New Jersey	$42,411	$20
   3	Minnesota	$40,043	$19
   4	Connecticut	$39,827	$19
   5	California	$38,535	$19
   6	Colorado	$37,719	$18
   7	Missouri	$36,985	$18
   8	Washington	$36,518	$18
   9	Texas	$36,383	$17
   10	Oregon	$36,156	$17
   11	Maryland	$36,062	$17
   12	New Hampshire	$34,709	$17
   13	Michigan	$34,593	$17
   14	Illinois	$34,398	$17
   15	Pennsylvania	$32,012	$15
   16	Ohio	$31,941	$15
   17	Rhode Island	$31,618	$15
   18	Oklahoma	$30,798	$15
   19	North Carolina	$30,395	$15
   20	Utah	$30,180	$15

   Average head start teacher salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Topeka Public Schools	$51,283	$24.66	22
   2	Prince George's County Memorial Library System	$49,764	$23.93	3
   3	Broward County Public Schools	$48,125	$23.14	11
   4	Puget Sound ESD	$47,919	$23.04
   5	Save the Children US	$47,359	$22.77	37
   6	Quincy Public Schools	$47,174	$22.68	4
   7	Astor Services	$46,196	$22.21	16
   8	Erie 2-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES	$45,646	$21.95	10
   9	Jefferson County Sheriffs Dept	$45,526	$21.89
   10	Boulder County	$44,874	$21.57
   11	Encompass Community Services	$43,549	$20.94	4
   12	Walla Walla Public Schools	$42,933	$20.64	9
   13	Upbring	$42,784	$20.57
   14	The Opportunity Alliance	$42,725	$20.54	6
   15	University Settlement	$42,684	$20.52
   16	Children's Home & Aid	$42,454	$20.41
   17	Mt. Hood Community College	$42,163	$20.27	5
   18	Maternity Care Coalition	$41,800	$20.10
   19	Moreno Valley Unified School District	$41,755	$20.07
   20	Community Progress Council	$41,729	$20.06	5

4. Writing a head start teacher job description

   A good head start teacher 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 a head start teacher job description:

   Head start teacher job description example

   Salary: $26,200.00/annual
   General Purpose: Teacher will provide a successful, safe and supervised educational setting for infants and toddlers while they are in the Early Head Start environment. Develop individual goals for children, provide on-going assessment on progress and facilitate transition into Head Start or other pre-school settings. Support parents in their role as primary caretakers and educators of their children and encourage their involvement in all aspects of the program
   Essential Job Responsibilities and Performance Indicators:
   + Meet the needs of all children; including those who are at risk, those with special needs, those who are gifted, and those who are culturally diverse.
   + Integrate all EHS components into classroom time.
   + Develop and utilize daily plans, which reflect mandated elements, parental and cultural influences, and promote the social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development of EHS children.
   + Individualize one-to-one and group activities to reflect the unique needs and strengths of all children in the classroom.
   + Follow consistent routines, which include feeding, diapering and toileting, napping, planned small and large group experiences, choice time, activities such as music and movement, large and small motor activities, and effective transitions between activities.
   The Children’s Home Society is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer M/F/D/V. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.
   Educational Requirements: Minimum of a child development associate credential, and has been trained or has equivalent coursework in early childhood development with a focus on infant and toddler development. An Associate’s Degree (AA) in Early Childhood Education and Infant/Toddler CDA (Child Development Associate Certificate) preferred.
   Experience Requirements: Two years’ experience in pre-school (infant/toddler) classroom. Experience should include the ability to adapt curriculum to meet the needs of all children including at risk, special needs, and culturally diverse populations.
   External Company Name: Children's Home Society
   External Company URL: www.chsofnj.org/?

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right head start teacher for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with head start teachers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit head start teachers who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your head start teacher job on Zippia to find and recruit head start teacher candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as k12jobspot, learn4good, serious teachers, teachingjobs.com.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting head start teachers 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.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   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 head start teacher

   Once you've decided on a perfect head start teacher candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   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.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new head start teacher. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

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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