How to hire an infant lead teacher

How to hire an infant lead teacher, step by step

Here's a step-by-step infant lead teacher hiring guide:

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

What does an infant lead teacher do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring an infant lead teacher, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   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 infant lead 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 infant lead teacher salaries for various positions.

   Type of Infant Lead Teacher	Description	Hourly rate
   Infant Lead 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.	$11-17
   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
   Preschool Teacher	A project leader is in charge of managing and leading a team to reach project goals in adherence to schedules and budgets. Their responsibilities revolve around setting objectives and guidelines, assessing workforce performance, assisting staff in difficult areas, answering inquiries, and resolving issues to maintain an efficient workflow... Show more	$11-22

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • CPR
   • Customer Service
   • Child Care
   • Child Development
   • CDA
   • Classroom Management
   • Infant Room
   • Open Communication
   • NAEYC
   • Diaper Changes
   • Parent-Teacher Conferences
   • Language Development
   • Cognitive Development
   • Classroom Environment

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Have completed all DSS regulate classes and have CPR and first aid certifications.
   • Keep an up to date NAEYC standard classroom, paperwork, and portfolio.
   • Supervise staff write evaluations, meet with parents, become re-certified in CPR and lifesaving skills.
   • Create and implement weekly lesson plans following a Montessori curriculum.
   • Research and development of NAEYC guidelines and implementation procedures and protocols.
   • Implement a Montessori base curriculum for toddlers in a loving and nurturing Montessori classroom setting.

   More infant lead teacher duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, infant lead teachers' average salary in alabama is 54% less than in district of columbia.
   • Seniority. Entry-level infant lead teachers earn 35% less than senior-level infant lead teachers.
   • Certifications. An infant lead 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 an infant lead teacher's salary.

   Average infant lead teacher salary

   $14.40hourly

   $29,949 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level infant lead teacher salary

   $24,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 31, 2026

   Average infant lead teacher salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Washington	$34,131	$16
   2	New York	$34,131	$16
   3	Illinois	$33,521	$16
   4	New Jersey	$33,273	$16
   5	Colorado	$32,806	$16
   6	Michigan	$32,778	$16
   7	Oregon	$32,002	$15
   8	Texas	$30,139	$14
   9	Virginia	$29,733	$14
   10	Arizona	$29,367	$14
   11	Connecticut	$29,341	$14
   12	Missouri	$28,879	$14
   13	North Carolina	$26,549	$13
   14	Ohio	$26,541	$13
   15	Georgia	$25,411	$12
   16	Indiana	$24,482	$12

   Average infant lead teacher salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Columbia University in the City of New York	$43,868	$21.09
   2	Erie Neighborhood House	$35,828	$17.23	2
   3	Little Sunshine's Playhouse	$32,180	$15.47	34
   4	Little Lukes	$31,537	$15.16	15
   5	Kiddie Academy	$31,354	$15.07	90
   6	Merritt Academy	$31,254	$15.03	2
   7	Nobel Learning	$31,041	$14.92
   8	Early Learning Indiana	$31,039	$14.92	20
   9	EducareWashingtonDC	$31,013	$14.91	6
   10	Cadence Education	$30,597	$14.71	123
   11	Learning Care Group	$30,578	$14.70	574
   12	Wonderspring Early Education	$30,235	$14.54	13
   13	Vivvi	$30,125	$14.48	12
   14	StarMakerApp	$30,125	$14.48
   15	Smart Start	$30,106	$14.47	5
   16	Beaver County YMCA	$29,626	$14.24	1
   17	Little Sprouts	$29,136	$14.01	54
   18	The Malvern School	$29,059	$13.97	38
   19	North Country School	$28,970	$13.93
   20	The Salvation Army	$28,619	$13.76	26

4. Writing an infant lead teacher job description

   A job description for an infant lead teacher role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's an infant lead teacher job description:

   Infant lead teacher job description example

   Join our talented team, where we inspire children to be lifelong learners! Through our play based curriculum, our affectionate and loving staff ensures that our children are imparted with the knowledge to succeed.
   As a Lead Teacher, you'll:
   
   * Create fun, interactive learning experiences while serving as a mentor to fellow Teachers.
   * Promote the social, physical, and intellectual growth of the children in your care.
   * Take the lead on classroom management and curriculum implementation, plus follow all licensing guidelines and company standards to ensure a safe environment for every child.
   * Communicate and build relationships with enrolled and prospective families to promote achievement for the child and to support your center's success.
   
   We want energetic, dependable, passionate individuals who are at least 18 and have:
   
   * Experience leading a classroom and creating educational lesson plans.
   * CDA or AA, BA/S or coursework in Early Childhood Education or related field.
   * High school diploma or equivalent.
   * The ability to meet state requirements for education and additional center requirements.
   * Able to work indoors or outdoors and engage in physical activity with children
   
   Learning Care Group, Inc. is the second-largest for-profit child care provider in North America and a leader in early education. Our programs are designed for children aged 6 weeks to 12 years. Across our eight unique brands, we're committed to creating state-of-the-art facilities with the latest technology and expert-driven curricula created by our own Education team.
   
   Our Promise
   
   To make a difference and have a positive impact on every child at our schools, their families, and the communities we serve every day. We support child development for infants to school-age students, through a comprehensive, research-based curriculum in a safe, nurturing, fun school environment. As experts in child care and early education, we empower children to be ready for school, we instill a lifelong love of learning, and we provide a solid foundation for a successful future.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right infant lead teacher for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your infant lead teacher job on Zippia to find and recruit infant lead teacher candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit infant lead teachers, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   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 infant lead teacher

   Once you've decided on a perfect infant lead 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.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new infant lead 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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How much does it cost to hire an infant lead teacher?