Post job

How to hire an infant teacher

Infant teacher hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring infant teachers in the United States:

  • HR departments typically spend 15% of their expenses on recruitment.
  • It usually takes about 12 weeks for a new employee to reach full productivity levels.
  • It typically takes 36-42 days to fill a job opening.
  • The median cost to hire an infant teacher is $1,633.
  • Small businesses spend an average of $1,105 per infant teacher on training each year, while large companies spend $658.
  • There are currently 435,146 infant teachers in the US and 63,079 job openings.
  • Houston, TX, has the highest demand for infant teachers, with 19 job openings.
  • Columbus, OH has the highest concentration of infant teachers.

How to hire an infant teacher, step by step

To hire an infant teacher, consider the skills and experience you are looking for in a candidate, allocate a budget for the position, and post and promote the job opening to reach potential candidates. Follow these steps to hire an infant teacher:

Here's a step-by-step infant 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 teacher job description
  • Step 5: Post your job
  • Step 6: Interview candidates
  • Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new infant teacher
  • Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an infant teacher do?

Infant teachers provide care to infants and a safe environment for them to develop. They are teachers that specialize in giving an educational environment to preschool babies and toddlers. These professional teachers guide the child or toddler in their educational development by creating appropriate programs. They lovingly, patiently, and efficiently respond to the child's needs. They should be able to demonstrate good judgment in their care and verbally engage with them throughout the day. Also, they must be caring and enjoy teaching these infants as well as be flexible in their schedule.

Learn more about the specifics of what an infant teacher does
jobs
Post an infant teacher job for free, promote it for a fee
  1. Identify your hiring needs

    Before you post your infant teacher job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find an infant teacher for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

    Determine employee vs contractor status
    Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

    An infant teacher's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, infant teachers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

    The following list breaks down different types of infant teachers and their corresponding salaries.

    Type of Infant TeacherDescriptionHourly rate
    Infant TeacherTeacher assistants work under a teacher’s supervision to give students additional attention and instruction.$10-17
    Early Childhood TeacherAn 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
    Preschool Lead TeacherA preschool lead teacher is responsible for managing the overall learning progress of preschool students. Preschool lead teachers to develop engaging and fun activities for the young learners to monitor their personal and social development... Show more$11-21
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • CPR
    • Customer Service
    • Child Development
    • Infant Care
    • Social Growth
    • Open Communication
    • Diaper Changes
    • NAEYC
    • Social Development
    • Infant Room
    • Early Development
    • Physical Development
    • Cognitive Development
    • Quality Care
    Check all skills
    Responsibilities:
    • Certify to perform first aid and CPR in emergencies.
    • Exceed goals in using standards to become NAEYC accredit.
    • Complete all necessary criteria to meet and pass NAEYC accreditation standards.
    • Help attend to the infants or pre-k children in the daycare center as needed.
    • Lead teacher for infant, pre-k, toddler, and school age classrooms as necessary.
    • Clean and sanitize rooms, arts and crafts, supervision, closing, first aid and CPR certify.
    More infant teacher duties
  3. Make a budget

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

    • Location. For example, infant teachers' average salary in arkansas is 37% less than in alaska.
    • Seniority. Entry-level infant teachers 41% less than senior-level infant teachers.
    • Certifications. An infant teacher 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 infant teacher's salary.

    Average infant teacher salary

    $13.98hourly

    $29,076 yearly

    Entry-level infant teacher salary
    $22,000 yearly salary
    Updated January 12, 2026

    Average infant teacher salary by state

    RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
    1California$35,903$17
    2Massachusetts$33,933$16
    3Minnesota$32,732$16
    4Colorado$31,626$15
    5Missouri$31,177$15
    6Tennessee$29,586$14
    7New York$29,413$14
    8Pennsylvania$29,205$14
    9Virginia$28,767$14
    10Iowa$28,027$13
    11South Dakota$27,271$13
    12Indiana$26,993$13
    13Nebraska$26,952$13
    14Ohio$25,860$12
    15New Jersey$25,367$12
    16North Carolina$24,469$12
    17Texas$24,454$12
    18South Carolina$23,957$12
    19Maryland$23,767$11
    20Georgia$23,753$11

    Average infant teacher salary by company

  4. Writing an infant teacher job description

    A job description for an infant 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 teacher job description:

    Infant teacher job description example

    Be familiar with and stay current on state child care regulations, local and federal regulatory agencies, Kids 'R' Kids policies and procedures, and maintain compliance with federally mandated universal precautions and infection control guidelines and procedures Direct all questions about the center concerning policy and procedures, federal, state, and local regulatory agencies to the Franchisee, Director, or Assistant Director Know the procedures for fire and weather related emergencies Know procedures for the care of an injured or ill child Be aware of children with allergies Know child/staff ratio for your group of children Use the telephone in your classroom if you need assistance or have questions. (NEVER LEAVE YOUR CLASS OUT OF RATIO) Greet each child and parent as they enter the classroom Establish and maintain good communication with parents Begin a Daily Report for each child as they arrive Keep Infant Information Sheets up to date (see your Director for center policy) Check all belongings of each child to ensure they are labeled with the child's first and last name Take attendance daily. Always take attendance sheet (Classroom Log) with you on the playground Be ready and willing to discuss an infant's or toddler's progress or any concerns a parent may express Direct parents to front desk if medication is to be administered Follow daily schedule for meal and snack time for toddlers Follow daily schedule for outside play time Be knowledgeable of playground safety Be attentive and responsive to infant's/toddler's needs Work with each child to accomplish developmental milestones. Make lesson plans accordingly Request supplies needed for your class 7 days in advance Observe, record, and report infant/toddler development Keep decorations in your classroom up to date Display children's work in your classroom Follow the Diapering Procedure each time you change a child's diaper or assist with toilet training. (ALWAYS WEAR GLOVES) Crib/mat sheets and blankets should be changed once daily or more often if needed Follow the Kids 'R' Kids Discipline Policy. (NO CHILD WILL BE PLACED IN CRIBS, HIGH CHAIRS, SWINGS, ETC. FOR DISCIPLINE PURPOSES) Follow the Kids 'R' Kids Policy for bottle-feeding. (NEVER PROP A BOTTLE) Send Boo-Boo and Oh-No reports to the front desk prior to the parent's arrival Children should be engaged in an activity while awaiting their parent's arrival Have children's personal items and Daily Report ready at the end of the each day Greet each parent as they arrive to pick up their child Give Sunshine reports to parents along with Daily Reports Release children to authorized persons only

    MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

    Meet the minimum requirements set by the state child care regulatory agency for the position of Infant/Toddler care provider Demonstrate the following qualities: self-motivation, self-direction, patience, ability to make good judgments, creativity, reliability, and dependability Provide all medical records, abuse clearance, criminal records check, fingerprint clearance, high school diploma, training certificates, and any other forms or information required by the child care regulatory agency or this school Physical constraints required include the ability to hear the conversational voice, with or without a hearing aid, to see and read newsprint with or without corrective lenses, to speak and be understood under normal circumstances. Have the ability to lift a 15-30 pound child frequently throughout the day for reassurance, cuddling and diaper changing; lift supplies weighing up to 50 pounds frequently throughout the day; have use of arms, hands, legs, and feet with or without corrective devices to accomplish the job. Have the ability to move quickly from child to child as needs arise Demonstrate the ability to handle crisis situations, especially where children are involved and to respond immediately to any emergency situation, including evacuation of the building Be willing to participate in continuing education as required by the child care regulatory agency Maintain certification in CPR and First Aid Training

    Benefits:

    Health Benefits

    Short-term Disability

    Vision discount

    Dental discount

    Paid Vacation days

    Paid holidays

    Competitive salary

  5. Post your job

    There are a few common ways to find infant teachers for your business:

    • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
    • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
    • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
    • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.
    Post your job online:
    • Post your infant teacher job on Zippia to find and recruit infant teacher candidates who meet your exact specifications.
    • Use field-specific websites.
    • Post a job on free websites.
  6. Interview candidates

    Recruiting infant 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.

    You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete 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 teacher

    Once you've found the infant teacher 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 good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

    To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is 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.)
    Sign up to download full list

How much does it cost to hire an infant teacher?

Recruiting infant teachers involves both the one-time costs of hiring and the ongoing costs of adding a new employee to your team. Your spending during the hiring process will mostly be on things like promoting the job on job boards, reviewing and interviewing candidates, and onboarding the new hire. Ongoing costs will obviously involve the employee's salary, but also may include things like benefits.

You can expect to pay around $29,076 per year for an infant teacher, as this is the median yearly salary nationally. This can vary depending on what state or city you're hiring in. If you're hiring for contract work or on a per-project basis, hourly rates for infant teachers in the US typically range between $10 and $17 an hour.

Find better infant teachers in less time
Post a job on Zippia and hire the best from over 7 million monthly job seekers.

Hiring infant teachers FAQs

Search for infant teacher jobs

Ready to start hiring?

Browse education, training, and library jobs