How To Become A Lead Pre-K Teacher: What It Is and Career Path

What is a lead pre-k teacher and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted expert

Dr. Diana Turk Ph.D.

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a lead pre-k teacher. For example, did you know that they make an average of $16.53 an hour? That's $34,380 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 15% and produce 72,900 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to a lead pre-k teacher?

Dr. Diana Turk Ph.D.

Director of Teacher Education and Chair, Dept of Teaching and Learning, New York University

This is for any field, but find mentors - plural - who can support and guide you, and find peers who can cheer and cajole you. Remembering your WHY - why are you teaching? what are you hoping to teach your students to do and be? is essential for the days that are particularly hard. And when you have one of those really hard days, remember that there's always tomorrow. Most of all, ignore anyone who tells you not to smile before Thanksgiving. Who wants a teacher who doesn't smile? You can be warm at the same time as you're firm; flexible while being structured; playful while being serious. Show the students how excited you are to be with them, and this will go a long way towards building relationships based on respect and rapport.

ScoreLead Pre-K TeacherUS Average

Salary

2.7

Avg. Salary $34,380

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.7

Growth rate 15%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

8.9

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.93%

Asian 6.15%

Black or African American 11.27%

Hispanic or Latino 15.96%

Unknown 4.65%

White 61.04%

Gender

female 92.56%

male 7.44%

Age - 39

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 39

Stress level

7.7

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

6.0

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance

10.0

Work life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a lead pre-k teacher

Explore lead pre-k teacher education requirements

Most common lead pre-k teacher degrees

Bachelor's

57.9 %

Associate

21.9 %

Master's

9.4 %

Start to develop specific lead pre-k teacher skills

Skills	Percentages
Classroom Management	24.08%
CPR	14.21%
Child Development	13.63%
Pre K	13.25%
Professional Development	6.58%

Complete relevant lead pre-k teacher training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New lead pre-k teachers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a lead pre-k teacher based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real lead pre-k teacher resumes.

Research lead pre-k teacher duties and responsibilities

Manage and maintain a classroom that is ECERS-R and NAEYC accredit.
Design and apply activities to help children in achieving their goals and objectives in accordance with IFSP 's
Develop and implement IEP for qualify students.
Participate in CPR training, first aid and curriculum training.

Get lead pre-k teacher experience

Generally, it takes 1-2 years to become a lead pre-k teacher. The most common roles before becoming a lead pre-k teacher include lead teacher, teacher team lead and substitute teacher.

Prepare your lead pre-k teacher resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your lead pre-k teacher resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a lead pre-k teacher resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable lead pre-k teacher resume templates

Build a professional lead pre-k teacher resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your lead pre-k teacher resume.

Apply for lead pre-k teacher jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a lead pre-k teacher job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do lead pre-k teachers rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Lead pre-k teacher reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Nov 2022

Pros

Seeing the kids learn, grow, over come challenges.

Cons

It can be emotionally and physically draining, especially if not appreciated.

A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2022

Pros

Gaining the childs trust and watching them geow and learn.

Cons

That in a year the children you fall in love with move on to the next grade.

A zippia user wrote a review on Apr 2021

Pros

I like working with my students, their parents and the various specialists my students need in order to increase their physical, emotional, daily living and cognitive skills.

Cons

There are very few things I dislike about working with preschoolers with special needs, other professionals and their parents.

What is a lead pre-k teacher and how to become one

What general advice would you give to a lead pre-k teacher?

Lead pre-k teacher career paths

Key steps to become a lead pre-k teacher

Explore lead pre-k teacher education requirements

Most common lead pre-k teacher degrees

Start to develop specific lead pre-k teacher skills

Complete relevant lead pre-k teacher training and internships

Research lead pre-k teacher duties and responsibilities

Get lead pre-k teacher experience

Prepare your lead pre-k teacher resume

Choose from 10+ customizable lead pre-k teacher resume templates

Apply for lead pre-k teacher jobs

How did you land your first lead pre-k teacher job

Average lead pre-k teacher salary

How do lead pre-k teachers rate their job?

Lead pre-k teacher reviews