How to hire a Pre-K Teacher

How to hire a pre-k teacher, step by step

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

What does a Pre-K Teacher do?

Post A Pre-K Teacher Job For Free, Promote It For A Fee

Post Free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the pre-k teacher you need to hire. Certain pre-k 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

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a pre-k teacher 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 a pre-k teacher that fits the bill.

   Here's a comparison of pre-k teacher salaries for various roles:

   Type Of Pre-K Teacher	Description	Hourly Rate
   Pre-K Teacher	Kindergarten and elementary school teachers prepare younger students for future schooling by teaching them basic subjects such as math and reading.	$13-27
   Infant And Toddler Teacher	An infant and toddler teacher is a professional who aids in the cognitive and social development of preschool children by teaching them the most basic skills that focus on play-centered learning and creativity. Infant and toddler teachers must help children develop positive self-images and encourage them to explore their interests and develop social skills... Show More	$11-17
   Substitute School Teacher	A substitute teacher is liable for providing learning instruction and managing classroom settings in the absence of the regular teacher. They are responsible for checking student attendance, explaining homework, and maintaining classroom cleanliness... Show More	$11-22

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common Skills:

   • Kids
   • Math
   • Language Arts
   • Social Studies
   • Bilingual Education
   • Pre-Kindergarten
   • Classroom Management
   • Pre K
   • CPR
   • Child Development
   • Professional Development
   • Classroom Environment
   • Mathematics
   • Creative Curriculum

   Check All Skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead debates with advance students on topics including globalization, economics, and political history.
   • Maintain records on each child s progress and development for the purpose of planning and compliance for NAEYC standards.
   • Educate children with autism during the regular school year in a self-contain setting according to their IEP goals and objectives.
   • Assist in: developing a curriculum, maintaining lesson plans, making sure kids have an understanding, and teaching students.
   • Assist in NAEYC accreditation with individualize portfolios.
   • Develop and implement IEP's; individualize education plans.

   More Pre-K Teacher duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the pre-k teacher job description is a good way to get more applicants. A pre-k teacher salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a pre-k teacher in Arizona may be lower than in New York, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level pre-k teacher. Additionally, a pre-k teacher with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average pre-k teacher salary

   $40,301yearly

   $19.38 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level pre-k teacher salary

   $28,000 yearly salary

   Updated March 15, 2025

   Average pre-k teacher salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. Salary	Hourly Rate
   1	New York	$62,990	$30
   2	Massachusetts	$60,577	$29
   3	District of Columbia	$57,649	$28
   4	California	$56,864	$27
   5	Pennsylvania	$47,720	$23
   6	Texas	$47,102	$23
   7	New Mexico	$42,472	$20
   8	Illinois	$40,956	$20
   9	Utah	$37,288	$18
   10	Georgia	$35,139	$17
   11	Florida	$34,945	$17
   12	Nevada	$34,573	$17
   13	Louisiana	$33,902	$16
   14	Idaho	$32,138	$15
   15	North Carolina	$31,039	$15

   Average pre-k teacher salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average Salary	Hourly Rate	Job Openings
   1	Faulkner University	$63,386	$30.47	1
   2	Energized for Excellence Academy, Inc.	$57,487	$27.64
   3	Liberty County School District	$56,719	$27.27	33
   4	Teaneck High School	$56,586	$27.20	11
   5	Baltimore City Public Schools	$56,408	$27.12	14
   6	Chicago Public Schools	$54,919	$26.40	86
   7	Houston ISD Foundation	$54,783	$26.34	35
   8	Tyler Isd	$54,497	$26.20
   9	The Bear Creek School	$53,512	$25.73
   10	Fayette County Public Schools	$53,174	$25.56	6
   11	Prince George's County Memorial Library System	$52,967	$25.46	3
   12	Broward County Public Schools	$52,496	$25.24	268
   13	Scholar Academies	$51,984	$24.99	3
   14	Union County Public Schools	$51,880	$24.94	180
   15	Concord Hospital	$50,953	$24.50	5
   16	DC Bilingual Public Charter School	$50,619	$24.34	5
   17	Durham Public Schools	$49,615	$23.85	371
   18	Brookline Elementary School	$49,102	$23.61	20
   19	The Children's Workshop	$48,617	$23.37	13
   20	Anchorage School District	$48,272	$23.21	27

4. Writing a Pre-K Teacher Job Description

   A pre-k teacher job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a pre-k teacher job description:

   Pre-K 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

   To find the right pre-k 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 pre-k teachers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit pre-k 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.

   To find pre-k teacher candidates, you can consider the following options:

   • Post your job opening on Zippia or other job search websites.
   • Use niche websites that focus on engineering and technology jobs, such as k12jobspot, learn4good, serious teachers, teachingjobs.com.
   • Post your job on free job posting websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit pre-k teachers, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you 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 pre-k teacher

   Once you've selected the best pre-k teacher candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the 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.

   To prepare for the new pre-k teacher 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.)

   Sign Up To Download Full List

   Sign Up

How much does it cost to hire a pre-k teacher?