What is a preschool teacher and how to become one

Q: Can you be a preschool teacher without a degree?

Yes, you can be a preschool teacher without a degree. However, some states and schools may require a degree or certification in early childhood education. It is most common to have an associate's degree to gain an entry-level teaching position in a public preschool.

Q: Do preschool teachers get paid well?

No, preschool teachers do not get paid well, considering the service they provide. Even with a bachelor's degree, the median salary for preschool teachers is $31,930, compared to Kindergarten through 12th-grade teachers who earn an average between $54,478 and $72,039.

Q: How long does it take to become a preschool teacher?

It does not take long to become a preschool teacher. You can find an entry-level assistant teaching position during high school or earn an associate's degree within two years through community college. Requirements for becoming a preschool teacher vary by state and school.

Q: What are the pros and cons of being a preschool teacher?

The pros of being a preschool teacher include working with children and helping to shape the future leaders of the world, while the cons include not making very much money and dealing with a lot of day-to-day stress. Becoming a preschool teacher can be extremely rewarding. It can give you the satisfaction of helping children learn and grow, and it can also provide a stable job with good pay and benefits. It can be a challenging job, but it can also be very fulfilling.

Q: What qualifications do you need to be a preschool teacher?

The qualifications needed to be a preschool teacher vary by state. It is most common to have an associate's degree to gain an entry-level teaching position in a public preschool. With a bachelor's degree, you can expect to earn a higher salary and have more opportunities for advancement.

Q: What skills are needed for a preschool teacher?

The skills needed for a preschool teacher are based on an understanding of early childhood development. Preschool teachers educate, instruct and watch over children between three and five years old. Preschool teachers are also referred to as Pre-Kindergarten or Pre-K.

Updated January 8, 2025

5 min read

Quoted expert

Dr. Diana Jones

A preschool teacher works with young children in their early years, typically between 3 and 5. They are responsible for creating a nurturing environment where children can learn and grow through play-based activities. A preschool teacher plans and implements developmentally appropriate curriculum, and basic academic skills, and helps children cultivate social skills. They also communicate with parents and caregivers about their child's progress so they must possess strong communication and interpersonal skills.

What general advice would you give to a preschool teacher?

Dr. Diana Jones

Chair, Department of Kinesiology, Anderson University

General advice: I would encourage graduates to find a mentor who can guide them in their careers, stay on top of the latest technology, not be too hard on themselves, be flexible, be team players, be present, and care about their students.

ScorePreschool TeacherUS Average

Salary

2.6

Avg. Salary $33,582

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.7

Growth rate 15%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

8.4

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.89%

Asian 5.53%

Black or African American 8.62%

Hispanic or Latino 17.62%

Unknown 4.51%

White 62.83%

Gender

female 93.60%

male 6.40%

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

What are the pros and cons of being a preschool teacher?

Pros

Opportunity to positively impact young children's lives
Fun and creative work environment
Opportunity to plan and implement engaging lesson plans
Job security due to the increasing demand for preschool education
Opportunity to develop strong relationships with students and their families

Cons

Exposure to illness and germs from young children
Challenging behavior management issues with young children
Difficulty in balancing work and personal life due to the potential need for after-hours lesson planning or grading
Potential for burnout due to high emotional demands of the job
Limited benefits such as health insurance or retirement plans in some preschool settings.

Key steps to become a preschool teacher

Explore preschool teacher education requirements

Most common preschool teacher degrees

Bachelor's

52.1 %

Associate

22.6 %

High School Diploma

13.0 %

Start to develop specific preschool teacher skills

Skills	Percentages
Child Care	18.35%
CPR	16.65%
Classroom Management	15.02%
Child Development	11.02%
Open Communication	10.32%

Complete relevant preschool teacher training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New preschool 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 preschool teacher based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real preschool teacher resumes.

Gain additional preschool teacher certifications

Preschool teacher certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific preschool teacher certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for preschool teachers include Child Development Associate (CDA) and First Aid, CPR and AED Instructor.

More About Certifications

Research preschool teacher duties and responsibilities

Implement and manage data for daily in-home ABA program for students with autism.
Design and apply activities to help children in achieving their goals and objectives in accordance with IFSP 's
Create creative curriculum to keep the kids learning and meet school, state, and federal educational guidelines.
Maintain a NAEYC portfolio with supporting documentation to meet standards outline for Pre-Kindergarten.

Prepare your preschool teacher resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your preschool 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 preschool 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 preschool teacher resume templates

Build a professional preschool 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 preschool teacher resume.

Apply for preschool teacher jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a preschool 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 preschool teachers rate their job?

3.5/5

Based on 2 ratings

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Preschool teacher reviews

3.0

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.

4.0

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 Mar 2022

Pros

Kids, teaching lessons, co-teachers, hours, weekends off, salary, holidays off, summers off, paid sick and personal days

Cons

Administration, observations, being told what to teach and HOW to teach it, expecting us to participate in things we might not want to or have the time for, staff meetings with no substance

What is a preschool teacher and how to become one

What general advice would you give to a preschool teacher?

What are the pros and cons of being a preschool teacher?

Preschool teacher career paths

Key steps to become a preschool teacher

Explore preschool teacher education requirements

Most common preschool teacher degrees

Start to develop specific preschool teacher skills

Complete relevant preschool teacher training and internships

Gain additional preschool teacher certifications

Research preschool teacher duties and responsibilities

Prepare your preschool teacher resume

Choose from 10+ customizable preschool teacher resume templates

Apply for preschool teacher jobs

How did you land your first preschool teacher job

Average preschool teacher salary

How do preschool teachers rate their job?

Preschool teacher reviews

Preschool teacher FAQs

Can you be a preschool teacher without a degree?

Do preschool teachers get paid well?

How long does it take to become a preschool teacher?

What are the pros and cons of being a preschool teacher?

What qualifications do you need to be a preschool teacher?

What skills are needed for a preschool teacher?

Search for preschool teacher jobs

Preschool teacher jobs by state