How to hire a preschool teacher

How to hire a preschool teacher, step by step

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

What does a preschool teacher do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a preschool 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

   A preschool teacher's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, preschool 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.

   This list presents preschool teacher salaries for various positions.

   Type of Preschool Teacher	Description	Hourly rate
   Preschool 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.	$11-22
   Teacher Internship	Teaching interns are individuals who assist teachers and educators in the classroom. The interns are instructed to fulfill the tasks set out and provided by the supervisors for them... Show more	$16-32
   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

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Child Care
   • CPR
   • Classroom Management
   • Child Development
   • Open Communication
   • Early Development
   • Mathematics
   • Emotional Development
   • Parent-Teacher Conferences
   • Art Projects
   • Social Development
   • Pre-K
   • Preschool Program
   • Classroom Environment

   Check all skills

   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.
   • Develop differentiate literacy and math lessons to fulfill a creative curriculum and support kindergarten readiness.
   • Arrange events & bible studies.

   More preschool teacher duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, preschool teachers' average salary in alabama is 52% less than in hawaii.
   • Seniority. Entry-level preschool teachers earn 51% less than senior-level preschool teachers.
   • Certifications. A preschool 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 a preschool teacher's salary.

   Average preschool teacher salary

   $16.15hourly

   $33,582 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level preschool teacher salary

   $23,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 5, 2025

   Average preschool teacher salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$41,428	$20
   2	New York	$40,635	$20
   3	District of Columbia	$38,892	$19
   4	Minnesota	$37,714	$18
   5	Massachusetts	$35,996	$17
   6	Virginia	$35,990	$17
   7	Washington	$35,545	$17
   8	Colorado	$34,920	$17
   9	Texas	$34,757	$17
   10	Kansas	$34,507	$17
   11	Arizona	$34,178	$16
   12	Maryland	$33,768	$16
   13	Nevada	$33,767	$16
   14	Nebraska	$33,713	$16
   15	Illinois	$31,963	$15
   16	Missouri	$30,628	$15
   17	Wisconsin	$30,440	$15
   18	Pennsylvania	$28,538	$14
   19	North Carolina	$27,875	$13
   20	Ohio	$27,648	$13

   Average preschool teacher salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Kings Canyon Unified School District	$63,800	$30.67
   2	Le Lycée Français de Los Angeles	$59,286	$28.50
   3	West Contra Costa Unified School District	$57,016	$27.41	67
   4	Siemens Enterprise Communications Inc	$56,172	$27.01
   5	Stratford Board Of Education	$55,935	$26.89	5
   6	Presidio Knolls School	$55,575	$26.72	2
   7	Hall & Evans	$55,288	$26.58
   8	Merritt Academy	$55,251	$26.56	3
   9	Lake Elsinore Unified School District	$55,208	$26.54	7
   10	Puget Sound ESD	$55,020	$26.45
   11	Cypress Fairbanks Isd	$53,823	$25.88	5
   12	Council Bluffs Community School District	$53,539	$25.74	20
   13	San Jacinto Unified School District	$52,769	$25.37	1
   14	Pine Crest School	$52,124	$25.06	7
   15	Stanford University	$51,739	$24.87	2
   16	Broward County Public Schools	$51,674	$24.84	95
   17	Leman Academy of Excellence, Inc.	$51,633	$24.82	5
   18	Ahmad, Zavitsanos, Anaipakos, Alavi & Mensing P.c. Or Aza	$51,583	$24.80
   19	Goleta Union School District	$51,572	$24.79
   20	Skyline Education, Inc	$51,449	$24.74

4. Writing a preschool teacher job description

   A job description for a preschool 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 a preschool teacher job description:

   Preschool teacher job description example

   Make a difference in the community with Early Learning Essentials (ELE)! We are a non profit organization that offers preschool services to children and families who encounter life's challenges and need a hand up.
   
   Enjoy exceptional benefits with medical, dental, life, and a 401(k). We are a family friendly company as all staff enjoy gym benefits, weekends off, and twice the normal holidays! We also offer a $600 sign-on incentive for selected positions working with children and families.
   
   Assists the teacher to provide instruction, supervision, and provision of appropriate learning activities for all enrolled children at a specified site
   
   Under the direction of the teacher, delivers comprehensive educational services to Head Start children, including those with Individualized Education Plan's (IEP), behavioral support or health plans and English language learners, helping them develop socially, intellectually, physically, and emotionally in a developmentally appropriate manner toward the overall goal of social competence and school readiness, as outlined in the Head Start Performance Standards, the 2007 Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act and Early Learning Essentials' policies and procedures and ensures services support the agency's school readiness plan.
   
   Position is full-time with 177 days; a typical work week is Monday - Friday with an expectation of no more than 40 hours per week (part-time is a minimum expectation of no more than 25 hours per week). For weeks with less than five working days, daily hours only apply.
   
   Position offers full benefits, including: Health, Dental, Life, HSA Contributions, 401K, and EAP counseling.
   MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: Must have a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential or enrolled in a CDA credential program that will be completed within two (2) years. Early Learning Essentials may assist with the cost of obtaining a CDA as long as funds are available. Experience working with preschool children or preschool lab work leading to a degree in Early Childhood Education (ECE) from a recognized institution is preferred. DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS: An Associate or Baccalaureate degree (in any area) from a recognized institution or be enrolled in a program leading to a degree; or An Associate or Baccalaureate degree in ECE, Elementary Education, Child Development, or other closely related field from a recognized institution is preferred. Official or unofficial transcript which shows the award or confer date of the degree must be attached to the employment application. Bilingual Spanish-speaking is desirable. Job Posted by ApplicantPro

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

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

   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 preschool teacher

   Once you've selected the best preschool 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.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   To prepare for the new preschool 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.)

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How much does it cost to hire a preschool teacher?