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Preschool teacher vs kindergarten teacher

The differences between preschool teachers and kindergarten teachers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a kindergarten teacher has an average salary of $48,029, which is higher than the $33,582 average annual salary of a preschool teacher.

The top three skills for a preschool teacher include child care, CPR and classroom management. The most important skills for a kindergarten teacher are classroom management, math, and professional development.

Preschool teacher vs kindergarten teacher overview

Preschool TeacherKindergarten Teacher
Yearly salary$33,582$48,029
Hourly rate$16.15$23.09
Growth rate15%4%
Number of jobs55,29865,972
Job satisfaction3.5-
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 52%Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Average age4040
Years of experience2-

What does a preschool teacher do?

A project leader is in charge of managing and leading a team to reach project goals in adherence to schedules and budgets. Their responsibilities revolve around setting objectives and guidelines, assessing workforce performance, assisting staff in difficult areas, answering inquiries, and resolving issues to maintain an efficient workflow. A project leader must also produce progress reports and presentations, updating managers or supervisors as needed. Furthermore, as a project leader, it is essential to lead and encourage the team, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.

What does a kindergarten teacher do?

Kindergarten teachers teach young children social and emotional skills, reading skills, music, and personal hygiene. They prepare these children for elementary school and certain life aspects. It is also their responsibility to teach children good classroom behavior, plan the curriculum daily and the whole school year, and conduct parent-teach meetings. Kindergarten teachers should encourage children to be observant of activities and give them the chance to ask questions and find the answers. They should also work with parents in putting an action plan to help children with emotional or developmental problems.

Preschool teacher vs kindergarten teacher salary

Preschool teachers and kindergarten teachers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Preschool TeacherKindergarten Teacher
Average salary$33,582$48,029
Salary rangeBetween $23,000 And $47,000Between $37,000 And $62,000
Highest paying CitySan Jose, CAPalo Alto, CA
Highest paying stateHawaiiHawaii
Best paying companyKings Canyon Unified School DistrictBrooklyn Waldorf School
Best paying industry-Finance

Differences between preschool teacher and kindergarten teacher education

There are a few differences between a preschool teacher and a kindergarten teacher in terms of educational background:

Preschool TeacherKindergarten Teacher
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 52%Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Most common majorEarly Childhood EducationElementary Education
Most common collegeSan Diego State UniversityUniversity of Pennsylvania

Preschool teacher vs kindergarten teacher demographics

Here are the differences between preschool teachers' and kindergarten teachers' demographics:

Preschool TeacherKindergarten Teacher
Average age4040
Gender ratioMale, 6.4% Female, 93.6%Male, 8.2% Female, 91.8%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 8.6% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 17.6% Asian, 5.5% White, 62.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%Black or African American, 9.0% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 17.0% Asian, 6.1% White, 62.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage5%5%

Differences between preschool teacher and kindergarten teacher duties and responsibilities

Preschool teacher example 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.
  • Show more

Kindergarten teacher example responsibilities.

  • Utilize PLC time to meet the needs of struggling and achieving students
  • Target at risk and high achieving students using levele readers and DRA strategies.
  • Present history and math PowerPoint lessons.
  • Serve on data teams to coordinate with ELA, math and RTI specialists to ensure student growth and success.
  • Develop daily literacy and math base learning centers to promote cooperative learning and independent practice.
  • Plan and teach an 1st and 2nd grade ELA unit.
  • Show more

Preschool teacher vs kindergarten teacher skills

Common preschool teacher skills
  • Child Care, 18%
  • CPR, 17%
  • Classroom Management, 15%
  • Child Development, 11%
  • Open Communication, 10%
  • Early Development, 3%
Common kindergarten teacher skills
  • Classroom Management, 27%
  • Math, 14%
  • Professional Development, 7%
  • Language Arts, 5%
  • Social Studies, 4%
  • Classroom Environment, 4%

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