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Preschool teacher salary
Average preschool teacher salary
$16.15
Average Preschool Teacher Salary
The average salary for a preschool teacher in the United States is approximately $33,582 per year or about $16 per hour. Salaries can vary significantly based on factors such as geographic location, years of experience, and the specific educational institution.
Where Can a Preschool Teacher Earn More?
Some states offer higher salaries for preschool teachers. For instance, states like California and New York tend to present better compensation compared to the national average. Understanding where you can earn more is crucial for planning your career in education.
Salary Estimates from Across the Web
Various sources provide salary estimates for preschool teachers, reflecting differences in reporting methodologies. Our data synthesizes these insights to give a comprehensive view of what you can expect in terms of salary.
Average Preschool Teacher Salary by State
Examining salaries by state can illuminate opportunities for preschool teachers. For example, states with higher living costs typically offer higher salaries. This data can be essential for job seekers aiming to maximize their earning potential in education.
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Where can a Preschool Teacher earn more?
Preschool teacher salary estimates from across the web
Average preschool teacher salary by state
The highest-paying states for preschool teachers are Hawaii, California, and New York. The lowest average preschool teacher salary states are Georgia, Oklahoma, and South Carolina.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for preschool teachers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Mexico | $38,878 | $18.69 |
| 2 | Wyoming | $38,125 | $18.33 |
| 3 | New York | $40,587 | $19.51 |
| 4 | Vermont | $38,135 | $18.33 |
| 5 | Minnesota | $37,724 | $18.14 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $36,776 | $17.68 |
| 7 | New Jersey | $37,409 | $17.99 |
| 8 | Nevada | $33,665 | $16.19 |
| 9 | Arizona | $34,075 | $16.38 |
| 10 | California | $40,866 | $19.65 |
| 11 | Kansas | $34,371 | $16.52 |
| 12 | Colorado | $34,889 | $16.77 |
| 13 | District of Columbia | $38,849 | $18.68 |
| 14 | Texas | $34,524 | $16.60 |
| 15 | Hawaii | $43,575 | $20.95 |
| 16 | Nebraska | $33,664 | $16.18 |
| 17 | Massachusetts | $36,010 | $17.31 |
| 18 | West Virginia | $35,882 | $17.25 |
| 19 | North Dakota | $34,016 | $16.35 |
| 20 | Washington | $35,504 | $17.07 |
| 21 | Illinois | $31,892 | $15.33 |
| 22 | Maryland | $33,939 | $16.32 |
| 23 | Virginia | $34,087 | $16.39 |
| 24 | Oregon | $35,145 | $16.90 |
| 25 | Iowa | $31,342 | $15.07 |
| 26 | Michigan | $30,371 | $14.60 |
| 27 | South Dakota | $32,046 | $15.41 |
| 28 | New Hampshire | $30,485 | $14.66 |
| 29 | Montana | $29,973 | $14.41 |
| 30 | Kentucky | $31,190 | $15.00 |
| 31 | Maine | $32,169 | $15.47 |
| 32 | Wisconsin | $30,507 | $14.67 |
| 33 | Missouri | $30,315 | $14.57 |
| 34 | Utah | $30,603 | $14.71 |
| 35 | Tennessee | $28,574 | $13.74 |
| 36 | Alaska | $31,922 | $15.35 |
| 37 | Arkansas | $28,472 | $13.69 |
| 38 | Pennsylvania | $28,435 | $13.67 |
| 39 | Indiana | $27,252 | $13.10 |
| 40 | Louisiana | $28,003 | $13.46 |
| 41 | Oklahoma | $26,298 | $12.64 |
| 42 | North Carolina | $27,789 | $13.36 |
| 43 | Idaho | $28,574 | $13.74 |
| 44 | Delaware | $27,187 | $13.07 |
| 45 | Ohio | $27,919 | $13.42 |
| 46 | Georgia | $26,336 | $12.66 |
| 47 | Florida | $24,137 | $11.60 |
| 48 | South Carolina | $24,775 | $11.91 |
| 49 | Rhode Island | $27,446 | $13.20 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $24,667 | $11.86 |
| 51 | Alabama | $21,021 | $10.11 |
Highest paying cities for preschool teachers
The highest-paying cities for preschool teachers are San Jose, CA, New York, NY, and Washington, DC.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose, CA | $41,428 | $19.92 |
| 2 | New York, NY | $40,635 | $19.54 |
| 3 | Washington, DC | $38,892 | $18.70 |
| 4 | Minneapolis, MN | $37,714 | $18.13 |
| 5 | Boston, MA | $35,996 | $17.31 |
| 6 | Ashburn, VA | $35,990 | $17.30 |
| 7 | Seattle, WA | $35,545 | $17.09 |
| 8 | Denver, CO | $34,920 | $16.79 |
| 9 | San Antonio, TX | $34,757 | $16.71 |
| 10 | Kansas City, KS | $34,507 | $16.59 |
| 11 | Phoenix, AZ | $34,178 | $16.43 |
| 12 | Rockville, MD | $33,768 | $16.23 |
| 13 | Las Vegas, NV | $33,767 | $16.23 |
| 14 | Omaha, NE | $33,713 | $16.21 |
| 15 | Chicago, IL | $31,963 | $15.37 |
| 16 | Kansas City, MO | $30,628 | $14.72 |
| 17 | Milwaukee, WI | $30,440 | $14.63 |
| 18 | Philadelphia, PA | $28,538 | $13.72 |
| 19 | Raleigh, NC | $27,875 | $13.40 |
| 20 | Columbus, OH | $27,648 | $13.29 |
Preschool Teachers are the most in-demand in these five cities:
Preschool teacher salary details
A preschool teacher's salary ranges from $23,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $47,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a preschool teacher's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $47,000 | $3,917 | $23 |
| 75th Percentile | $40,000 | $3,333 | $19 |
| Average | $33,582 | $2,799 | $16 |
| 25th Percentile | $27,000 | $2,250 | $13 |
| 10th Percentile | $23,000 | $1,917 | $11 |
Highest paying preschool teacher jobs
The highest paying types of preschool teachers are student teacher, summer school teacher, and head teacher.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teacher Internship | $48,398 | $4,033 | $23.27 | 105,496 |
| Teacher Aide | $29,480 | $2,457 | $14.17 | 106,207 |
| Head Start Teacher | $33,865 | $2,822 | $16.28 | 67,747 |
| Infant Teacher | $29,076 | $2,423 | $13.98 | 63,079 |
| Toddler Teacher | $30,703 | $2,559 | $14.76 | 67,810 |
| Floater Teacher | $28,813 | $2,401 | $13.85 | 78,131 |
Top companies hiring preschool teachers now:
Which companies pay preschool teachers the most?
Preschool teacher salaries at Kings Canyon Unified School District and Le Lycée Français de Los Angeles are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average preschool teacher salary at companies like West Contra Costa Unified School District and Siemens Enterprise Communications Inc are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 4 | Siemens Enterprise Communications Inc | $56,172 | $27.01 |
| 5 | Stratford Board Of Education | $55,935 | $26.89 |
| 6 | Presidio Knolls School | $55,575 | $26.72 |
| 7 | Hall & Evans | $55,288 | $26.58 |
| 8 | Merritt Academy | $55,251 | $26.56 |
| 9 | Lake Elsinore Unified School District | $55,208 | $26.54 |
| 10 | Puget Sound ESD | $55,020 | $26.45 |
| 11 | Cypress Fairbanks Isd | $53,823 | $25.88 |
| 12 | Council Bluffs Community School District | $53,539 | $25.74 |
| 13 | San Jacinto Unified School District | $52,769 | $25.37 |
| 14 | Pine Crest School | $52,124 | $25.06 |
| 15 | Stanford University | $51,739 | $24.87 |
| 16 | Broward County Public Schools | $51,674 | $24.84 |
| 17 | Leman Academy of Excellence, Inc. | $51,633 | $24.82 |
| 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 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Preschool teacher salary trends
The average preschool teacher salary has risen by $5,585 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average preschool teacher earned $27,997 annually, but today, they earn $33,582 a year. That works out to a 11% change in pay for preschool teachers over the last decade.
Compare preschool teacher salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average preschool teacher salary over time
Compare preschool teacher salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Preschool teacher salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $33,600 | $16.14 | +4.4% |
| 2024 | $32,100 | $15.43 | +2.4% |
| 2023 | $31,300 | $15.06 | +2.7% |
| 2022 | $30,500 | $14.66 | +0.7% |
| 2021 | $30,300 | $14.56 | +0.8% |
Recently added preschool teacher salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JCCs of North America | Preschool Teacher | Salt Lake City, UT | 06/30/2025 | $35,479 |
| Champions | Preschool Teacher | Libertyville, IL | 06/29/2025 | $37,566 |
| Pediatrics Plus | Preschool Teacher | Arkadelphia, AR | 06/29/2025 | $24,001 |
| The Principia | Preschool Assistant Teacher | Saint Louis, MO | 06/29/2025 | $45,000 |
| Lionheart Children's Academy | Early Preschool Teacher-Community Commons | Harrison, OH | 06/29/2025 | $30,783 |
| Primrose School | Early Preschool Teacher | Atlanta, GA | 06/29/2025 | $31,305 |
| Get It Recruit-Educational Services | Preschool Teacher-Remote | WFH | Marlborough, MA | 06/29/2025 | $33,392 |
| The Growing Years | Assistant Preschool Teacher | Greensboro, NC | 06/29/2025 | $29,218 |
| Get It Recruit-Educational Services | Preschool Associate Teacher-Remote | WFH | San Francisco, CA | 06/29/2025 | $58,436 |
| Bright Horizons Family Solutions | Preschool Teacher | King of Prussia, PA | 06/28/2025 | $36,523 |
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