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Job title · SOC 25-2012

Kindergarten Teacher

01

Overview

Sourced

Teach academic and social skills to kindergarten students.

O*NET definition of Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education (SOC 25-2012) · Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed.

93,030
in government (SOC 25-2012)
85%
of this occupation works for government
$63,890
median pay in government
Local
levels of government

Titles employers use

Bilingual Kindergarten TeacherClassroom TeacherKinder TeacherTeacherEducatorInstructorKindergarten Classroom TeacherTitle One Kindergarten TeacherTransitional Kindergarten Teacher
How people usually get in Editorial
early-childhood license. Requirements vary by employer; each employer page will list its exact rules.

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — national estimates by ownership; U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), O*NET 31.0 Database; GovJobsWiki job taxonomy v1 (research round R240) (editorial). Data captured September 30, 2026.

02

Requirements

Sourced
Typical entry requirements (BLS, SOC 25-2012)
Education needed to enter
Bachelor's degree
Related work experience
None
On-the-job training
None

Education workers say the job requires

Bachelor's Degree
76%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate
11%
Master's Degree
14%

Share of surveyed workers in Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education (SOC 25-2012) naming each level as required to be hired, 32 respondents, O*NET survey August 2018. Each employer sets its own minimum.

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35 — education and training assignments by detailed occupation (Tables 5.3, 5.4); U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), O*NET 31.0 Database. Data captured September 30, 2026.

03

How to get hired

Sourced

Kindergarten and elementary school teachers usually must have at least a bachelor's degree. In addition, public school teachers must have a state-issued certification or license.

From the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile “Kindergarten and Elementary School Teachers”, published August 27, 2026 · Read the full profile. National guidance; each employer runs its own hiring process.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025–35 edition (XML compilation). Data captured September 30, 2026.

04

Academy and training

Sourced
Training to become competent (BLS)
SOC 25-2012
None
Preparation level (O*NET)
Job zone
Considerable Preparation Needed

Academy length, curriculum and paid-training policies are set by each employer and state; they are part of the employer collection stage.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35 — education and training assignments by detailed occupation (Tables 5.3, 5.4). Data captured September 30, 2026.

06

Promotion ladder

Editorial

Steps and lanes: certificated salary schedule: years (steps) × education (lanes). Typical structure for a public school certificated staff; titles, steps and timing differ by employer.

  1. Teacher, Step 1 (by lane: BA / BA+15 / MA / MA+30 / PhD)
  2. Teacher, Steps 2…N (annual)
  3. Longevity steps
  4. Mentor / Lead Teacher / Department Chair (stipend)
  5. Instructional Coach
  6. Assistant Principal
  7. Principal
  8. Central-office Director
  9. Superintendent

Source: GovJobsWiki job taxonomy v1 (research round R240) (editorial).

07

Pay

Sourced
Federal
Not published
State
$58,640
Local
$63,890
All government
$63,890
Private sector
$51,320

Median annual wage by employer type, national, May 2025. Federal includes the U.S. Postal Service; state and local include public schools and hospitals.

Employer typeWorkers10th pct.25thMedian75th90th
State180$19,420$45,680$58,640$73,690$88,230
Local92,840$48,550$56,650$63,890$82,080$103,220
All government93,030$48,540$56,630$63,890$82,080$103,220
Private sector15,840$36,040$43,610$51,320$62,640$76,670

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — national estimates by ownership. Data captured September 30, 2026.

08

Schedule

Sourced
Work schedule
Regular
96%
Irregular
4%
Seasonal
0%
Typical work week
Less than 40 hours
6%
40 hours
25%
More than 40 hours
69%

Share of surveyed workers in the occupation (O*NET work context, August 2018). Shift patterns and differentials depend on the employer.

Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), O*NET 31.0 Database. Data captured September 30, 2026.

12

Day-to-day work

Sourced
  1. Establish and enforce rules for behavior and policies and procedures to maintain order among students.4.7
  2. Prepare children for later grades by encouraging them to explore learning opportunities and to persevere with challenging tasks.4.7
  3. Instruct students individually and in groups, adapting teaching methods to meet students' varying needs and interests.4.6
  4. Teach basic skills, such as color, shape, number and letter recognition, personal hygiene, and social skills.4.6
  5. Demonstrate activities to children.4.5
  6. Read books to entire classes or to small groups.4.5
  7. Guide and counsel students with adjustment or academic problems or special academic interests.4.5
  8. Observe and evaluate children's performance, behavior, social development, and physical health.4.5
  9. Provide a variety of materials and resources for children to explore, manipulate, and use, both in learning activities and in imaginative play.4.5
  10. Prepare and implement remedial programs for students requiring extra help.4.5

The 10 most important of 36 core tasks for Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education, ranked by importance (1–5) in the O*NET survey of August 2018.

Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), O*NET 31.0 Database. Data captured September 30, 2026.

13Derived
Career & Technical Education (CTE) Teacher
Same promotion ladder
Elementary School Teacher
Same promotion ladder
ESL / ELL Teacher
Same promotion ladder
High School Teacher
Same promotion ladder
Instructional Coach / Coordinator
Same promotion ladder
Middle School Teacher
Same promotion ladder
Public Pre-K Teacher
Same promotion ladder
Public School Teacher (hub)
Same promotion ladder
15

Employer directory

Sourced

13,321 school districts in the registry. Regular public school districts in the NCES Common Core of Data (charter-only districts are not included). The 10 largest by teachers (fte):

EmployerLocationTeachers (FTE)Website
Chicago Public Schools Dist 299Chicago, IL23,532Official site
Los Angeles UnifiedLos Angeles, CA21,246Official site
MIAMI-DADEMiami, FL17,139Official site
Clark CountyLas Vegas, NV16,446Official site
Fairfax County Public SchoolsFalls Church, VA13,501Official site
Gwinnett CountyLawrenceville, GA12,796—
Hawaii Department of EducationHonolulu, HI12,215Official site
Montgomery County Public SchoolsRockville, MD11,574Official site
PALM BEACHWest Palm Beach, FL11,548Official site
ORANGEOrlando, FL11,416Official site

Full lists by state:

Texas · 1,022California · 988Illinois · 855New York · 717Ohio · 619New Jersey · 560Michigan · 536Missouri · 518Oklahoma · 507Pennsylvania · 500Wisconsin · 420Montana · 392

As reported by each employer to its federal registry.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics, Common Core of Data, 2024–25 local education agency universe (directory and staff). Data captured September 30, 2026.

16

By state

Sourced

Median annual wage for Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education (SOC 25-2012) in each state, all employers (BLS state estimates do not separate government from private). Highest first.

StateWorkers10th pct.Median90th pct.
Washington5,270$65,400$99,960$125,990
Connecticut1,420$61,730$90,030$111,450
Rhode Island360$38,050$85,470$99,320
Massachusetts1,980$58,900$84,100$106,600
California7,430$53,210$82,550$124,400
District of Columbia180$63,530$81,500$123,530
New York6,950$49,020$77,630$137,710
Maryland1,560$56,520$75,910$108,360
Minnesota2,840$45,280$75,500$98,680
New Mexico950$51,420$74,380$88,570
New Jersey5,370$60,040$74,210$102,870
Delaware70$46,940$74,030$82,950
Ohio3,290$46,040$72,570$97,880
Oregon1,330$49,190$68,580$98,100
Georgia4,530$48,610$65,680$95,070
Nevada1,400$55,020$64,930$82,740
Pennsylvania2,510$41,700$64,430$92,600
Illinois4,660$46,040$64,020$103,420
Virginia3,740$48,850$63,920$100,930
Texas3,820$43,730$63,780$72,640
Michigan1,890$39,070$63,300$95,320
Vermont250$49,120$63,280$89,030
Utah530$40,900$63,190$95,620
Colorado3,260$47,300$62,870$97,710
Idaho460$49,840$62,240$81,240
Nebraska1,120$46,260$62,200$78,160
Wyoming360$50,980$60,990$75,280
South Carolina1,540$47,730$60,890$79,090
Kentucky2,450$44,980$60,280$79,920
New Hampshire520$47,150$60,240$83,570
North Dakota600$47,490$59,420$77,890
Wisconsin1,510$39,990$59,350$79,340
West Virginia730$47,630$58,790$72,210
Iowa1,160$47,020$58,420$75,860
Indiana2,120$46,260$58,250$76,200
Florida8,810$49,960$58,100$77,460
Tennessee2,740$46,980$58,070$74,440
Kansas1,300$47,180$56,670$65,070
Missouri2,300$44,520$56,590$79,100
North Carolina2,250$40,760$53,180$63,620
Hawaii90$47,740$53,160$75,340
Louisiana3,730$44,720$53,130$60,530
Arizona3,020$45,850$52,830$76,760
Maine570$45,350$52,660$79,290
Arkansas1,490$47,240$52,060$65,710
Alabama310$37,400$50,900$67,510
South Dakota610$46,520$49,410$59,910
Mississippi1,350$37,980$48,880$60,110
Oklahoma1,690$43,790$47,860$60,420
Montana400$38,570$47,590$81,070

50 states with published estimates.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — state estimates. Data captured September 30, 2026.

Not yet collected

These dimensions are part of every job page. We publish them only once they are sourced from official documents such as job postings, pay plans, union contracts and state standards.

  • 05 Probation
    Probation length and what ends it
    Not yet collected
  • 09 Benefits and pension
    Pension plan/tier and formula, retirement age/years, DROP, retiree health, Social Security coverage, 457(b), PSLF eligibility
    Not yet collected
  • 10 Union contracts
    Bargaining unit, union, current CBA (source link, effective dates)
    Not yet collected
  • 11 Transfers and lateral entry
    Lateral policy, certification reciprocity, lateral bonus, inter-agency moves
    Not yet collected
  • 14 Exam practice
    Named exams → OpenExamPrep practice
    Not yet collected