Public Pre-K Teacher: Pay & Requirements

Overview

Sourced

Instruct preschool-aged students, following curricula or lesson plans, in activities designed to promote social, physical, and intellectual growth.

O*NET definition of Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education (SOC 25-2011) · Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed.

63,060

in government (SOC 25-2011)

13%

of this occupation works for government

$60,040

median pay in government

Local

levels of government

Titles employers use

Montessori Preschool TeacherPre-Kindergarten Teacher (Pre-K Teacher)TeacherToddler TeacherChild Development TeacherEarly Childhood TeacherGroup TeacherInfant TeacherNursery Teacher

How people usually get in Editorial

ECE license (public pre-K). 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.

Requirements

Sourced

Typical entry requirements (BLS, SOC 25-2011)

Education needed to enter: Associate's degree
Related work experience: None
On-the-job training: None

Education workers say the job requires

High School Diploma or the equivalent

29%

Post-Secondary Certificate

10%

Some College Courses

12%

Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree

12%

Bachelor's Degree

17%

Post-Baccalaureate Certificate

Master's Degree

12%

Share of surveyed workers in Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education (SOC 25-2011) naming each level as required to be hired, 32 respondents, O*NET survey August 2019. 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.

How to get hired

Sourced

Education and training requirements vary based on settings and state regulations. Preschool teachers typically need at least an associate's degree.

From the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile “Preschool 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.

Academy and training

Sourced

Training to become competent (BLS)

SOC 25-2011: None

Preparation level (O*NET)

Job zone: Medium 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.

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.

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

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

Pay

Sourced

Federal

Not published

State

$51,600

Local

$60,470

All government

$60,040

Private sector

$37,300

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 type	Workers	10th pct.	25th	Median	75th	90th
State	2,970	$35,450	$43,470	$51,600	$63,240	$102,280
Local	60,090	$39,020	$47,920	$60,470	$73,770	$91,470
All government	63,060	$38,880	$47,660	$60,040	$73,500	$91,930
Private sector	415,710	$28,690	$33,250	$37,300	$45,750	$56,530

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

Schedule

Sourced

Work schedule

Regular

100%

Irregular

Seasonal

Typical work week

Less than 40 hours

52%

40 hours

33%

More than 40 hours

15%

Share of surveyed workers in the occupation (O*NET work context, August 2019). 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.

Day-to-day work

Sourced

Teach basic skills, such as color, shape, number and letter recognition, personal hygiene, and social skills.4.6
Provide a variety of materials and resources for children to explore, manipulate, and use, both in learning activities and in imaginative play.4.6
Establish and enforce rules for behavior and procedures for maintaining order.4.6
Adapt teaching methods and instructional materials to meet students' varying needs and interests.4.6
Serve meals and snacks in accordance with nutritional guidelines.4.5
Attend to children's basic needs by feeding them, dressing them, and changing their diapers.4.5
Meet with parents and guardians to discuss their children's progress and needs, determine their priorities for their children, and suggest ways that they can promote learning and development.4.5
Organize and lead activities designed to promote physical, mental, and social development, such as games, arts and crafts, music, storytelling, and field trips.4.5
Observe and evaluate children's performance, behavior, social development, and physical health.4.4
Identify children showing signs of emotional, developmental, or health-related problems and discuss them with supervisors, parents or guardians, and child development specialists.4.4

The 10 most important of 32 core tasks for Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education, ranked by importance (1–5) in the O*NET survey of August 2019.

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

13Derived

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):

Employer	Location	Teachers (FTE)	Website
Chicago Public Schools Dist 299	Chicago, IL	23,532	Official site
Los Angeles Unified	Los Angeles, CA	21,246	Official site
MIAMI-DADE	Miami, FL	17,139	Official site
Clark County	Las Vegas, NV	16,446	Official site
Fairfax County Public Schools	Falls Church, VA	13,501	Official site
Gwinnett County	Lawrenceville, GA	12,796	—
Hawaii Department of Education	Honolulu, HI	12,215	Official site
Montgomery County Public Schools	Rockville, MD	11,574	Official site
PALM BEACH	West Palm Beach, FL	11,548	Official site
ORANGE	Orlando, FL	11,416	Official site

Full lists by state:

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

By state

Sourced

Median annual wage for Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education (SOC 25-2011) in each state, all employers (BLS state estimates do not separate government from private). Highest first.

State	Workers	10th pct.	Median	90th pct.
District of Columbia	2,350	$40,240	$62,150	$108,270
Vermont	940	$36,650	$49,730	$66,020
Hawaii	1,410	$37,160	$48,780	$64,110
New Jersey	16,190	$37,020	$48,220	$86,910
Kansas	1,330	$27,850	$47,750	$61,790
California	55,700	$37,870	$47,400	$65,350
Nebraska	1,630	$31,620	$47,040	$73,620
New York	23,870	$36,050	$46,520	$75,660
Alaska	520	$35,090	$46,130	$76,950
Massachusetts	18,710	$35,890	$45,890	$60,440
Connecticut	5,230	$35,460	$45,740	$80,400
Washington	13,210	$38,080	$45,660	$60,130
Colorado	5,210	$35,820	$45,500	$84,700
Oregon	6,300	$35,680	$45,140	$63,550
Maryland	8,020	$35,760	$44,600	$67,510
South Dakota	1,470	$30,980	$44,500	$56,370
New Mexico	2,490	$32,270	$44,070	$79,560
Georgia	16,850	$28,150	$43,920	$77,130
Maine	1,110	$36,170	$43,890	$60,110
Minnesota	10,320	$36,060	$43,430	$61,190
Illinois	22,420	$36,030	$40,910	$60,890
North Dakota	540	$25,990	$39,720	$59,560
New Hampshire	2,220	$34,670	$39,350	$51,470
Nevada	2,360	$30,100	$38,870	$64,590
Louisiana	3,570	$23,700	$38,020	$59,970
Virginia	13,570	$30,290	$37,140	$60,710
Michigan	10,950	$30,310	$37,110	$50,720
Rhode Island	1,890	$31,200	$36,830	$46,180
Indiana	7,110	$28,720	$36,650	$50,920
Montana	960	$28,370	$36,540	$49,550
Delaware	2,000	$31,200	$36,360	$44,270
Arizona	9,400	$31,760	$36,300	$47,790
Mississippi	3,600	$20,980	$36,250	$53,370
Wisconsin	11,330	$28,530	$36,160	$46,090
Missouri	5,580	$29,030	$36,090	$54,610
Pennsylvania	22,760	$29,590	$36,050	$46,460
Florida	35,740	$29,550	$35,860	$46,980
North Carolina	18,370	$28,700	$35,710	$47,530
Ohio	19,840	$27,260	$35,180	$48,240
Utah	3,670	$28,770	$35,010	$47,300
South Carolina	4,550	$26,820	$34,500	$49,900
Tennessee	5,420	$27,160	$34,280	$64,480
Arkansas	3,270	$27,190	$34,190	$56,690
Texas	41,200	$26,430	$33,860	$49,680
Iowa	5,910	$27,730	$33,830	$48,390
Idaho	1,010	$26,500	$32,800	$46,950
West Virginia	2,190	$23,520	$32,480	$58,810
Oklahoma	7,010	$23,100	$31,790	$58,130
Wyoming	1,040	$23,600	$29,930	$58,880
Kentucky	8,520	$23,490	$29,780	$51,760
Alabama	7,910	$21,150	$28,310	$47,350

51 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

Public Pre-K Teacher

Overview

Titles employers use

Requirements

Education workers say the job requires

How to get hired

Academy and training

Promotion ladder

Pay

Schedule

Day-to-day work

Related jobs

Employer directory

By state

Not yet collected