Preschool and Kindergarten Teachers salary in the US
What do preschool and kindergarten teachers actually earn, and how does that change with age, education and location? These figures come straight from Census survey microdata.
How much do preschool and kindergarten teachers earn?
Half of all preschool and kindergarten teachers in the United States earned more than $31,484 a year, and half earned less — 40% less than the $52,508 median for all US earners aged 25 and older. Of the 171 occupation groups in our data, just 26 have a lower median. That estimate rests on 36,251 individual Census survey responses from workers 25 and up.
| Position | Annual earnings |
|---|---|
| Top 10% start at | $71,594 |
| Top 25% start at | $50,375 |
| Median (top 50%) | $31,484 |
| Bottom 25% earn below | $18,330 |
How wide is the pay range?
The gap between the middle and the top is wide: the top tenth of preschool and kindergarten teachers earn at least $71,594, 2.3× the median, and the top quarter begins around $50,375. On the lower side, 25% reported $18,330 or less. These are annual totals, so part-time schedules and partial years pull this number down. The median is 1.7 times that lower-quarter line.
Earnings by age
Typical pay rises 10% between the 25–34 and 45–54 age groups, topping out at $34,519. After the peak, the 65+ group's median falls to $21,540 (38% lower), largely because more older workers cut back their hours.
Men and women
There is a 25% gap at the median: $41,718 for men and $31,484 for women. In the raw sample, roughly 98 in 100 workers in this job are women. Part of that difference reflects hours worked and job level within the occupation, which these totals don't control for.
| Group | Median earnings | Survey records |
|---|---|---|
| Men | $41,718 | 808 |
| Women | $31,484 | 35,443 |
Does education change the pay?
The education premium is steep: $54,824 at the median for workers with a master's degree against $25,187 for those with a high school education or less. The most common credential in the sample is a bachelor's degree, with 13,178 records. Thin cells (under 100 records) aren't shown.
| Education | Median earnings | Survey records |
|---|---|---|
| High school or less | $25,187 | 5,081 |
| Some college / associate | $26,237 | 10,304 |
| Bachelor's | $38,184 | 13,178 |
| Master's | $54,824 | 7,096 |
| Professional degree | $52,480 | 455 |
| Doctorate | $35,477 | 137 |
Where the most work, and what they earn there
In terms of headcount in the survey, California, Texas, Florida, New York, and North Carolina lead the country. Among them, New York has the highest median at $43,993 and North Carolina the lowest at $26,813, a 64% spread. These are nominal dollars — living costs differ just as much between states and aren't adjusted for. 44 states have enough records (100+) for their own figure.
| State | Median earnings | Survey records |
|---|---|---|
| California | $38,580 | 3,748 |
| Texas | $29,344 | 3,022 |
| Florida | $28,106 | 2,005 |
| New York | $43,993 | 1,890 |
| North Carolina | $26,813 | 1,501 |
Occupations with similar pay
Similar typical earnings show up for receptionists and information clerks ($32,218), stockers and order fillers ($30,458), retail salespersons ($32,743), and bartenders ($29,831). They aren't interchangeable careers, though the middle of the pay distribution is close.
| Occupation | Median earnings | vs. this job |
|---|---|---|
| Receptionists | $32,218 | +2% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | $30,458 | −3% |
| Retail Salespersons | $32,743 | +4% |
| Bartenders | $29,831 | −5% |
| Nursing Assistants | $33,198 | +5% |
About these figures
Method note: earnings here are PERNP — wages, salary and self-employment income — for workers 25 and older, from the 2020–2024 ACS microdata in 2024 dollars. Any group with fewer than 100 records is suppressed instead of estimated. This page draws on 36,251 records.
See where your pay ranks among preschool and kindergarten teachers
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Open the calculatorSource: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-Year Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) — personal earnings (PERNP) in 2024 dollars, person-weighted
Reference statistics only — not financial advice.