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Preschool Teacher salary
Average preschool teacher salary
$16.15
How much does a preschool teacher make?
The average preschool teacher salary in the United States is $33,582. Preschool teacher salaries typically range between $23,000 and $47,000 yearly. The average hourly rate for preschool teachers is $16.15 per hour.
Preschool teacher salary is impacted by location, education, and experience. Preschool teachers earn the highest average salary in Hawaii.
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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.
- 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bright Horizons Family Solutions | Preschool Teacher | Charlotte, NC | 12/18/2024 | $36,523 |
| Spring Education Group | Preschool Teacher/Office Administrator | Las Vegas, NV | 12/17/2024 | $37,566 |
| Spring Education Group | Preschool Teacher | San Jose, CA | 12/17/2024 | $52,175 |
| Spring Education Group | Preschool Teacher | Portland, OR | 12/17/2024 | $35,479 |
| Spring Education Group | Preschool Teacher | Scottsdale, AZ | 12/17/2024 | $35,479 |
| Cadence Education Inc. | Preschool Teacher | Newark, DE | 12/16/2024 | $31,827 |
| The Learning Experience | Preschool Teacher | Grand Rapids, MI | 12/16/2024 | $31,305 |
| The Learning Experience | Preschool Teacher | Gurnee, IL | 12/16/2024 | $31,305 |
| The Goddard School | Preschool Teacher | Stamford, CT | 12/16/2024 | $41,740 |
| Cajon Valley | Preschool Teacher (Fine Arts Emphasis) | El Cajon, CA | 12/16/2024 | $51,036 |
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