What is the salary range for Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education?

Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education salaries in the US range from $28,300 at the 10th percentile to $60,070 at the 90th percentile per year.

How many Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education are there in the United States?

An estimated 445,080 people work as Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education across the United States as of 2024.

Average Salary for Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education

SOC 25-2011 · Educational Instruction and Library Occupations · 2024 data

The median annual wage for Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education in the United States is $37,120 ($17.85/hr), based on 2024 BLS OEWS data. Wages range from $28,300 at the 10th percentile to $60,070 at the 90th percentile nationally. An estimated 445,080 people work in this occupation across the country. The national median wage has grown 32% since 2014.

Median Annual

$37,120

Mean Annual

$41,450

10th Pct

$28,300

75th Pct

$46,550

Employment

445,080

Salary Distribution

$28k

10th

$31k

25th

$37k

Median

$47k

75th

$60k

90th

Highest Paying Metro Areas

Metro Area	Median Annual	Mean Annual
Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ	$59,110	$56,410
Vineland, NJ	$58,830	$57,160
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX	$54,780	$47,150
Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA	$49,860	$45,650
Rome, GA	$49,660	$52,780
Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC	$49,600	$52,660
Omaha, NE-IA	$49,260	$50,630
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	$49,190	$54,010
Modesto, CA	$48,630	$54,370
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	$48,220	$56,990
Hinesville, GA	$47,790	$47,560
Grand Island, NE	$47,710	$48,060
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	$47,430	$52,680
Alexandria, LA	$46,930	$38,500
Santa Fe, NM	$46,880	$52,940

Salary by State

State	Median Annual	Mean Annual	Employment
Nebraska	$50,270	$50,760	1,070
New Jersey	$46,570	$52,770	17,990
California	$45,880	$48,560	49,260
New York	$45,580	$50,050	25,180
District of Columbia	$45,090	$59,420	2,770
Massachusetts	$45,030	$48,630	15,380
Hawaii	$44,780	$45,700	1,370
Vermont	$44,760	$46,490	1,480
North Dakota	$43,990	$43,580	570
Colorado	$43,890	$50,020	5,970
Washington	$43,350	$44,670	13,020
Kansas	$43,200	$43,110	1,570
Connecticut	$43,160	$48,570	6,190
Virgin Islands	$42,820	$38,040	80
Georgia	$42,330	$45,760	11,230
Oregon	$39,360	$43,580	6,740
Minnesota	$38,650	$43,340	10,830
Maryland	$38,560	$45,990	7,960
Oklahoma	$37,970	$40,150	5,230
New Mexico	$37,900	$47,120	2,460
Alaska	$37,820	$48,000	560
New Hampshire	$37,500	$39,660	2,340
Virginia	$37,320	$42,300	12,030
Illinois	$37,220	$41,500	20,290
Maine	$37,070	$40,780	1,430
Michigan	$36,720	$39,070	10,790
Louisiana	$36,390	$39,940	2,730
Rhode Island	$36,040	$38,400	1,470
Tennessee	$35,980	$41,080	4,890
Nevada	$35,970	$38,510	2,570
Montana	$35,590	$36,770	1,100
Indiana	$35,320	$36,570	6,830
Arizona	$35,240	$37,250	9,500
Missouri	$35,120	$38,230	5,980
Wisconsin	$34,950	$34,670	11,790
Florida	$34,270	$34,830	34,940
Pennsylvania	$34,250	$35,250	23,190
Utah	$34,210	$36,080	4,230
Texas	$33,860	$38,280	31,480
South Dakota	$33,350	$35,250	1,340
South Carolina	$33,260	$37,960	3,270
Ohio	$32,760	$35,060	18,840
Delaware	$31,380	$33,590	2,090
North Carolina	$30,980	$33,620	16,820
Puerto Rico	$30,170	$32,310	3,200
Arkansas	$30,050	$37,000	2,560
Kentucky	$29,980	$35,240	6,780
Iowa	$29,790	$34,190	5,570
West Virginia	$29,610	$35,160	2,380
Wyoming	$29,250	$33,660	740
Idaho	$28,330	$33,680	560
Alabama	$27,630	$30,920	6,610
Mississippi	$26,620	$29,720	3,130
Guam	$21,750	$23,410	130

Salary by Industry

National median wage for Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education broken down by industry sector, 2024 data.

Industry	Median Annual	Employment
Local Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)	$58,810	57,640
Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation)	$58,340	60,420
Junior Colleges	$56,260	850
Educational Services	$50,710	84,390
Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals	$48,760	—
State Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)	$48,130	2,780
Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services	$46,120	—
Administrative and Support Services	$46,120	—
Employment Services	$46,120	—
Temporary Help Services	$46,120	—
Outpatient Care Centers	$45,860	340
Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Facilities	$45,740	160
Residential Mental Health and Substance Abuse Facilities	$45,740	90
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools	$45,080	970
Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences	$44,830	40
Religious Organizations	$44,200	9,610
Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation)	$43,310	5,500
Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation)	$43,310	5,500
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)	$43,300	5,480
Individual and Family Services	$42,910	12,080
Elementary and Secondary Schools	$42,850	23,820
Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services	$42,640	820
Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations	$42,340	17,310
Other Services (except Public Administration)	$42,340	17,310
Offices of Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapists, and Audiologists	$42,070	220
Ambulatory Health Care Services	$42,070	600
Offices of Other Health Practitioners	$42,030	250
Grantmaking and Giving Services	$41,970	310
Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities	$41,470	990
Hospitals	$40,960	1,260
Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly	$40,920	150
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	$40,660	1,170
Nursing and Residential Care Facilities	$40,350	760
Management of Companies and Enterprises	$40,300	600
Management of Companies and Enterprises	$40,300	600
Management of Companies and Enterprises	$40,300	600
Social Advocacy Organizations	$40,040	2,320
Educational Services	$39,940	29,500
Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers	$39,890	190
Civic and Social Organizations	$39,550	5,050
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	$39,130	60
Scientific Research and Development Services	$39,130	60
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	$39,130	60
Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions	$38,200	410
Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions	$38,200	410
Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability Facilities	$38,120	60
Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities)	$38,030	110
Other Residential Care Facilities	$37,380	350
Cross-industry, Private Ownership only	$36,470	384,650
Health Care and Social Assistance	$36,180	332,580
Social Assistance	$36,160	329,890
Child Care Services	$36,060	316,820
Vocational Rehabilitation Services	$35,810	170
Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation	$35,710	2,370
Other Schools and Instruction	$35,360	3,500
Educational Support Services	$35,090	1,170
Other Amusement and Recreation Industries	$33,830	1,960
Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries	$33,830	1,960
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers	$33,670	1,720

National Wage Trend

View data table

Year	Median Annual	Mean Annual	Employment
2024	$37,120	$41,450	445,080
2023	$37,130	$41,410	430,240
2022	$35,330	$38,640	415,360
2021	$30,210	$36,460	391,670
2020	$31,930	$36,550	370,940
2019	$30,520	$34,650	431,350
2018	$29,780	$34,410	424,520
2017	$28,990	$33,590	409,740
2016	$28,790	$33,300	385,550
2015	$28,570	$32,500	370,190
2014	$28,120	$32,040	352,420