25 Series · SOC 25-2011
Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education Salary
National pay, percentile range, growth outlook, and state-by-state detail from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey (May 2025).
- $38,140
- Median / year
- +2.7%
- 2024→2025
- $61,390
- Top 10% earn
- +4.1%
- Growth '24–'34
- 478,780
- Estimated US jobs
Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education earn a median of $38,140 per year.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, the median annual wage is $38,140, based on the most recent survey of employers. Reported pay ranges from $28,990 (10th percentile) to $61,390 (90th percentile) nationally, across roughly 478,780 estimated jobs in covered establishments. The highest published state median in this ranking is District of Columbia ($62,150).
The pay verdict
Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education earn a median of $38,140, putting them among the lower-paid US occupations and higher than 9% of the 825 occupations with a published BLS median. Within Educational Instruction and Library, it ranks #63 of 64 by median pay. Employment is projected to grow 4.1% by 2034.
- $38,140
- Median annual wage
- Top 91%
- of 825 US occupations with published wages
- #63 of 64
- in Educational Instruction and Library
- 2.1×
- 90th-to-10th pay spread
Highest-paying state: District of Columbia at $62,150. Typical entry-level education: Associate's degree.
Observed pay change
What changed, BLS OEWS 2019–2025
- The published national median for Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education moved from $30,520 in May 2019 to $38,140 in May 2025 (+25.0%).
- Across the 749 occupations priced in both releases under SOC-2018, the median occupation changed +24.5%.
- Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education sits +0.5 pp near that median, nominal dollars, no price deflator applied.
Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education (SOC 25-2011) has a national median of $38,140 per year in the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025 release. The published 10th-to-90th-percentile boundaries run from $28,990 to $61,390, and the published mean is $43,030. Those summary statistics describe the estimated distribution; their difference alone does not identify its cause. OEWS estimates 478,780 jobs in covered establishments nationally. WageDex has published rows for 54 state or territory areas and 518 metropolitan or nonmetropolitan wage areas. The published national median moved from $37,120 in the May 2024 OEWS release to $38,140 in May 2025, a rise of $1,020 (+2.7%). This is a change between two BLS survey estimates, not an inflation-adjusted same-worker pay raise.
BLS Employment Projections forecast a +4.1% change in employment from 2024 to 2034, which we classify as about as fast as average relative to the all-occupations baseline of 3.1%. About 65,500 openings are projected per year from growth, occupational transfers, and labor-force exits. BLS assigns Associate's degree as typical education needed for entry. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific fatality and injury rate for this role in the current release. The safety panel below shows its broad Educational Instruction and Library Occupations SOC-group context and is not an occupation-level measurement or ranking.
Geographic variation matters as much as the headline median. District of Columbia pays the highest state median at $62,150, which is +63% above the national figure. The highest published metropolitan-area median in this ranking is Vineland, NJ at $63,340. The observed difference does not identify its cause. Pair the national median with the state and metropolitan-area rows below while keeping the geography and statistic consistent. OEWS includes tips, commissions, incentive pay, and production bonuses, but not employer benefits, overtime premiums, stock compensation, or nonproduction bonuses. See our methodology for the sourcing and calculation details.
Median Salary
$38,140
per year
Median Hourly
$18.34/hr
per hour
Mean Salary
$43,030
average
Employment
478,780
jobs nationwide
How does this pay compare nationally?
Where Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education pay sits nationally
Median annual wage vs. 825 detailed BLS occupations with a published median
$38,140 Bottom 9% higher than 9% of 825 US occupations
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Read the chart as text · as of May 2025
| Band | Count | Share |
|---|---|---|
| $0–$20,000 | 0 US occupations | 0% |
| $20,000–$40,000 (this entry) | 98 US occupations | 12% |
| $40,000–$60,000 | 298 US occupations | 36% |
| $60,000–$80,000 | 209 US occupations | 25% |
| $80,000–$100,000 | 82 US occupations | 10% |
| $100,000–$120,000 | 58 US occupations | 7% |
| $120,000–$140,000 | 32 US occupations | 4% |
| $140,000–$160,000 | 14 US occupations | 2% |
| $160,000–$180,000 | 9 US occupations | 1% |
| $180,000 and above | 25 US occupations | 3% |
$38,140 · 9th percentile of 825 US occupations
Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · May 2025
Does this job pay well and grow?
Each dot is a 25-series occupation, placed by projected 2024–2034 growth and median pay. The highlighted dot is Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education; the upper-right quadrant is the sweet spot (high pay + fast growth).
Read the chart as text
- Teaching Assistants,…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -1.5%, Median annual wage $36780
- Elementary School Te…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -2%, Median annual wage $63970
- Secondary School Tea…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -1.6%, Median annual wage $72040
- Middle School Teache…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -2%, Median annual wage $64370
- Substitute Teachers,…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 1.6%, Median annual wage $41670
- Preschool Teachers, …: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4.1%, Median annual wage $38140
- Self-Enrichment Teac…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.7%, Median annual wage $46800
- Special Education Te…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -1.8%, Median annual wage $65120
- Instructional Coordi…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 1.3%, Median annual wage $77440
- Health Specialties T…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 17.3%, Median annual wage $107310
- Tutors: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 0.6%, Median annual wage $43350
- Teaching Assistants,…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.1%, Median annual wage $42910
- Special Education Te…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -1.6%, Median annual wage $74260
- Postsecondary Teache…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 1.8%, Median annual wage $77640
- Librarians and Media…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 1.7%, Median annual wage $68270
- Educational Instruct…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 1.5%, Median annual wage $50890
- Career/Technical Edu…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 0.7%, Median annual wage $63820
- Teachers and Instruc…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -0.1%, Median annual wage $66140
- Career/Technical Edu…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -1.8%, Median annual wage $66270
- Kindergarten Teacher…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -1.6%, Median annual wage $62680
- Special Education Te…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -1.9%, Median annual wage $66810
- Art, Drama, and Musi…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 1.7%, Median annual wage $78620
- Business Teachers, P…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 5.7%, Median annual wage $99080
- Nursing Instructors …: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 16.8%, Median annual wage $80250
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS (wages, May 2025) and Employment Projections (2024–2034).
Job Outlook (2024–2034)
Projected Growth
+4.1%
About as fast as average
Annual Openings
65,500
per year (projected)
Employment Change
+22,900
555,100 (2024) → 578,100 (2034)
Typical Education
Associate's degree
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034
Workplace Safety
All safety ratings →Educational Instruction and Library Occupations context
Broad SOC context, not an occupation grade
Fatality Rate
0.3/100K
Injury Rate
0.8/100
Danger Index
3.4/100
Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) & Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), 2023
Career Intelligence
Skills, knowledge, and tasks most important for Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education roles, ranked by importance. Source: O*NET.
Top Skills
Knowledge Areas
Key Tasks
- ▸ Teach basic skills, such as color, shape, number and letter recognition, personal hygiene, and social skills.
- ▸ Establish and enforce rules for behavior and procedures for maintaining order.
- ▸ Adapt teaching methods and instructional materials to meet students' varying needs and interests.
- ▸ Provide a variety of materials and resources for children to explore, manipulate, and use, both in learning activities and in imaginative play.
- ▸ Serve meals and snacks in accordance with nutritional guidelines.
- ▸ Attend to children's basic needs by feeding them, dressing them, and changing their diapers.
- ▸ 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.
- ▸ Organize and lead activities designed to promote physical, mental, and social development, such as games, arts and crafts, music, storytelling, and field trips.
- ▸ Identify children showing signs of emotional, developmental, or health-related problems and discuss them with supervisors, parents or guardians, and child development specialists.
- ▸ Maintain accurate and complete student records as required by laws, district policies, and administrative regulations.
Source: O*NET Online, National Center for O*NET Development. Data represents typical importance ratings for this occupation.
Salary Range
Annual Salary Distribution
Hourly Rate Distribution
Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education pay history, 2015–2025
Published national median across 11 BLS OEWS releases. Nominal dollars, not inflation-adjusted.
Read the chart as text
| Period | National median |
|---|---|
| 2015 | $28,570 |
| 2016 | $28,790 |
| 2017 | $28,990 |
| 2018 | $29,780 |
| 2019 | $30,520 |
| 2020 | $31,930 |
| 2021 | $30,210 |
| 2022 | $35,330 |
| 2023 | $37,130 |
| 2024 | $37,120 |
| 2025 | $38,140 |
2015 median
$28,570
2025 median
$38,140
2019–2025 change (same SOC)
+$7,620 (+25%)
Avg/year (same SOC)
+3.8%
| Release | Median | Change | Estimated jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2015 | $28,570 | First banked release | 370,190 |
| May 2016 | $28,790 | +0.8% | 385,550 |
| May 2017 | $28,990 | +0.7% | 409,740 |
| May 2018 | $29,780 | +2.7% | 424,520 |
| May 2019 | $30,520 | Classification break | 431,350 |
| May 2020 | $31,930 | +4.6% | 370,940 |
| May 2021 | $30,210 | -5.4% | 391,670 |
| May 2022 | $35,330 | +16.9% | 415,360 |
| May 2023 | $37,130 | +5.1% | 430,240 |
| May 2024 | $37,120 | +0.0% | 445,080 |
| May 2025 | $38,140 | +2.7% | 478,780 |
Across the 11 releases WageDex holds for this occupation, the published national median went from $28,570 in May 2015 to $38,140 in May 2025. Within the SOC-2018 classification (2019–2025), the like-for-like change averages +3.8% per year in nominal terms. Within the same SOC classification, estimated employment went from 431,350 in May 2019 to 478,780 in May 2025.
Each figure is a separate BLS survey estimate, so a change between releases reflects the estimated occupation-wide median in each year. It is not the raise any individual worker received, and it is not adjusted for inflation. Years where BLS did not publish an annual median for this occupation are omitted rather than filled in. This span also crosses a classification change: releases before May 2019 use the 2010 Standard Occupational Classification and later releases use the 2018 SOC, so figures either side of that boundary are not strictly like-for-like. Headline change rates on this page use only the same-classification subset.
Salary by State
Highest Paying States
Lowest Paying States
View all 54 states →
| # | State | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $62,150 | +63% above national |
| 2 | Vermont | $49,730 | +30% above national |
| 3 | Hawaii | $48,780 | +28% above national |
| 4 | New Jersey | $48,220 | +26% above national |
| 5 | Kansas | $47,750 | +25% above national |
| 6 | California | $47,400 | +24% above national |
| 7 | Nebraska | $47,040 | +23% above national |
| 8 | New York | $46,520 | +22% above national |
| 9 | Alaska | $46,130 | +21% above national |
| 10 | Massachusetts | $45,890 | +20% above national |
| 11 | Connecticut | $45,740 | +20% above national |
| 12 | Washington | $45,660 | +20% above national |
| 13 | Colorado | $45,500 | +19% above national |
| 14 | Oregon | $45,140 | +18% above national |
| 15 | Virgin Islands | $44,790 | +17% above national |
| 16 | Maryland | $44,600 | +17% above national |
| 17 | South Dakota | $44,500 | +17% above national |
| 18 | New Mexico | $44,070 | +16% above national |
| 19 | Georgia | $43,920 | +15% above national |
| 20 | Maine | $43,890 | +15% above national |
| 21 | Minnesota | $43,430 | +14% above national |
| 22 | Illinois | $40,910 | +7% above national |
| 23 | North Dakota | $39,720 | +4% above national |
| 24 | New Hampshire | $39,350 | +3% above national |
| 25 | Nevada | $38,870 | +2% above national |
| 26 | Louisiana | $38,020 | same as national |
| 27 | Virginia | $37,140 | 3% below national |
| 28 | Michigan | $37,110 | 3% below national |
| 29 | Rhode Island | $36,830 | 3% below national |
| 30 | Indiana | $36,650 | 4% below national |
| 31 | Montana | $36,540 | 4% below national |
| 32 | Delaware | $36,360 | 5% below national |
| 33 | Arizona | $36,300 | 5% below national |
| 34 | Mississippi | $36,250 | 5% below national |
| 35 | Wisconsin | $36,160 | 5% below national |
| 36 | Missouri | $36,090 | 5% below national |
| 37 | Pennsylvania | $36,050 | 5% below national |
| 38 | Florida | $35,860 | 6% below national |
| 39 | North Carolina | $35,710 | 6% below national |
| 40 | Ohio | $35,180 | 8% below national |
| 41 | Utah | $35,010 | 8% below national |
| 42 | South Carolina | $34,500 | 10% below national |
| 43 | Tennessee | $34,280 | 10% below national |
| 44 | Arkansas | $34,190 | 10% below national |
| 45 | Texas | $33,860 | 11% below national |
| 46 | Iowa | $33,830 | 11% below national |
| 47 | Idaho | $32,800 | 14% below national |
| 48 | West Virginia | $32,480 | 15% below national |
| 49 | Puerto Rico | $32,120 | 16% below national |
| 50 | Oklahoma | $31,790 | 17% below national |
| 51 | Wyoming | $29,930 | 22% below national |
| 52 | Kentucky | $29,780 | 22% below national |
| 53 | Alabama | $28,310 | 26% below national |
| 54 | Guam | $22,120 | 42% below national |
Salary by Metro Area
Highest Paying Metros
View all 383 metro areas →
| # | Metro Area | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vineland, NJ | $63,340 | +66% above national |
| 2 | Albany, GA | $62,680 | +64% above national |
| 3 | Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ | $59,320 | +56% above national |
| 4 | Brunswick-St. Simons, GA | $58,000 | +52% above national |
| 5 | Fairbanks-College, AK | $57,680 | +51% above national |
| 6 | Visalia, CA | $56,930 | +49% above national |
| 7 | Kahului-Wailuku, HI | $55,340 | +45% above national |
| 8 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $53,810 | +41% above national |
| 9 | Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA | $51,310 | +35% above national |
| 10 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $51,190 | +34% above national |
| 11 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $50,230 | +32% above national |
| 12 | Hinesville, GA | $49,690 | +30% above national |
| 13 | Modesto, CA | $49,500 | +30% above national |
| 14 | Manhattan, KS | $49,160 | +29% above national |
| 15 | Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $48,820 | +28% above national |
| 16 | Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | $48,510 | +27% above national |
| 17 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $48,410 | +27% above national |
| 18 | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $48,130 | +26% above national |
| 19 | Merced, CA | $48,120 | +26% above national |
| 20 | Wichita, KS | $47,920 | +26% above national |
| 21 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $47,780 | +25% above national |
| 22 | Salinas, CA | $47,280 | +24% above national |
| 23 | Barnstable Town, MA | $47,190 | +24% above national |
| 24 | Lewiston-Auburn, ME | $47,010 | +23% above national |
| 25 | Vallejo, CA | $46,960 | +23% above national |
| 26 | Rockford, IL | $46,730 | +23% above national |
| 27 | Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $46,710 | +22% above national |
| 28 | Burlington-South Burlington, VT | $46,690 | +22% above national |
| 29 | Rapid City, SD | $46,620 | +22% above national |
| 30 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $46,600 | +22% above national |
| 31 | Boulder, CO | $46,530 | +22% above national |
| 32 | Stockton-Lodi, CA | $46,470 | +22% above national |
| 33 | Santa Fe, NM | $46,400 | +22% above national |
| 34 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $46,380 | +22% above national |
| 35 | Sioux Falls, SD-MN | $46,370 | +22% above national |
| 36 | Elmira, NY | $46,320 | +21% above national |
| 37 | San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $46,200 | +21% above national |
| 38 | Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $46,120 | +21% above national |
| 39 | Dalton, GA | $46,090 | +21% above national |
| 40 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $46,030 | +21% above national |
| 41 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $46,010 | +21% above national |
| 42 | Ithaca, NY | $45,980 | +21% above national |
| 43 | Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT | $45,960 | +21% above national |
| 44 | Topeka, KS | $45,950 | +20% above national |
| 45 | Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $45,880 | +20% above national |
| 46 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $45,680 | +20% above national |
| 47 | Napa, CA | $45,660 | +20% above national |
| 48 | Lake Charles, LA | $45,480 | +19% above national |
| 49 | Amherst Town-Northampton, MA | $45,430 | +19% above national |
| 50 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $45,310 | +19% above national |
| 51 | Yuba City, CA | $45,240 | +19% above national |
| 52 | Gainesville, GA | $45,140 | +18% above national |
| 53 | Kingston, NY | $45,080 | +18% above national |
| 54 | Hanford-Corcoran, CA | $45,040 | +18% above national |
| 55 | Grants Pass, OR | $45,020 | +18% above national |
| 56 | Savannah, GA | $44,980 | +18% above national |
| 57 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $44,940 | +18% above national |
| 58 | Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $44,880 | +18% above national |
| 59 | Fresno, CA | $44,740 | +17% above national |
| 60 | Waterbury-Shelton, CT | $44,670 | +17% above national |
| 61 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $44,660 | +17% above national |
| 62 | Bend, OR | $44,610 | +17% above national |
| 63 | New Haven, CT | $44,610 | +17% above national |
| 64 | Redding, CA | $44,580 | +17% above national |
| 65 | Salisbury, MD | $44,570 | +17% above national |
| 66 | Pittsfield, MA | $44,540 | +17% above national |
| 67 | Warner Robins, GA | $44,500 | +17% above national |
| 68 | Glens Falls, NY | $44,460 | +17% above national |
| 69 | Worcester, MA | $44,460 | +17% above national |
| 70 | Omaha, NE-IA | $44,440 | +17% above national |
| 71 | Las Cruces, NM | $44,430 | +16% above national |
| 72 | El Centro, CA | $44,370 | +16% above national |
| 73 | Longview-Kelso, WA | $44,350 | +16% above national |
| 74 | Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $44,300 | +16% above national |
| 75 | Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | $44,260 | +16% above national |
| 76 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $44,250 | +16% above national |
| 77 | Medford, OR | $44,200 | +16% above national |
| 78 | Kennewick-Richland, WA | $44,180 | +16% above national |
| 79 | Chico, CA | $44,080 | +16% above national |
| 80 | Salem, OR | $44,060 | +16% above national |
| 81 | Albuquerque, NM | $44,050 | +15% above national |
| 82 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $43,960 | +15% above national |
| 83 | Eugene-Springfield, OR | $43,900 | +15% above national |
| 84 | Springfield, MA | $43,890 | +15% above national |
| 85 | Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | $43,790 | +15% above national |
| 86 | Lexington Park, MD | $43,510 | +14% above national |
| 87 | Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $43,440 | +14% above national |
| 88 | Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | $43,290 | +14% above national |
| 89 | Binghamton, NY | $43,080 | +13% above national |
| 90 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $43,050 | +13% above national |
| 91 | Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY | $43,030 | +13% above national |
| 92 | Rochester, MN | $42,750 | +12% above national |
| 93 | Decatur, IL | $42,740 | +12% above national |
| 94 | Greeley, CO | $42,640 | +12% above national |
| 95 | New Orleans-Metairie, LA | $42,570 | +12% above national |
| 96 | Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA | $42,270 | +11% above national |
| 97 | Walla Walla, WA | $41,960 | +10% above national |
| 98 | Mankato, MN | $41,820 | +10% above national |
| 99 | Yakima, WA | $41,670 | +9% above national |
| 100 | Rome, GA | $41,360 | +8% above national |
| 101 | Fargo, ND-MN | $41,170 | +8% above national |
| 102 | Colorado Springs, CO | $40,850 | +7% above national |
| 103 | Fort Smith, AR-OK | $40,710 | +7% above national |
| 104 | Corvallis, OR | $40,300 | +6% above national |
| 105 | Bozeman, MT | $40,150 | +5% above national |
| 106 | Albany, OR | $40,010 | +5% above national |
| 107 | Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | $39,990 | +5% above national |
| 108 | Utica-Rome, NY | $39,950 | +5% above national |
| 109 | Reno, NV | $39,940 | +5% above national |
| 110 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $39,870 | +5% above national |
| 111 | Bismarck, ND | $39,720 | +4% above national |
| 112 | Champaign-Urbana, IL | $39,510 | +4% above national |
| 113 | Macon-Bibb County, GA | $39,430 | +3% above national |
| 114 | Kokomo, IN | $39,400 | +3% above national |
| 115 | Bellingham, WA | $39,350 | +3% above national |
| 116 | Portland-South Portland, ME | $39,350 | +3% above national |
| 117 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $39,280 | +3% above national |
| 118 | Grand Junction, CO | $39,140 | +3% above national |
| 119 | Grand Forks, ND-MN | $39,110 | +3% above national |
| 120 | Rochester, NY | $38,890 | +2% above national |
| 121 | Pueblo, CO | $38,880 | +2% above national |
| 122 | Baton Rouge, LA | $38,840 | +2% above national |
| 123 | Syracuse, NY | $38,800 | +2% above national |
| 124 | Bangor, ME | $38,780 | +2% above national |
| 125 | Jackson, MI | $38,570 | +1% above national |
| 126 | Naples-Marco Island, FL | $38,530 | +1% above national |
| 127 | St. Cloud, MN | $38,420 | +1% above national |
| 128 | Springfield, IL | $38,300 | same as national |
| 129 | Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV | $38,290 | same as national |
| 130 | Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA | $38,100 | same as national |
| 131 | Madison, WI | $38,090 | same as national |
| 132 | Traverse City, MI | $38,070 | same as national |
| 133 | Anchorage, AK | $38,040 | same as national |
| 134 | Kankakee, IL | $38,030 | same as national |
| 135 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | $37,990 | same as national |
| 136 | Duluth, MN-WI | $37,920 | 1% below national |
| 137 | Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $37,900 | 1% below national |
| 138 | Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $37,880 | 1% below national |
| 139 | Peoria, IL | $37,850 | 1% below national |
| 140 | Manchester-Nashua, NH | $37,840 | 1% below national |
| 141 | Sioux City, IA-NE-SD | $37,840 | 1% below national |
| 142 | Lincoln, NE | $37,800 | 1% below national |
| 143 | Bloomington, IL | $37,720 | 1% below national |
| 144 | Muskegon-Norton Shores, MI | $37,710 | 1% below national |
| 145 | Winchester, VA-WV | $37,660 | 1% below national |
| 146 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $37,500 | 2% below national |
| 147 | Kansas City, MO-KS | $37,400 | 2% below national |
| 148 | Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI | $37,350 | 2% below national |
| 149 | Charlottesville, VA | $37,250 | 2% below national |
| 150 | Farmington, NM | $37,230 | 2% below national |
| 151 | Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | $37,200 | 2% below national |
| 152 | Billings, MT | $37,090 | 3% below national |
| 153 | Monroe, MI | $37,090 | 3% below national |
| 154 | Ann Arbor, MI | $37,070 | 3% below national |
| 155 | Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | $37,030 | 3% below national |
| 156 | St. Louis, MO-IL | $37,020 | 3% below national |
| 157 | Lansing-East Lansing, MI | $36,990 | 3% below national |
| 158 | Watertown-Fort Drum, NY | $36,890 | 3% below national |
| 159 | Alexandria, LA | $36,840 | 3% below national |
| 160 | Michigan City-La Porte, IN | $36,840 | 3% below national |
| 161 | Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC | $36,830 | 3% below national |
| 162 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $36,750 | 4% below national |
| 163 | Columbus, IN | $36,640 | 4% below national |
| 164 | Janesville-Beloit, WI | $36,610 | 4% below national |
| 165 | Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | $36,600 | 4% below national |
| 166 | Hammond, LA | $36,600 | 4% below national |
| 167 | Midland, MI | $36,600 | 4% below national |
| 168 | Bay City, MI | $36,570 | 4% below national |
| 169 | Elkhart-Goshen, IN | $36,570 | 4% below national |
| 170 | Saginaw, MI | $36,550 | 4% below national |
| 171 | Sheboygan, WI | $36,540 | 4% below national |
| 172 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $36,500 | 4% below national |
| 173 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $36,480 | 4% below national |
| 174 | Athens-Clarke County, GA | $36,410 | 5% below national |
| 175 | Kalamazoo-Portage, MI | $36,380 | 5% below national |
| 176 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $36,380 | 5% below national |
| 177 | Flagstaff, AZ | $36,330 | 5% below national |
| 178 | Jacksonville, FL | $36,330 | 5% below national |
| 179 | Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $36,330 | 5% below national |
| 180 | Battle Creek, MI | $36,310 | 5% below national |
| 181 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $36,270 | 5% below national |
| 182 | Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $36,250 | 5% below national |
| 183 | Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $36,240 | 5% below national |
| 184 | Racine-Mount Pleasant, WI | $36,230 | 5% below national |
| 185 | Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $36,160 | 5% below national |
| 186 | La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN | $36,150 | 5% below national |
| 187 | Green Bay, WI | $36,070 | 5% below national |
| 188 | Missoula, MT | $36,040 | 6% below national |
| 189 | Raleigh-Cary, NC | $36,030 | 6% below national |
| 190 | Jackson, TN | $35,980 | 6% below national |
| 191 | Richmond, VA | $35,980 | 6% below national |
| 192 | Valdosta, GA | $35,970 | 6% below national |
| 193 | Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC | $35,960 | 6% below national |
| 194 | North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL | $35,920 | 6% below national |
| 195 | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | $35,920 | 6% below national |
| 196 | Roanoke, VA | $35,900 | 6% below national |
| 197 | Asheville, NC | $35,890 | 6% below national |
| 198 | Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL | $35,840 | 6% below national |
| 199 | Lafayette, LA | $35,820 | 6% below national |
| 200 | Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | $35,780 | 6% below national |
| 201 | Charleston-North Charleston, SC | $35,710 | 6% below national |
| 202 | Greensboro-High Point, NC | $35,710 | 6% below national |
| 203 | Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR | $35,680 | 6% below national |
| 204 | Pittsburgh, PA | $35,650 | 7% below national |
| 205 | Fond du Lac, WI | $35,630 | 7% below national |
| 206 | Mayaguez, PR | $35,620 | 7% below national |
| 207 | Fort Wayne, IN | $35,610 | 7% below national |
| 208 | Guayama, PR | $35,600 | 7% below national |
| 209 | Hot Springs, AR | $35,600 | 7% below national |
| 210 | Port St. Lucie, FL | $35,600 | 7% below national |
| 211 | Shreveport-Bossier City, LA | $35,590 | 7% below national |
| 212 | Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $35,540 | 7% below national |
| 213 | Lawrence, KS | $35,530 | 7% below national |
| 214 | Cleveland, OH | $35,520 | 7% below national |
| 215 | Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN | $35,490 | 7% below national |
| 216 | Parkersburg-Vienna, WV | $35,470 | 7% below national |
| 217 | Tucson, AZ | $35,470 | 7% below national |
| 218 | Monroe, LA | $35,450 | 7% below national |
| 219 | Helena, MT | $35,440 | 7% below national |
| 220 | Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $35,430 | 7% below national |
| 221 | Bloomington, IN | $35,400 | 7% below national |
| 222 | Columbus, OH | $35,370 | 7% below national |
| 223 | Punta Gorda, FL | $35,340 | 7% below national |
| 224 | Prescott Valley-Prescott, AZ | $35,320 | 7% below national |
| 225 | Evansville, IN | $35,280 | 7% below national |
| 226 | Eau Claire, WI | $35,270 | 8% below national |
| 227 | Great Falls, MT | $35,270 | 8% below national |
| 228 | Lancaster, PA | $35,240 | 8% below national |
| 229 | Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL | $35,230 | 8% below national |
| 230 | South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI | $35,210 | 8% below national |
| 231 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $35,190 | 8% below national |
| 232 | Gainesville, FL | $35,150 | 8% below national |
| 233 | St. Joseph, MO-KS | $35,150 | 8% below national |
| 234 | Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | $35,130 | 8% below national |
| 235 | Midland, TX | $35,100 | 8% below national |
| 236 | Wildwood-The Villages, FL | $35,060 | 8% below national |
| 237 | Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH | $35,050 | 8% below national |
| 238 | Niles, MI | $35,050 | 8% below national |
| 239 | York-Hanover, PA | $35,050 | 8% below national |
| 240 | Columbus, GA-AL | $35,030 | 8% below national |
| 241 | Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor, FL | $35,030 | 8% below national |
| 242 | Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT | $34,950 | 8% below national |
| 243 | Yuma, AZ | $34,950 | 8% below national |
| 244 | Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | $34,890 | 9% below national |
| 245 | Cedar Rapids, IA | $34,880 | 9% below national |
| 246 | Wilmington, NC | $34,880 | 9% below national |
| 247 | Reading, PA | $34,870 | 9% below national |
| 248 | Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC | $34,860 | 9% below national |
| 249 | Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL | $34,840 | 9% below national |
| 250 | Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA | $34,810 | 9% below national |
| 251 | Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL | $34,780 | 9% below national |
| 252 | Harrisonburg, VA | $34,740 | 9% below national |
| 253 | Kenosha, WI | $34,740 | 9% below national |
| 254 | Lewiston, ID-WA | $34,680 | 9% below national |
| 255 | Dover, DE | $34,620 | 9% below national |
| 256 | Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC | $34,620 | 9% below national |
| 257 | Chattanooga, TN-GA | $34,600 | 9% below national |
| 258 | Lebanon, PA | $34,530 | 9% below national |
| 259 | Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $34,510 | 10% below national |
| 260 | Appleton, WI | $34,500 | 10% below national |
| 261 | Akron, OH | $34,490 | 10% below national |
| 262 | Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA | $34,490 | 10% below national |
| 263 | State College, PA | $34,440 | 10% below national |
| 264 | Ogden, UT | $34,400 | 10% below national |
| 265 | Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $34,360 | 10% below national |
| 266 | Jonesboro, AR | $34,340 | 10% below national |
| 267 | Elizabethtown, KY | $34,290 | 10% below national |
| 268 | Spartanburg, SC | $34,290 | 10% below national |
| 269 | San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $34,210 | 10% below national |
| 270 | Williamsport, PA | $34,210 | 10% below national |
| 271 | Altoona, PA | $34,180 | 10% below national |
| 272 | Winston-Salem, NC | $34,180 | 10% below national |
| 273 | Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR | $34,080 | 11% below national |
| 274 | Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL | $34,000 | 11% below national |
| 275 | Columbia, MO | $33,990 | 11% below national |
| 276 | Terre Haute, IN | $33,980 | 11% below national |
| 277 | Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ | $33,930 | 11% below national |
| 278 | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $33,860 | 11% below national |
| 279 | Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $33,850 | 11% below national |
| 280 | St. George, UT | $33,810 | 11% below national |
| 281 | Beckley, WV | $33,800 | 11% below national |
| 282 | Gettysburg, PA | $33,720 | 12% below national |
| 283 | Burlington, NC | $33,680 | 12% below national |
| 284 | Sandusky, OH | $33,630 | 12% below national |
| 285 | Tallahassee, FL | $33,600 | 12% below national |
| 286 | Erie, PA | $33,580 | 12% below national |
| 287 | Toledo, OH | $33,580 | 12% below national |
| 288 | Ocala, FL | $33,520 | 12% below national |
| 289 | Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL | $33,500 | 12% below national |
| 290 | Lima, OH | $33,480 | 12% below national |
| 291 | Springfield, OH | $33,410 | 12% below national |
| 292 | Chambersburg, PA | $33,350 | 13% below national |
| 293 | Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ | $33,340 | 13% below national |
| 294 | Logan, UT-ID | $33,270 | 13% below national |
| 295 | Fayetteville, NC | $33,260 | 13% below national |
| 296 | Jefferson City, MO | $33,190 | 13% below national |
| 297 | Greenville, NC | $33,130 | 13% below national |
| 298 | Homosassa Springs, FL | $33,110 | 13% below national |
| 299 | Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC | $33,100 | 13% below national |
| 300 | Sebring, FL | $33,000 | 13% below national |
| 301 | Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | $32,970 | 14% below national |
| 302 | Arecibo, PR | $32,740 | 14% below national |
| 303 | Wheeling, WV-OH | $32,700 | 14% below national |
| 304 | Boise City, ID | $32,660 | 14% below national |
| 305 | Wausau, WI | $32,520 | 15% below national |
| 306 | Charleston, WV | $32,450 | 15% below national |
| 307 | Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX | $32,270 | 15% below national |
| 308 | Tulsa, OK | $32,130 | 16% below national |
| 309 | San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR | $32,120 | 16% below national |
| 310 | Ponce, PR | $31,790 | 17% below national |
| 311 | Flint, MI | $31,760 | 17% below national |
| 312 | Florence, SC | $31,600 | 17% below national |
| 313 | Columbia, SC | $31,510 | 17% below national |
| 314 | Oshkosh-Neenah, WI | $31,450 | 18% below national |
| 315 | Joplin, MO-KS | $31,330 | 18% below national |
| 316 | Jacksonville, NC | $31,320 | 18% below national |
| 317 | Oklahoma City, OK | $31,300 | 18% below national |
| 318 | Killeen-Temple, TX | $31,280 | 18% below national |
| 319 | Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA | $31,200 | 18% below national |
| 320 | Dubuque, IA | $31,130 | 18% below national |
| 321 | Minot, ND | $31,000 | 19% below national |
| 322 | Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH | $30,850 | 19% below national |
| 323 | Iowa City, IA | $30,720 | 19% below national |
| 324 | Muncie, IN | $30,700 | 20% below national |
| 325 | Ames, IA | $30,590 | 20% below national |
| 326 | Idaho Falls, ID | $30,550 | 20% below national |
| 327 | Wichita Falls, TX | $30,480 | 20% below national |
| 328 | Morgantown, WV | $30,420 | 20% below national |
| 329 | Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA | $30,420 | 20% below national |
| 330 | Springfield, MO | $30,410 | 20% below national |
| 331 | Johnstown, PA | $30,380 | 20% below national |
| 332 | Rocky Mount, NC | $30,280 | 21% below national |
| 333 | Odessa, TX | $30,250 | 21% below national |
| 334 | Lynchburg, VA | $30,070 | 21% below national |
| 335 | Twin Falls, ID | $30,060 | 21% below national |
| 336 | Goldsboro, NC | $30,050 | 21% below national |
| 337 | El Paso, TX | $30,030 | 21% below national |
| 338 | Cape Girardeau, MO-IL | $29,830 | 22% below national |
| 339 | Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH | $29,790 | 22% below national |
| 340 | Amarillo, TX | $29,700 | 22% below national |
| 341 | McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX | $29,700 | 22% below national |
| 342 | Waco, TX | $29,660 | 22% below national |
| 343 | Canton-Massillon, OH | $29,530 | 23% below national |
| 344 | Knoxville, TN | $29,500 | 23% below national |
| 345 | Corpus Christi, TX | $29,490 | 23% below national |
| 346 | Longview, TX | $29,480 | 23% below national |
| 347 | Youngstown-Warren, OH | $29,450 | 23% below national |
| 348 | Tyler, TX | $29,410 | 23% below national |
| 349 | Sherman-Denison, TX | $29,390 | 23% below national |
| 350 | Johnson City, TN | $29,370 | 23% below national |
| 351 | Lexington-Fayette, KY | $29,370 | 23% below national |
| 352 | Laredo, TX | $29,310 | 23% below national |
| 353 | Casper, WY | $29,250 | 23% below national |
| 354 | Texarkana, TX-AR | $29,210 | 23% below national |
| 355 | Abilene, TX | $29,190 | 23% below national |
| 356 | Mobile, AL | $29,090 | 24% below national |
| 357 | Gulfport-Biloxi, MS | $29,070 | 24% below national |
| 358 | Brownsville-Harlingen, TX | $29,010 | 24% below national |
| 359 | Jackson, MS | $29,000 | 24% below national |
| 360 | College Station-Bryan, TX | $28,990 | 24% below national |
| 361 | Victoria, TX | $28,950 | 24% below national |
| 362 | Lubbock, TX | $28,860 | 24% below national |
| 363 | Hattiesburg, MS | $28,830 | 24% below national |
| 364 | Huntsville, AL | $28,760 | 25% below national |
| 365 | Tuscaloosa, AL | $28,630 | 25% below national |
| 366 | Mansfield, OH | $28,620 | 25% below national |
| 367 | Birmingham, AL | $28,540 | 25% below national |
| 368 | Montgomery, AL | $28,540 | 25% below national |
| 369 | Auburn-Opelika, AL | $28,490 | 25% below national |
| 370 | Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL | $28,480 | 25% below national |
| 371 | Aguadilla, PR | $28,430 | 25% below national |
| 372 | Lawton, OK | $28,390 | 26% below national |
| 373 | Clarksville, TN-KY | $28,320 | 26% below national |
| 374 | Cheyenne, WY | $28,290 | 26% below national |
| 375 | Cleveland, TN | $28,130 | 26% below national |
| 376 | Owensboro, KY | $28,110 | 26% below national |
| 377 | Bowling Green, KY | $28,040 | 26% below national |
| 378 | Paducah, KY-IL | $28,010 | 27% below national |
| 379 | Enid, OK | $27,910 | 27% below national |
| 380 | Anniston-Oxford, AL | $27,780 | 27% below national |
| 381 | Dothan, AL | $27,700 | 27% below national |
| 382 | Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL | $27,660 | 27% below national |
| 383 | Gadsden, AL | $25,290 | 34% below national |
Same SOC major group
Other detailed occupations in SOC major group 25 (Educational Instruction and Library Occupations) - category peers, not a pay match.
Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors
SOC 25-3011
Agricultural Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary
SOC 25-1041
Anthropology and Archeology Teachers, Postsecondary
SOC 25-1061
Architecture Teachers, Postsecondary
SOC 25-1031
Archivists
SOC 25-4011
Showing 5 of 63 detailed occupations BLS assigns to this SOC major group.
Nationwide occupations with similar pay or employment scale
Two OEWS peer sets outside this SOC major group (Educational Instruction and Library Occupations). Same-category cards above stay inside the group; these neighborhoods are cross-group nearest neighbors on national median pay ($38,140 here) and reported employment (478,780 jobs here).
Similar median pay
Nearest other detailed occupations by BLS OEWS national median annual wage.
Similar employment scale
Nearest headcount peers (floor 1,000 national jobs), distinct from the pay column.
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on BLS OEWS national median annual wage and reported employment. Employment peers exclude occupations already listed in the pay column so the two link sets stay distinct.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education make? ▼
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What to do with this data
How to use Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education pay figures in a real decision
- The 75th-percentile wage is about $47,550/year. Treat it as the upper-quartile market boundary, not an automatic target for experience alone; role scope, location, industry, credentials, performance, and employer context still need separate evidence. Salary calculator
- Location moves pay significantly: District of Columbia leads at $62,150/year for this role. Weigh state pay against local cost of living before relocating or negotiating remote. Pay by state
- Compare this occupation against similar roles before you decide, so you are reading the pay band in context rather than in isolation. Compare jobs
These are BLS survey estimates for the occupation, not a salary offer or a prediction for any individual. Your pay depends on experience, employer, exact role, and location.
Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Occupation wages use BLS OEWS May 2025; outlook uses BLS Employment Projections for 2024–2034; safety, skills, knowledge, and task panels identify their BLS or O*NET sources in context. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. Actual pay for a specific role, employer, or offer may differ from these national/state figures, consult a qualified career counselor, recruiter, or financial advisor before making decisions based on this data.