Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education
Instruct preschool-aged students, following curricula or lesson plans, in activities designed to promote social, physical, and intellectual growth.
- Median pay
- $38,140
- Doing it now
- 583,200
- By 2035
- Up 4.5%
- Usually needs
- Associate's degree
a year
across the country
66,700 openings a year
to get in
What the work involves
- Provide a variety of materials and resources for children to explore, manipulate, and use, both in learning activities and in imaginative play.
- Attend to children's basic needs by feeding them, dressing them, and changing their diapers.
- 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.
- Read books to entire classes or to small groups.
- Organize and lead activities designed to promote physical, mental, and social development, such as games, arts and crafts, music, storytelling, and field trips.
- Observe and evaluate children's performance, behavior, social development, and physical health.
What to study
The fields of study the Department of Education links to this occupation, most widely taught first.
- Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsSee 1,219 colleges that teach it
- Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural EducationSee 41 colleges that teach it
- Human Development, Family Studies, and Related ServicesSee 335 colleges that teach it
- Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign LanguageSee 106 colleges that teach it
Who it suits
O*NET scores every occupation on six interest dimensions. This one leans hardest on these three.
Helping and teaching
Creative and expressive
Organised and precise
Careers like this one
- Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education$63,970
- Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$72,040
- Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$64,370
- Childcare Workers$34,980
- Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education$62,680
- Self-Enrichment Teachers$46,800
Where this comes from: the description and the task list are O*NET, which the Department of Labor maintains. Pay, workforce size, outlook and the education normally needed are the Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections programme, 2025 wages and 2025 to 2035 projections. Half of them earn more than $38,140 a year, which means half earn less, and what you would earn depends on where you work and how long you have been doing it. The fields of study come from the National Center for Education Statistics crosswalk.