Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education

Median salary

$38,140

Average salary

$43,030

Employment

478,780

Projected growth

4.1% growth

Annual openings

65,500

Typical entry education

Associate's degree

What Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education Do

Instruct preschool-aged students, following curricula or lesson plans, in activities designed to promote social, physical, and intellectual growth.

See full salary breakdown & percentiles →

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 2024–2034.

Related work experience: None
On-the-job training: None
Self-employed: 0.6%

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

How Much Preparation Does This Take?

Job Zone 3 of 5

Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed

Experience: Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations.
Education: Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Job training: Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.

Source: O*NET Job Zones.

Key Knowledge Areas

Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.

Education and Trainingimportance 4.0/5
English Languageimportance 3.8/5
Public Safety and Securityimportance 3.3/5
Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 3.2/5
Psychologyimportance 3.1/5
Administration and Managementimportance 2.7/5
Administrativeimportance 2.6/5
Sociology and Anthropologyimportance 2.4/5

Work Environment

What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.

Contact With Others4.8/5
Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team4.4/5
Indoors, Environmentally Controlled4.3/5
Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.3/5
Physical Proximity4.0/5
Coordinate or Lead Others in Accomplishing Work Activities3.8/5

Careers With Similar Skills

Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.

Interpreters and Translators97% skill match
Manicurists and Pedicurists97% skill match
Umpires, Referees, and Other Sports Officials96% skill match
Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education96% skill match
Musicians and Singers96% skill match
Family Medicine Physicians96% skill match
Special Education Teachers, Secondary School96% skill match
Public Safety Telecommunicators96% skill match

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

Instructingimportance 4.0/5
Social Perceptivenessimportance 3.8/5
Coordinationimportance 3.8/5
Service Orientationimportance 3.6/5
Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.1/5
Persuasionimportance 3.0/5
Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.0/5
Time Managementimportance 3.0/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Hot Technologies

Other Software Used

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

Cooperation
Dependability
Empathy
Optimism
Social Orientation
Sincerity
Integrity

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

SocialHigh
ArtisticMedium
ConventionalMedium
RealisticLow
InvestigativeLow
EnterprisingLow

This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

Where This Career Is Most Concentrated

Metro areas where preschool teachers, except special education make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).

1Hinesville, GA2.40× national avg
2Auburn-Opelika, AL2.25× national avg
3Albany, GA2.22× national avg
4Guayama, PR2.14× national avg
5Sebring, FL1.97× national avg

Possible Career Moves

A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.

Special Education Teachers, Secondary SchoolAdvancement
Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special EducationAdvancement
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special EducationAdvancement
Special Education Teachers, PreschoolAdvancement

See the full career path from Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education →

Related Education Programs

Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.