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The national median salary for Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education is $37,128 per year ($17.85/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2024. The middle 50% of earners make between $31,262 and $46,550 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $60,070 per year. There are approximately 445,080 preschool teachers, except special education employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
Instruct preschool-aged students, following curricula or lesson plans, in activities designed to promote social, physical, and intellectual growth.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+4.1%
Faster than average
Annual openings
66K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
555K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
3% from new growth97% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
Associate's degree
Experience
None
On-the-job training
None
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Child Care Services
NAICS 624400
317K
$36,060
Elementary and Secondary Schools
NAICS 611100
75K
$52,810
Individual and Family Services
NAICS 624100
12K
$42,910
Religious Organizations
NAICS 813100
10K
$44,200
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999300
5K
$43,300
Wage range across top 5 industries: $36,060 to $52,810 (46% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$13.61
$28,309
P25
$15.03
$31,262
P50MEDIAN
$17.85
$37,128
P75
$22.38
$46,550
P90
$28.88
$60,070
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · professional sector
Cooling
Openings Rate
4.2%
Quits Rate
2.0%
Professional & Business Services openings tumbled 318K in March -- the largest single-sector drop in this release. Openings rate fell from 5.5% to 4.2%. Layoffs jumped to 527K (+99K). White-collar demand has cooled abruptly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average preschool teachers, except special education salary?
The national median salary for Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education is $37,128 per year ($17.85/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2024 data. The middle 50% earn between $31,262 and $46,550 annually.
How much do top-earning preschool teachers, except special education make?
The 90th percentile salary for Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education is $60,070 per year ($28.88/hr). The 75th percentile is $46,550 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for preschool teachers, except special education?
Entry-level Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education (10th percentile) earn approximately $28,309 per year ($13.61/hr). The 25th percentile is $31,262 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2024 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
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