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Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education

Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education: Job Description

Teach academic and social skills to kindergarten students.

The Daily Work of Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education Do?

The day-to-day responsibilities of kindergarten teachers, except special education span:

  • Establish and enforce rules for behavior and policies and procedures to maintain order among students.
  • Prepare children for later grades by encouraging them to explore learning opportunities and to persevere with challenging tasks.
  • Instruct students individually and in groups, adapting teaching methods to meet students' varying needs and interests.
  • Teach basic skills, such as color, shape, number and letter recognition, personal hygiene, and social skills.
  • Demonstrate activities to children.
  • Read books to entire classes or to small groups.
  • Guide and counsel students with adjustment or academic problems or special academic interests.
  • Observe and evaluate children's performance, behavior, social development, and physical health.

Skills and Knowledge

Effective kindergarten teachers, except special education draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.

Top Skills

The abilities that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Instructing  4.1 / 5
0
5
Social Perceptiveness  4.1 / 5
0
5
Learning Strategies  4.0 / 5
0
5
Active Listening  4.0 / 5
0
5
Speaking  4.0 / 5
0
5
Monitoring  4.0 / 5
0
5

Knowledge Areas

Education and Training  4.7 / 5
0
5
English Language  4.6 / 5
0
5
Psychology  4.0 / 5
0
5
Mathematics  3.9 / 5
0
5
Customer and Personal Service  3.5 / 5
0
5
Sociology and Anthropology  3.3 / 5
0
5

This career also goes by job titles like:

  • Art Teacher
  • Bilingual Education Teacher
  • Bilingual Kindergarten Teacher
  • Classroom Teacher
  • Early Childhood Teacher
  • Educator
  • Instructor
  • Kinder Teacher

Employment and Demand

There are about 1,421,292 kindergarten teachers, except special education working in the United States today. Employment is projected to grow by +2.6% over the projection horizon.

Forecasted number of jobs for Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education

How Much Do Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education Make?

Statistic Value
Annual median $99,352
Hourly median $47.77
10th percentile $67,065
25th percentile $83,208
75th percentile $115,495
90th percentile $131,638

Compensation varies based on experience, location, and industry.

Salary ranges for Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education

Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education Salary by State

State Annual median salary
Rhode Island $86,390
California $84,550
Washington $84,500
Connecticut $83,920
Massachusetts $82,440
District of Columbia $75,210
New York $75,110
Oregon $74,620
Maryland $70,960
New Mexico $69,690
New Jersey $69,190
Minnesota $65,970
Ohio $65,750
Alaska $65,320
Georgia $63,570
Texas $62,700
Illinois $62,650
Delaware $62,450
Virginia $62,350
Nevada $62,310
Michigan $61,740
Vermont $61,040
Wyoming $61,030
Hawaii $60,910
Pennsylvania $60,900
New Hampshire $60,530
Colorado $60,520
Utah $60,420
Idaho $60,330
Nebraska $60,310
Maine $59,470
Puerto Rico $59,440
Wisconsin $59,130
South Carolina $58,610
Kentucky $57,820
Missouri $56,990
Florida $56,870
Indiana $55,900
Iowa $55,420
West Virginia $55,170
Kansas $54,230
North Dakota $53,950
Arizona $51,780
Louisiana $51,690
Tennessee $50,410
Montana $50,340
Arkansas $50,260
North Carolina $49,080
Alabama $48,750
South Dakota $48,110
Mississippi $47,970
Oklahoma $47,250

Top-Paying U.S. Regions

Earnings for kindergarten teachers, except special education shift depending on where you work. Top regions by median wage:

Region Median annual wage Share of U.S. jobs Location quotient
Far Western US $81,001 12.0% 1.02
New England $76,522 4.4% 1.02
Middle Atlantic $70,687 15.4% 1.23
Great Lakes $61,552 11.0% 0.84
Other U.S. Territories $59,440 3.8% 6.55
Southwest $59,225 11.8% 1.05
Rocky Mountains $59,212 4.3% 1.43
Plains States $58,642 7.9% 1.24

Top Metro Areas

Metro area State Median annual wage Employment
Modesto, CA CA $115,930 210
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA CA $108,640 170
Merced, CA CA $106,030 130
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA CA $104,810 250
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA CA $102,610 1,170
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA CA $102,030
Salinas, CA CA $101,100 130
El Centro, CA CA $100,120 50

Industry Breakdown

The largest employers of kindergarten teachers, except special education are found across these industries:

Industry Employment Median annual wage
Educational Services 112,580 n/a
Health Care and Social Assistance 1,140 n/a
Other Services (except Public Administration) 290 n/a
Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education sectors

The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.

Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education industries

Tech Stack

  • Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
  • Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
  • Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
  • Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
  • Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)

What the Workplace Is Like

The on-the-job environment of kindergarten teachers, except special education tends to involve the following characteristics:

  • E-Mail
  • Contact With Others
  • Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
  • Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
  • Physical Proximity

How to Become Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education

Typical kindergarten teachers, except special education positions require a bachelor’s degree as the typical entry-level education. This career aligns with Considerable Preparation Needed (Job Zone 4), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.

Similar Occupations

Similar Occupations

Where to Study

Future kindergarten teachers, except special education typically earn programs in:

Education

10 programs across 3 majors

Sources

Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:

  • U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
  • BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
  • O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.

SOC code: 25-2012.00 (Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education).

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