What is a Preschool Teacher?
Preschool Teacher Example Instruct preschool-aged children in activities designed to promote social, physical, and intellectual growth needed for primary school in preschool, day care center, or other child development facility. May be required to hold State certification.
Daily Life Of a Preschool Teacher
- Provide disabled students with assistive devices, supportive technology, and assistance accessing facilities, such as restrooms.
- Identify children showing signs of emotional, developmental, or health-related problems and discuss them with supervisors, parents or guardians, and child development specialists.
- Establish and enforce rules for behavior and procedures for maintaining order.
- Attend professional meetings, educational conferences, and teacher training workshops to maintain and improve professional competence.
- Teach basic skills, such as color, shape, number and letter recognition, personal hygiene, and social skills.
- Assimilate arriving children to the school environment by greeting them, helping them remove outerwear, and selecting activities of interest to them.
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What a Preschool Teacher Should Know
Preschool Teachers state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work.
Instructing: Teaching others how to do something.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Learning Strategies: Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Related Job Titles for this Occupation:
- Bilingual Instructor
- Teacher Aide
- Child Development Teacher
- Childcare Provider
- Child Development Associate Teacher (CDA Teacher)
Job Demand for Preschool Teachers
There were about 478,500 jobs for Preschool Teacher in 2016 (in the United States). New jobs are being produced at a rate of 10.5% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 50,100 new jobs for Preschool Teacher by 2026. The BLS estimates 53,600 yearly job openings in this field.

The states with the most job growth for Preschool Teacher are Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. Watch out if you plan on working in Maine, Wyoming, or Rhode Island. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
What is the Average Salary of a Preschool Teacher
Preschool Teachers make between $20,610 and $55,350 a year.

Preschool Teachers who work in New York, Hawaii, or District of Columbia, make the highest salaries.
Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Preschool Teachers in different U.S. states.
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $24,800 |
Alaska | $36,210 |
Arizona | $31,010 |
Arkansas | $33,150 |
California | $37,850 |
Colorado | $33,140 |
Connecticut | $43,350 |
Delaware | $28,910 |
District of Columbia | $42,060 |
Florida | $27,990 |
Georgia | $30,910 |
Hawaii | $39,560 |
Idaho | $26,000 |
Illinois | $31,500 |
Indiana | $27,250 |
Iowa | $27,030 |
Kansas | $31,560 |
Kentucky | $33,650 |
Louisiana | $32,290 |
Maine | $35,560 |
Maryland | $38,440 |
Massachusetts | $39,180 |
Michigan | $35,010 |
Minnesota | $37,500 |
Mississippi | $27,940 |
Missouri | $30,440 |
Montana | $31,160 |
Nebraska | $37,980 |
Nevada | $32,540 |
New Hampshire | $30,860 |
New Jersey | $40,880 |
New Mexico | $34,100 |
New York | $48,630 |
North Carolina | $28,260 |
North Dakota | $28,220 |
Ohio | $29,020 |
Oklahoma | $29,310 |
Oregon | $30,400 |
Pennsylvania | $29,250 |
Rhode Island | $32,400 |
South Carolina | $28,940 |
South Dakota | $30,860 |
Tennessee | $32,630 |
Texas | $34,960 |
Utah | $29,700 |
Vermont | $34,290 |
Virginia | $37,880 |
Washington | $32,960 |
West Virginia | $32,560 |
Wisconsin | $26,550 |
Wyoming | $32,610 |
Tools & Technologies Used by Preschool Teachers
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Preschool Teachers:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Data entry software
- Email software
- Children’s educational software
How to Become a Preschool Teacher
What kind of Preschool Teacher requirements are there?

How many years of work experience do I need?

Who Employs Preschool Teachers?

Below are examples of industries where Preschool Teachers work:

Similar Careers
Career changers with experience as a Preschool Teacher sometimes find work in one of the following fields:
References:
Image Credit: Vgrigas via Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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