Kindergarten Teachers
O*NET title: Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education
Also called: Kindergarten Teachers
Teach academic and social skills to kindergarten students.
Also called: Art Teacher, Bilingual Education Teacher, Bilingual Kindergarten Teacher, Classroom Teacher, Early Childhood Teacher, Educator
Median pay
$62,680
per year, U.S.
Pay range (10th–90th)
$46,990 – $101,830
People employed
108,870
Holland code
SAC
Social · Artistic · Conventional
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Is this career right for you?
These are the things that stand out in this job compared with other U.S. jobs (O*NET 31.0 work context). Answer honestly.
- 1.Do you want variety, with new tasks often?
- 2.Do you want the same hours every week?
- 3.Do you enjoy serving customers or the public?
- 4.Are you OK working more than 40 hours a week?
- 5.Do you want to lead or coordinate other people’s work?
- 6.Are you OK being on your feet and moving most of the day?
The hard parts
- Long hours on your feet
- Tight deadlines are common
- Exposure to disease or infection
Kindergarten Teachers pay by state
Highest-paying states
Annual median pay by state (49 states and DC with published data). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
What kindergarten teachers do
- 01Establish and enforce rules for behavior and policies and procedures to maintain order among students.
- 02Prepare children for later grades by encouraging them to explore learning opportunities and to persevere with challenging tasks.
- 03Instruct students individually and in groups, adapting teaching methods to meet students' varying needs and interests.
- 04Teach basic skills, such as color, shape, number and letter recognition, personal hygiene, and social skills.
- 05Demonstrate activities to children.
- 06Read books to entire classes or to small groups.
Skills that matter most
- Monitoring
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Learning Strategies
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Learning
Knowledge
- Education and Training
- English Language
- Psychology
- Mathematics
- Customer and Personal Service
Work styles that stand out
- Dependability
- Integrity
- Cooperation
- Social Orientation
- Self-Control
Education and first steps
Share of workers by required education, as reported to O*NET.
How people get started
- Usually needs a bachelor's degree (O*NET Job Zone 4).
- Related work experience: none.
- On-the-job training: over 6 months, up to and including 1 year.
- A professional certification is often expected.
Most common answers from O*NET 31.0 Education, Training and Experience.
Interest fit (Holland code)
O*NET occupational interest scores, scale 1–7. Take the Free Career Test to compare with your own.
Career changes
Change from kindergarten teachers
- Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors91% · −2%
- Instructional Coordinators79% · +24%
- Education Teachers, Postsecondary78% · +20%
- Child, Family, and School Social Workers78% · −5%
- Recreational Therapists77% · −1%
Change into kindergarten teachers
Jobs whose skills carry over best (skill match, their median pay).
- Substitute Teachers, Short-Term94% · $41,670
- Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors91% · $61,540
- Tutors80% · $43,350
- Child, Family, and School Social Workers78% · $59,550
- Self-Enrichment Teachers78% · $46,800
Majors that lead here
- Bilingual and Multilingual Education
- Teacher Education, Multiple Levels
- Montessori Teacher Education
- Waldorf/Steiner Teacher Education
- Kindergarten/Preschool Education and Teaching
- Early Childhood Education and Teaching
- International Teaching and Learning
- Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language/ESL Language Instructor
- Teaching French as a Second or Foreign Language
- Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language, Other
From the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk.