Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education
Teach academic and social skills to kindergarten students.
Also called: Bilingual Kindergarten Teacher · Classroom Teacher · Educator · Instructor · Kinder Teacher · Kindergarten Classroom Teacher
Median pay (national)
$61,430
$45,750–$99,360 (10th–90th)
Employed (US)
114,410
BLS OEWS, May 2024
Outlook 2024–34
-1.6%
~12,800 openings/yr
Typical entry
Bachelor's degree
What the numbers say
Refit analysis ·Pay for kindergarten teachers, except special education shows a broad range: the top 10% earn $99,360 versus $45,750 at the bottom 10% — 2.2x. The median of $61,430 leaves roughly 62% of headroom to the 90th percentile, which is where seniority, specialization, and the skills below tend to pay off.
Refit analysis ·Employment is projected to change -1.6% from 2024 to 2034 — a projected decline, against +3% across all occupations. Even so, BLS projects about 12,800 openings a year, mostly to replace workers who retire or change careers.
Refit analysis ·Where you work moves the number a lot. Across the 52 states with released data, Rhode Island pays the most for this role (median $86,390, +41% vs the national median), while Oklahoma sits lowest at $47,250 — a 83% spread for the same job title.
Refit analysis ·O*NET rates Active Listening, Speaking, Learning Strategies as the highest-importance skills here — so a resume aimed at this role should lead with evidence of those, not a generic skills list.
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Top skills employers ask for
Ranked by O*NET importance for this occupation.
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Learning Strategies
- Monitoring
- Reading Comprehension
- Writing
- Critical Thinking
- Active Learning
- Mathematics
- Science
What they actually do
Core O*NET tasks for this role.
- 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.
- 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.
- Identify children showing signs of emotional, developmental, or health-related problems and discuss them with supervisors, parents or guardians, and child development specialists.
- Establish clear objectives for all lessons, units, and projects and communicate those objectives to children.
- Confer with parents or guardians, other teachers, counselors, and administrators to resolve students' behavioral and academic problems.
- Use computers, audio-visual aids, and other equipment and materials to supplement presentations.
- Instruct and monitor students in the use and care of equipment and materials to prevent injuries and damage.
Tools & technology
- Bloomz
- Children's educational software
- Padlet
- Seesaw
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Word
Knowledge areas
- Education and Training
- English Language
- Psychology
- Mathematics
- Customer and Personal Service
- Sociology and Anthropology
- Public Safety and Security
- Administrative