Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education: Career Overview
Teach academic and social skills to kindergarten students.
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What Tasks Do Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education Perform?
The core tasks performed by 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.
Key Skills and Knowledge
Effective kindergarten teachers, except special education draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Most Important Skills
The abilities most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Top Knowledge Areas
Related Job Titles
Common job titles for this role include:
- Art Teacher
- Bilingual Education Teacher
- Bilingual Kindergarten Teacher
- Classroom Teacher
- Early Childhood Teacher
- Educator
- Instructor
- Kinder Teacher
Job Outlook
The U.S. employs around 1,421,292 kindergarten teachers, except special education working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to grow by +2.6% over the projection horizon.
Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education Pay
| 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.
Pay 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 |
Where Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education Earn the Most
Compensation for kindergarten teachers, except special education shift depending on where you work. These regions lead on median pay:
| 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 |
Where the Jobs Cluster
| 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 |
Top Industries Employing Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education
The largest employers of kindergarten teachers, except special education are concentrated in the following sectors:
| 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 |
Below are examples of industries where kindergarten teachers, except special education work:
Tools and Technology
- 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 work environment for kindergarten teachers, except special education is shaped by the following characteristics:
- Contact With Others
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
- Physical Proximity
Getting Started in This Career
Entry-level kindergarten teachers, except special education positions require a bachelor’s degree as the typical entry-level education. The role falls in Considerable Preparation Needed (Job Zone 4), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
Other Careers to Consider
Similar Occupations
- Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare (Supplemental)
- School Psychologists (Supplemental)
- Education Teachers, Postsecondary (Supplemental)
- Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education (Primary-Short)
- Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education (Primary-Short)
- Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education (Primary-Short)
- Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle School (Supplemental)
- Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education (Primary-Long)
Where to Study
Future kindergarten teachers, except special education commonly pursue 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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