Careers / Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education

Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education — Career Decision Dashboard

United States

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Median annual wage

$38,140

United States, 2025

Employment

478,780

United States, 2025

Typical education

High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)

Job Zone 3

Skills identified

35

10 related careers

Career overview

Instruct preschool-aged students, following curricula or lesson plans, in activities designed to promote social, physical, and intellectual growth.

O*NET code
25-2011.00
Job zone
3
Experience required
Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years

Typical tasks

  • Establish and enforce rules for behavior and procedures for maintaining order.
  • Adapt teaching methods and instructional materials to meet students' varying needs and interests.
  • Provide a variety of materials and resources for children to explore, manipulate, and use, both in learning activities and in imaginative play.
  • Serve meals and snacks in accordance with nutritional guidelines.
  • Attend to children's basic needs by feeding them, dressing them, and changing their diapers.
  • Meet with parents and guardians to discuss their children's progress and needs, determine their priorities for their children, and suggest ways that they can promote learning and development.
  • Organize and lead activities designed to promote physical, mental, and social development, such as games, arts and crafts, music, storytelling, and field trips.
  • Identify children showing signs of emotional, developmental, or health-related problems and discuss them with supervisors, parents or guardians, and child development specialists.

Choose a location

Salary analysis — United States

$28,990
10th
$34,530
25th
$38,140
Median
$47,550
75th
$61,390
90th

10th percentile

$28,990

25th percentile

$34,530

75th percentile

$47,550

90th percentile

$61,390

Most important skills

  • Speaking4.0
  • Instructing4.0
  • Active Listening3.9
  • Learning Strategies3.9
  • Social Perceptiveness3.8
  • Reading Comprehension3.8
  • Monitoring3.8
  • Coordination3.8
  • Critical Thinking3.8
  • Service Orientation3.6
  • Active Learning3.1
  • Judgment and Decision Making3.1

What skills do you need?

Select the skills you already have

Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.

Skill coverage

0%

0 of 16 identified skills

Matched

0

Missing

16

Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.

Skills to develop

SkillImportanceRequired levelYour levelGap
Learning Strategies3.94.0Not selected4.0
Social Perceptiveness3.83.6Not selected3.6
Coordination3.83.6Not selected3.6
Monitoring3.83.5Not selected3.5
Instructing4.03.3Not selected3.3
Speaking4.03.1Not selected3.1
Reading Comprehension3.83.3Not selected3.3
Active Listening3.93.1Not selected3.1
Critical Thinking3.83.1Not selected3.1
Service Orientation3.63.0Not selected3.0
Active Learning3.13.0Not selected3.0
Judgment and Decision Making3.13.0Not selected3.0
Time Management3.03.0Not selected3.0
Persuasion3.03.0Not selected3.0
Writing3.03.0Not selected3.0
Complex Problem Solving3.03.0Not selected3.0

Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.

Related careers

How salary varies by location

LocationMedianEmploymentYear
Vineland, NJ$63,3403302025
Albany, GA$62,6804002025
DC$62,1502,3502025
Atlantic City, NJ$59,3204602025
Brunswick, GA$58,0001002025
Fairbanks, AK$57,680602025
Visalia, CA$56,9304302025
Kahului, HI$55,3401602025
San Francisco, CA$53,81010,2802025
Houma, LA$51,3101402025
San Jose, CA$51,1903,5702025
New York, NY$50,23028,1402025
VT$49,7309402025
Hinesville, GA$49,6901502025
Modesto, CA$49,5006402025
Manhattan, KS$49,160702025
Bridgeport, CT$48,8201,5002025
HI$48,7801,4102025
Mount Vernon, WA$48,5101802025
Urban Honolulu, HI$48,4101,0702025
All locations with published data

Career transition paths

Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.

Build a transition comparison

Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0.

Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).

Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.