Summarize

Preschool Teacher Salary in USA

Preschool Teacher salary data in USA from BLS OEWS 2025, with median pay, fresher range, intermediate range, senior range, mean salary, and source notes.

Median annual salary

$38,140

BLS OEWS 2025

25th percentile

$34,530

Lower market anchor

75th percentile

$47,550

Upper market anchor

Mean annual salary

$43,030

Average published wage

Salary Explorer

Pick a work area, role, location, and experience band to compare salary ranges.

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Selected estimate

Intermediate range for Preschool Teacher in USA

$34,530 to $47,550

This is the 25th to 75th percentile. It uses salary percentiles, not a fixed years-of-experience rule.

Salary Range by Experience

These bands translate salary percentiles into practical fresher, intermediate, and senior salary ranges. They are not fixed years-of-experience rules.

Median salary

$38,140

Fresher

10th to 25th percentile

BLS

From

$28,990

to

To

$34,530

Use this for early-career offers or roles with limited paid experience.

Intermediate

25th to 75th percentile

BLS

From

$34,530

to

To

$47,550

Use this for candidates with proven role skills and solid delivery history.

Senior

75th to 90th percentile

BLS

From

$47,550

to

To

$61,390

Use this for senior candidates, scarce skills, or higher-paying employers.

Fresher salary answer

Freshers and entry-level candidates can compare preschool teacher offers in United States against $28,990 to $34,530.

Intermediate salary answer

Intermediate candidates can compare preschool teacher offers in United States against $34,530 to $47,550.

Senior salary answer

Senior candidates can compare preschool teacher offers in United States against $47,550 to $61,390.

How USA Salaries Compare With Major Cities for This Role

USA is the national BLS estimate. The other rows are BLS metro areas for Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education, so candidates can compare national pay with city hiring markets.

Mean annual salary

Denver

Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO

$57,250

San Francisco

San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA

$55,850

New York

New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA

$55,540

Washington DC

Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV

$50,820

Los Angeles

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA

$50,550

Seattle

Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA

$49,680

Boston

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH

$48,190

Atlanta

Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA

$46,900

Chicago

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN

$45,740

USA

United States estimate

$43,030

How Preschool Teacher Salaries Compare With Other Roles

This chart compares preschool teacher pay in USA with other roles available in the salary directory. Each row uses BLS OEWS min, avg, and top salary data.

Mean annual salary

Physician

Physicians, All Other, SOC 29-1229

$262,040

Psychiatrist

Physicians, All Other, SOC 29-1229

$262,040

Surgeon

Physicians, All Other, SOC 29-1229

$262,040

CIO

Computer and Information Systems Managers, SOC 11-3021

$192,160

CTO

Computer and Information Systems Managers, SOC 11-3021

$192,160

Engineering Manager

Computer and Information Systems Managers, SOC 11-3021

$192,160

IT Manager

Computer and Information Systems Managers, SOC 11-3021

$192,160

VP of Engineering

Computer and Information Systems Managers, SOC 11-3021

$192,160

Dentist

Dentists, General, SOC 29-1021

$191,350

Preschool Teacher

Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education, SOC 25-2011

$43,030

Salary Snapshot

The median annual salary for preschool teachers in United States is $38,140. The middle market range runs from $34,530 at the 25th percentile to $47,550 at the 75th percentile. The wider salary range runs from $28,990to $61,390.

MeasureValueHow to read it
10th percentile$28,990Lower published wage point
25th percentile$34,530Common lower market anchor
Median$38,140Middle of the BLS wage range
75th percentile$47,550Upper market anchor
90th percentile$61,390High published wage point

Source Notes

This page maps Preschool Teacher to BLS occupation Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education, SOC 25-2011. The wage data is annual USD salary from BLS OEWS 2025. It does not include equity, signing bonus, bonus targets, benefits value, or self-employed income.

This page uses the BLS OEWS occupation Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education, SOC 25-2011, as the public wage source for Preschool Teacher.

BLS area
United States
Employment estimate
478,780

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the median preschool teacher salary in United States?

The median annual salary for preschool teachers in United States is $38,140, based on BLS OEWS 2025 data for Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education.

How much can fresher preschool teacher candidates expect in United States?

Freshers and entry-level candidates can use the 10th to 25th percentile range as a guide. For preschool teachers in United States, that range is $28,990 to $34,530. It is a percentile band, not a fixed years-of-experience rule.

What is the intermediate preschool teacher salary range in United States?

Intermediate candidates can compare offers against the 25th to 75th percentile range. For preschool teachers in United States, that range is $34,530 to $47,550.

What do senior preschool teacher candidates earn in United States?

Senior candidates can use the 75th to 90th percentile range for stronger skill depth, senior scope, or higher-paying employers. For preschool teachers in United States, that range is $47,550 to $61,390.

Does this salary data include bonuses or equity?

No. BLS OEWS wage estimates cover wages and salaries. They do not fully capture equity, signing bonuses, annual bonus targets, benefits value, or contractor rates.

How should I use these salary percentiles?

Use percentiles as market anchors. The 10th to 25th percentile can fit fresher or lower-paid roles, the median is the midpoint, and the 75th to 90th percentile can fit stronger experience, scarce skills, or higher-paying employers.

Why does this page use Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education instead of only Preschool Teacher?

BLS publishes wages by standard occupation. This page maps Preschool Teacher to Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education, SOC 25-2011, so the numbers come from a public wage series instead of a private survey.

How fresh is this USA salary data?

The snapshot uses BLS OEWS 2025, generated from public BLS series. Refresh the snapshot when BLS publishes a newer annual release.

Adithyan RKWritten by Adithyan RK
Surya N
Fact-checked by Surya N
Published on: 3 May 2026Last updated: 12 Jul 2026
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