Preschool teachers hold a crucial role in shaping the youngest learners’ minds. Their classrooms are vibrant places where play, learning, and discovery intermingle. Opting for a career in Early Childhood Education (ECE) provides a golden opportunity. One can witness the beautiful process of young minds being exposed to formal education, social interactions, and an environment away from their familiar surroundings. What could be more meaningful?
The joy of being in an atmosphere that encourages, sustains, and readies young learners for their educational journey is doubtless a unique experience. However, despite the gratification and fulfillment derived from this role, financial considerations cannot be overlooked.
Preschool Teachers’ Earnings: A Closer Look
One of the striking realities in the realm of ECE is the distinct wage gap. It is widely acknowledged that preschool teachers, sadly, earn significantly less than K-3 teachers. Despite the convincing evidence highlighting the benefits of early childhood education, the wage disparity persists.
Remarkably, the Harvard Graduate School of Education conducted extensive research. It revealed that children who partake in top-notch ECE programs are less likely to be stagnated in a grade, less likely to need special education services, and more probable to complete high school. All these compared to their peers with no ECE program experience.
Given these benefits, it’s not surprising that many states mandate preschool teachers to possess a bachelor’s degree and teacher certification. However, the wage problem remains.
For a long time, the ECE field has been marked by low salaries, especially compared to their K-3 counterparts.
The Winds of Change: A Positive Outlook for the ECE Field
However, all hope is not lost. There are noticeable changes on the horizon, and they bring encouraging news. Increased recognition of the importance of high-quality ECE programs has instigated a shift in policymakers’ perspectives and private preschool operators.
This shift has led to a reevaluation of the worth of preschool teachers, prompting a reassessment of their compensation plans. Today’s article gives an in-depth look at the current challenges in the ECE field. It also highlights the optimistic outlook regarding the finances of the nation’s preschool teachers.
As a potential educator, brace yourself for an engaging journey with young minds. There’s a preschool rug already awaiting your expertise and energy.
An In-depth Look at Wage Equality Issues Among Preschool and K-3 Teachers
“Salary equity,” a term synonymous with comparisons between the earnings of early childhood educators and K-3 teachers, has become a commonplace discussion. Although the educational prerequisites and professional certifications for pre-K educators are continually bridging the gap to those of kindergarten and elementary school teachers, the salary scales continue to differ significantly.
As per the data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in May 2019, the average remuneration for preschool educators in the U.S. stood at $30,520 annually, while the average salary for kindergarten teachers was $56,850 during the same year.
Interestingly, it’s important to note that most preschool educators now hold a bachelor’s degree, aligning their academic qualifications with K-3 educators. As per a 2020 report published by the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER), in 2018, at least a bachelor’s degree and a teaching certificate were required by 78% of all state-funded public preschool programs, 56% of state-funded private preschool programs, and 75% of state-funded preschool programs that served both public and private settings.
However, as of 2018, most states lacked salary equity policies for early childhood educators in state-funded public preschools, and such policies were virtually non-existent in private preschools.
For instance, even though 25 states mandate all pre-K teachers to hold a BA and teaching certification (28 require a BA but not a teaching certification), only Hawaii, New Jersey, Oklahoma, and Rhode Island enforce equal starting salaries and salary schedules for both preschool and K-3 teachers.
The wage disparity between pre-K teachers (lead pre-K teachers) and K-3 teachers in different schools was reported in 2018 by NIEER. The figures representing the average salary differentials in several states are:
California CSPP
- Public elementary teacher average salary: $81,126;
- Public pre-K teacher average salary: $30,000;
- Wage Gap: $51,126.
Colorado
- Public elementary teacher average salary: $52,389;
- Public pre-K teacher average salary: $30,500;
- Wage Gap: $21,889.
Connecticut SR
- Public elementary teacher average salary: $73,113;
- Public pre-K teacher average salary: $57,774;
- Wage Gap: $15,339;
Florida
- Public elementary teacher average salary: $47,721;
- Public pre-K teacher average salary: $24,336;
- Wage Gap: $23,385;
Georgia
- Public elementary teacher average salary: $56,329;
- Public pre-K teacher average salary: $38,461;
- Wage Gap: $17,868.
Maryland
- Public elementary teacher average salary: $69,61;
- Public pre-K teacher average salary: $45,147;
- Wage Gap: $24,614;
Michigan
- Public elementary teacher average salary: $62,702;
- Public pre-K teacher average salary: $42,081;
- Wage Gap: $20,621.
However, it’s not all doom and gloom. A few states have managed to attain salary parity between pre-K and K-3 teachers, with pre-K educators in Washington D.C., Kentucky, and Virginia even surpassing their K-3 counterparts:
Washington D.C.
- Public elementary teacher average salary: $60,483;
- Public pre-K teacher average salary: $86,898.
Kentucky
- Public elementary teacher average salary: $52,952;
- Public pre-K teacher average salary: $53,450.
Rhode Island
- Public elementary teacher average salary: $66,758;
- Public pre-K teacher average salary: $68,000.
Virginia
- Public elementary teacher average salary: $51,265;
- Public pre-K teacher average salary: $56,861.
West Virginia
- Public elementary teacher average salary: $45,642;
- Public pre-K teacher average salary: $42,163.
Maine
- Public elementary teacher average salary: $51,663;
- Public pre-K teacher average salary: $51,180.
South Carolina
- Public elementary teacher average salary: $51,027;
- Public pre-K teacher average salary: $49,442.
Texas
- Public elementary teacher average salary: $53,167;
- Public pre-K teacher average salary: $52,025.
Oklahoma
- Public elementary teacher average salary: $45,678;
- Public pre-K teacher average salary: $44,921.
Encouraging Trends Toward Pay Parity
Despite these discrepancies, the trend toward salary equity is evident across the U.S., with many states significantly increasing the remuneration for pre-K educators:
- In October 2019, the Massachusetts Board of Early Education and Care voted to allocate an additional $20 million for better ECE programming and higher wages for educators and staff;
- California’s AB 123, the Preschool for All Bill, expands full-day preschool access for all four-year-olds in the state and simultaneously boosts state reimbursement rates by 23%. Roughly 65% of this additional funding is earmarked for raising educator and staff salaries, with an objective to achieve salary parity with elementary teachers within their school district. In some instances, this change will more than double the salaries of state preschool educators;
- Unionized preschool educators in New York City, serving over 68,000 children across NYC’s five boroughs, will experience pay increases due to a July 2019 agreement. This agreement demanded that the annual wages of those with a bachelor’s degree increase to $48,000 and those with a master’s degree increase to $53,000, with a steady annual increment until full salary equality is achieved by 2021.
An Overview of Salary Differentials in Private and Public Sectors for Preschool Teachers
When it comes to the field of Early Childhood Education (ECE), the setting of your teaching environment—private or public—can largely influence your earning potential. While public pre-K programs generally offer higher salaries, private programs tend to pay less, given their lack of external funding.
According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in May 2019, pre-K teachers working in elementary and secondary school settings (financially backed by federal, state, and local governments) earned the highest average salary of $48,840. On the flip side, the lowest earners were preschool teachers employed in private programs offering daycare services (e.g., KinderCare, the Goddard School), where they earned an average salary of approximately $30,940 during the same period.
The mean salaries for preschool teachers in other settings were broken down as follows:
- Religious settings (church preschool programs): $38,090 – primarily funded through tuition;
- Social advocacy organizations (e.g., Head Start): $35,120 – a federally funded program that also derives funding from state grants;
- Civic and social organizations (e.g., YMCA): $34,170 – funded through federal grants, membership dues, and tuition
In some states, the salary differential between public and private pre-K teachers is relatively minor; however, in others, the pay gap can be $10,000 or more annually. Here are some states that, according to NIEER 2017-18 reports, had some of the highest salary disparities between public and private pre-K teachers:
Arkansas
- Public pre-K teacher average salary: $40,193;
- Private pre-K teacher average salary: $27,279;
- Salary Disparity: $12,914 Connecticut SR;
- Public pre-K teacher average salary: $57,774;
- Private pre-K teacher average salary: $36,638;
- Salary Disparity: $21,136 Iowa Shared Visions;
- Public pre-K teacher average salary: $52,608;
- Private pre-K teacher average salary: $34,457;
- Salary Disparity: $18,151 Mississippi;
- Public pre-K teacher average salary: $39,000;
- Private pre-K teacher average salary: $20,259;
- Salary Disparity: $18,741 Rhode Island;
- Public pre-K teacher average salary: $68,000;
- Private pre-K teacher average salary: $56,000;
- Salary Disparity: $12,000 Vermont;
- Public pre-K teacher average salary: $47,000;
- Private pre-K teacher average salary: $29,000;
- Salary Disparity: $18,000.
Preschool teachers considering their career path should not hastily dismiss private settings. Although public pre-K programs generally offer higher salaries, private programs also have their unique benefits. For instance, private institutions often have smaller class sizes, and teachers enjoy more eminence in program design and implementation, free from strict state or federal regulations. For many preschool teachers, the appeal of a more enjoyable work environment can often outweigh the allure of a larger paycheck.
How Far Does Your Dollar Go? Examining Cost of Living Differences in Pre-K Teacher Salaries
The earnings of a preschool teacher can significantly differ based on their geographical location. Salaries in this field vary dramatically across states, cities, and even counties, influenced by cost of living disparities. By crossing borders, a teacher may experience a sudden $10,000-$20,000 shift (increase or decrease) in their earnings, highlighting the key role of cost of living.
The cost of living refers to the average cost required to maintain a standard lifestyle in a specific location. This includes factors like housing costs, fuel costs, and grocery prices among others. It determines how far your wage can extend and determine your living standard. For instance, earning an annual salary of $40,000 might provide a comfortable lifestyle in Jackson, Mississippi, but the same income might be barely sufficient in Miami, Florida due to higher living costs.
Looking solely at raw data, states like New Jersey ($43,360), Connecticut ($43,080), New York ($42,330), Hawaii ($42,160), and Washington D.C. ($42,160) seem to offer remarkably high average preschool teacher salaries, as per the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). However, a more accurate comparison would consider the cost of living in these states. After adjusting for this, states such as Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wyoming, and Ohio might offer more value due to relatively high salaries and lower living costs.
Using tools like CNNMoney’s Cost Of Living Calculator can further illustrate this point. For instance, a $30,000 salary in Pittsburgh, PA essentially provides the same financial capability as a 43,317 salary in Los Angeles, CA. Similarly, a $40,000 income in Atlanta, GA is equivalent to earning $63,198 in Washington D.C when considering relative living costs.
Decoding Preschool Teacher Salaries Across the United States
The earnings of a preschool teacher largely depend on the location they choose to work in. As of May 2019, data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) puts the national average salary for preschool teachers at $30,520. However, the top 10 percent of earners in the field have an average salary of $55,050.
In this section, we’ve compiled the BLS state average salaries for preschool teachers, both at the median (50th percentile) and high (90th percentile) levels. Let’s delve deeper into where each state stands in terms of preschool teacher salaries:
- Alabama: $21,390 – $37,680 with around 4,050 preschool teachers;
- Alaska: $31,500 – $52,450 with roughly 1,110 preschool teachers;
- Arizona: $28,850 – $46,090 with approximately 8,180 preschool teachers;
- Arkansas: $29,830 – $48,940, employing around 3,690 preschool teachers;
- California: $35,000 – $53,720, hosting a whopping 53,290 preschool teachers;
- Colorado: $31,720 – $48,740 with a total of about 6,650 preschool teachers;
- Connecticut: $36,310 – $74,340 with around 6,510 preschool teachers;
- Delaware: $26,240 – $37,240, employing approximately 2,010 preschool teachers.
As you move down the country, the story continues with insightful variations:
- District of Columbia: $38,070 – $60,580 with roughly 1,770 preschool teachers;
- Florida: $25,110 – $42,830, hosting a considerable number of 31,060 preschool teachers;
- Georgia: $29,230 – $51,450 with approximately 11,920 preschool teachers;
- Hawaii: $40,270 – $57,720 with around 1,600 preschool teachers.
Conclusion
Deciphering preschool teacher salaries is not a straightforward task. It requires careful consideration of numerous variables, particularly the cost of living in different regions. With potential differences of tens of thousands of dollars across state lines, it’s crucial for both educators and employers to recognize the importance of these factors. The goal is to promote fair compensation and enable teachers to live comfortably and focus on their all-important role of shaping young minds.