How much does a kindergarten teachers make?

The median kindergarten teachers salary in the United States is $62,680 per year (). Salaries range from $46,990 (10th percentile) to $101,830 (90th percentile). There are 108,870 kindergarten teachers jobs in the U.S. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS.

Which state pays kindergarten teacherss the most?

The highest paying state for kindergarten teacherss is Washington at $99,960 median salary.

Is kindergarten teachers a good career?

Kindergarten Teachers employment is projected to decline 1.6% from 2024 to 2034 (decline). There are approximately 12,800 job openings per year. Typical education required: Bachelor's degree.

What interview questions are asked for kindergarten teachers roles?

Common kindergarten teachers interview questions include: "Walk me through your first two weeks of kindergarten.", "A parent is upset about a behavior incident their child was involved in. How do you respond?", "How do you teach phonics in kindergarten?". Interview format at top employers ranges from behavioral panels (STAR method) to technical case rounds — for example Large urban public districts (NYC DOE, LAUSD, Chicago Public Schools, Miami-Dade, Houston ISD) typically uses 2-3 rounds over 3-6 weeks.

What certifications should kindergarten teacherss get?

Top-ROI certifications for kindergarten teacherss: State Teaching License (K-6 or Early Childhood) ($200-800 for exams and licensure); Master's in Elementary Education, Reading, or Early Childhood ($18-60k tuition; often partially employer-supported); National Board Certification (NBCT) ($1,900 process fee; multi-year effort).

How do you negotiate a kindergarten teachers salary?

Anchor on documented market data (BLS median $62,680, p75 $79,910), specific outcomes you've delivered, and the specific band for your years of experience. Three years teaching kindergarten with 88% end-of-year literacy benchmark, Master's in Elementary Education with reading endorsement, National Board pre-candidate, and bilingual Spanish. Market for a Step 4 teacher in y...

Kindergarten Teachers Salary

Q: What is the career ladder for kindergarten teacherss?

The typical kindergarten teachers career ladder: Novice / Early-Career Teacher (0-3 yrs, $42-58k on Step 1-3) → Established Teacher (3-10 yrs, $54-82k on Steps 4-10 with master's lane) → Senior Teacher / Instructional Coach / National Board Certified (10-20 yrs, $72-108k with NBCT, master's, or lead-teacher stipends) → Assistant Principal / Principal / District Coordinator (18+ yrs, $95-165k depending on district and role).

Bureau of Labor Statistics title: Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education

The median kindergarten teachers salary in the United States is $62,680 per year. Salaries range from $46,990 at the entry level to $101,830+ for the top 10% of earners. There are 108,870 kindergarten teachers jobs nationwide. Employment is projected to decline 1.6% through 2034.

Last updated: June 2026 · Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Also known asKindergarten Teacher

Median Salary

$62,680

per year

Employment

108,870

jobs in the U.S.

Salary Distribution

10th percentile

$46,990

25th percentile

$52,180

Median

$62,680

75th percentile

$79,910

90th percentile

$101,830

Job Growth (2024-2034)

-1.6%

Decline

Annual Openings

12,800

jobs/year (growth + replacements)

Education Required

Bachelor's degree

Kindergarten Teachers Career Guide

Interview questions, resume templates, and a career ladder written specifically for kindergarten teacherss.

Kindergarten teachers deliver the first year of formal schooling in public and private schools, running full- or half-day classrooms of 18-28 five- and six-year-olds. Entry $42-58k on Step 1 of most district salary schedules; established $58-82k with 5-10 years and a master's; senior $78-108k+ at the top of the schedule with National Board certification. Public-school teachers qualify for PSLF and district pensions. Large urban districts (NYC, Chicago, LA, DC), well-funded suburban districts, and independent schools sit at the top of the ranges.

Core Skills Hiring Managers Screen For

Early literacy instruction (science of reading)

Phonological awareness, systematic phonics (Fundations, UFLI, Really Great Reading), fluency, vocabulary, comprehension. Grounded in the National Reading Panel and structured literacy research.

Early numeracy and math

Counting, cardinality, subitizing, number sense, and geometric reasoning. Bridges-style curriculum, Eureka Math K, or district-adopted core.

Classroom management for 5-6 year olds

Predictable routines, transitions with music or timers, physical layout for whole-group and small-group, and behavior systems tuned for developmentally appropriate expectations.

Developmentally appropriate practice (DAP)

NAEYC framework — meeting children where they are cognitively, socially, and physically. Play-based learning integrated with academic goals.

Assessment and progress monitoring

DIBELS, TRC, mCLASS, or district-adopted early literacy screeners. Running running-records, MTSS tier data, and communicating growth to families.

Family communication and partnership

Weekly newsletter or app (ClassDojo, Seesaw), conferences, home visits at some districts, and translation support for multilingual families.

IEP, MTSS, and inclusion basics

Kindergarten identifies more students for services than any grade after; running Tier 1-3 interventions, participating in student support teams, and implementing IEPs and 504s.

How to Become a Kindergarten Teachers

1
Complete a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education or a related field with a teaching license
State licensure requires an approved teacher preparation program with student teaching. Most K teachers hold an Early Childhood or Elementary K-6 license.
2
Pass the state licensure exam (Praxis Elementary Education or state equivalent)
Praxis 5001-5005 covers reading, math, social studies, and science content. Some states also require the edTPA portfolio or Foundations of Reading exam.
3
Complete student teaching (12-16 weeks) and get state licensure
Student teaching is unpaid in most states. Some districts hire student teachers immediately upon licensure at Step 1 of the salary schedule.
4
Take a first classroom job at $42-58k on a district or independent school schedule
Large urban districts and Title I schools often start higher and offer housing or loan assistance. Independent schools pay less on average but have smaller class sizes.
5
Advance through the salary schedule with a master's, National Board, or specialty (reading, ELL)
Most districts pay a stipend or lane change for master's ($5-15k). National Board adds $3-15k annually and lasts for a 5-year cycle. Instructional coach and leadership roles start at 10-15 years.

Career Progression

Novice / Early-Career Teacher

0-3 yrs$42-58k on Step 1-3

•Own a classroom of 18-28 K students
•Deliver district-adopted literacy and math curriculum
•Run parent conferences and weekly communication
•Complete induction/mentor program

Next: Established Teacher at 3-6 years.

Established Teacher

3-10 yrs$54-82k on Steps 4-10 with master's lane

•Refine practice and mentor early-career teachers
•Lead grade-level PLC or content team
•Run intervention groups for MTSS Tier 2/3
•Present at district or regional PD

Next: Senior Teacher / Instructional Coach at 8-15 years.

Senior Teacher / Instructional Coach / National Board Certified

10-20 yrs$72-108k with NBCT, master's, or lead-teacher stipends

•Coach grade-level or building-wide teachers
•Lead literacy or math initiatives
•Serve on school leadership team and district committees
•Mentor student teachers and induction cohort

Next: Assistant Principal or Coordinator at 15-25 years.

Assistant Principal / Principal / District Coordinator

18+ yrs$95-165k depending on district and role

•Building leadership on curriculum, instruction, and culture
•Own hiring, evaluation, and PD
•Report to superintendent or curriculum director
•Run family engagement and community partnerships

Next: Principal, then Director or Superintendent.

Interview Questions & Answers

5 free questions below. Career Kit unlocks 13 total plus resume bullets for every level.

Q1. Walk me through your first two weeks of kindergarten.technical

Structure it around routines, community, and low-stakes assessment. Week 1: teaching every routine explicitly (line up, hand raising, restroom, transitions), building the classroom community with names and simple partner work, and beginning read-alouds and interactive shared reading. Week 2: introducing the first phonics unit, math routines like counting collections, and screener assessments (letter names, letter sounds, DIBELS if adopted). Never assume K students know how to 'do school' — routines are 80% of the first two weeks.

Q2. A parent is upset about a behavior incident their child was involved in. How do you respond?situational

Listen fully before defending anything. Acknowledge the child's experience and the parent's concern. Share what you saw factually without judging the other child. Describe the specific plan going forward — a new seating arrangement, a check-in, a partner activity to rebuild the peer relationship. Follow up in 3-5 days with the parent even if things go well. Trust with families is built in these hard conversations, not the easy ones.

Q3. How do you teach phonics in kindergarten?technical

Systematic and explicit. Follow a research-based sequence (UFLI, Fundations, Really Great Reading) that starts with letter-sound correspondence, moves to CVC blending and segmenting, and builds to short-vowel patterns and high-frequency words by mid-year. 15-25 minute daily lesson with quick review, new sound, blending practice, dictation, and connected text. Reject three-cueing and guessing prompts; teach kids to decode.

Q4. Describe your approach to a student who's coming in below grade level.situational

Screen first with DIBELS or the district's tool. Identify the specific skill gap — letter names, letter sounds, phonemic awareness, blending. Deliver Tier 2 intervention in a small group daily, 20-30 minutes, with clear progress monitoring every 2-4 weeks. Loop in the family early with a clear plan and specific ways to support at home. Refer to the student support team if growth is not sufficient in 6-8 weeks.

Q5. Where do you see your career in 5 years?closer

Classroom depth, then specialty (reading, math, ELL), then leadership (instructional coach, AP) or National Board is the honest ladder. Some teachers stay in the classroom for a career and add depth via NBCT, reading endorsement, or advanced coursework. Principals invest in teachers with direction.

Resume Template — Kindergarten Teacher (0-3 yrs)

Copy these bullets into your resume as a starting point. Career Kit includes bullets for every level of the ladder.

Kindergarten Teacher (0-3 yrs)

▸Delivered systematic phonics (UFLI) and Eureka Math K to a class of 24; 88% of students reading at or above benchmark on end-of-year DIBELS.
▸Ran Tier 2 phonics intervention for 6 students identified as at-risk; 5 of 6 met benchmark by mid-year.
▸K-6 Elementary Education license, [state]; Praxis 5001-5005 passed on first attempt; Foundations of Reading endorsed.
▸Bilingual English/Spanish; leading grade-level PLC on early literacy screening in year 2.

What Gets You Rejected

✗Uses three-cueing or guessing prompts for reading — no longer aligned with the science of reading.
✗Poor classroom management; the whole day falls apart if 5-year-olds sense structural weakness.
✗Weak family communication; parents want to know what's happening in kindergarten.
✗Cannot describe a specific phonics scope and sequence or numeracy progression.
✗Punitive behavior systems inappropriate for 5-6 year olds (missing recess as consequence, public shaming charts).
✗No follow-through on IEP or 504 accommodations; parents and admin notice.

Salary Negotiation Levers

✓Master's degree lane change adds $5-15k on most district salary schedules.
✓National Board Certification (NBCT) adds $3-15k annually depending on state.
✓Title I hardship stipend ($3-8k) or urban recruitment bonus ($5-15k) at high-need districts.
✓Bilingual/ELL endorsement adds $2-6k in states with large multilingual populations.
✓PSLF eligibility at public schools qualifies you for $30-100k+ in loan forgiveness at year 10 — factor into total compensation.
✓Signing bonuses of $2-10k are common in shortage-area districts and states (Nevada, Arizona, Texas).
✓Independent school pay is lower on average but includes tuition remission (worth $15-45k per child) and stronger benefits.

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Kindergarten Teachers Salary by State

Best Cities (cost-adjusted) →

Salary Map — Click a state for details

$48K

$100K■ No data

Top Paying States

Vertical line = national median. Click a state for full details.

State	Median	vs. National	Employment
Washington	$99,960	+59.5%	5,270
Connecticut	$90,030	+43.6%	1,420
Rhode Island	$85,470	+36.4%	360
Massachusetts	$84,100	+34.2%	1,980
California	$82,550	+31.7%	7,430
District of Columbia	$81,500	+30.0%	180
New York	$77,630	+23.9%	6,950
Maryland	$75,910	+21.1%	1,560
Minnesota	$75,500	+20.5%	2,840
New Mexico	$74,380	+18.7%	950

Showing 1–10 of 50

Kindergarten Teachers Salary by Metro Area

Metro Area	Median	vs. National
El Centro, CA	$111,880	+78.5%
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA	$106,000	+69.1%
Modesto, CA	$103,790	+65.6%
Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA	$103,610	+65.3%
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA	$102,450	+63.4%
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA	$101,780	+62.4%
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	$101,580	+62.1%
Walla Walla, WA	$99,770	+59.2%
Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT	$99,660	+59.0%
Bellingham, WA	$98,460	+57.1%

Showing 1–10 of 295

Data Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Data reflects the most recent annual survey.

How does this compare to pro athletes?

A kindergarten teachers earning $62,680/year would need 951 years to match Stephen Curry's NBA salary, or 1021 yearsto match Patrick Mahomes' NFL contract.

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📈 See how kindergarten teachers salaries have changed over the past decade.

View Kindergarten Teachers salary trend (2011–2024) →