Kindergarten Teacher
Kindergarten Teacher (but not Special Education) Job Description
Unlike many middle school and high school teachers, a kindergarten teacher focuses on a variety of subjects, gently introducing each to the students in their care. This is the time when many children learn to read and do basic math. Many of the activities in kindergarten involve recognition of shapes or colors. Teachers help develop these skills through a combination of work and play, understanding that children of this age have short attention spans and cannot retain huge amounts of information at once. Playing with blocks and coloring in worksheets are two popular methods for teaching these concepts.
Teaching kindergarten is exhausting work. The children are just beginning to learn how to appropriately channel their emotions, so in a typical classroom of about 20 students, it’s likely that at least one of them will have some sort of mishap or meltdown on any given day. Just as important as lesson plans is knowing how to handle such a situation. Despite the challenges, this is a valuable career path that carries with it the possibility of positively shaping numerous young lives.
Kindergarten Teacher (but not Special Education) Salary Statistics as of 2015
Average annual salary for a Kindergarten Teacher (but not Special Education) is $32948 based on statistics in the U.S. as of 2015. The highest salary recorded was $51588. The lowest salary reported was $22714. These figures will vary on a state to state basis as these are averages across all 50 states.
Median hourly wage for a Kindergarten Teacher (but not Special Education) is $11.44 based on statistics in the U.S. as of 2015. The highest hourly rate recorded was $13.25. The lowest hourly rate recorded was $9.63. These figures will vary on a state to state basis as these are averages across all 50 states.
Bonuses for a Kindergarten Teacher (but not Special Education) are based on the years of experience using statistics from the U.S. as of 2015. The average bonus recorded was $0 from people with 15+ years of experience. The average bonus recorded was $0 from people with under 1 year of experience.
These are the highest paying states for a Kindergarten Teacher (but not Special Education). These numbers are based off the median annual salary as of 2015.
California – $22,989 – $64,111
Georgia – $29,934 – $42,977
New Jersey – $35,294 – $51,886
New York – $25,000 – $60,000
Ohio – $27,595 – $70,069
Texas – $24,680 – $50,336
Washington – $25,975 – $44,600
These are the highest paying cities for a Kindergarten Teacher (but not Special Education). These numbers are based off the median annual salary as of 2015.
San Antonio, Texas –
Detroit, Michigan –
New York, New York –
Atlanta, Georgia –
Madison, Indiana –
Washington, District of Columbia –
San Diego, California –
This chart outlines the average annual salary of a Kindergarten Teacher (but not Special Education) from the past 5 years. In 2015 the average annual salary was $32948 while in 2007 it was just $30555.4
How To Become a Kindergarten Teacher
Becoming a kindergarten teacher is a long process that requires attention to studies and dedication to the children that will be served in this endeavor. Typically, someone who wants to become a teacher will major in education and then go on to take further courses qualifying them to teach in a classroom setting. In order to work in public schools, teachers must be licensed before they can be awarded a classroom, though many private schools do not carry this requirement.
For those who are satisfied with subbing, the process is less complicated. Some people who sub full-time don’t even have their degrees in education, having gotten them in other subjects instead. The downside to this is that subs typically don’t get benefits. What’s more, though the kindergarten classroom may be one’s preferred domain, a sub will get different room assignments every day, so those who prefer kindergarten will have to deal with much older kids too.
Job Outlook
Gender Statistics |
Related Jobs |
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96%
4%
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Based on our stats gathered across the U.S. 96% of Kindergarten Teacher (but not Special Education)s were females while 4% were males. These numbers are based on averages across all states combined. Some individual states may have a much different ratio however.
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Past Jobs Preschool Teacher, (but not Special Education) |
Future Jobs Elementary School Teacher |