Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education pay in the U.S.
$69,370avg. a year
Annual salary · 108,870 employed
Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education in the U.S. earn an average of $69,370 a year and a median of $62,680. Pay is highest in Washington ($95,380) and lowest in Mississippi ($49,960).
$62,680Median pay
$69,370Average yearly
+13%Avg. pay since 2020
108,870Jobs in the U.S.
Top-paying states for kindergarten teachers, except special education
Average pay by state. Swipe to see the top 10.
15,270 jobs
Washington
$95,380
a year
27,430 jobs
California
$88,160
a year
31,420 jobs
Connecticut
$88,070
a year
46,950 jobs
New York
$86,620
a year
5180 jobs
District of Columbia
$86,500
a year
61,980 jobs
Massachusetts
$84,950
a year
71,560 jobs
Maryland
$78,160
a year
85,370 jobs
New Jersey
$78,110
a year
9360 jobs
Rhode Island
$77,600
a year
102,840 jobs
Minnesota
$72,880
a year
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education pay, charted
Pay over time
United States, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where the jobs are
Employment by state, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · tap a state
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Under $58k$58k–$64k$64k–$71k$71k+
Top-paying metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 (areas with 100+ jobs)
| Metro area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Modesto, CA | $107,550 | – |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $101,370 | – |
| Visalia, CA | $99,130 | – |
| Merced, CA | $98,880 | – |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $98,850 | – |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $97,930 | – |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $95,540 | – |
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $94,850 | – |
Related jobs
- Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education$72,650
- Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$76,320
- Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$72,030
- Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education$43,030
- Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School$72,650
- Special Education Teachers, Secondary School$77,260
Average U.S. pay, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education pay in every state
States without a figure had too few jobs or too little survey data for BLS to publish.
| State | Avg. pay | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $53,360 | $50,900 | 310 |
| Arizona | $57,550 | $52,830 | 3,020 |
| Arkansas | $55,220 | $52,060 | 1,490 |
| California | $88,160 | $82,550 | 7,430 |
| Colorado | $68,150 | $62,870 | 3,260 |
| Connecticut | $88,070 | $90,030 | 1,420 |
| Delaware | $68,420 | $74,030 | 70 |
| District of Columbia | $86,500 | $81,500 | 180 |
| Florida | $59,970 | $58,100 | 8,810 |
| Georgia | $69,870 | $65,680 | 4,530 |
| Hawaii | $58,230 | $53,160 | 90 |
| Idaho | $64,620 | $62,240 | 460 |
| Illinois | $71,160 | $64,020 | 4,660 |
| Indiana | $57,920 | $58,250 | 2,120 |
| Iowa | $58,170 | $58,420 | 1,160 |
| Kansas | $57,130 | $56,670 | 1,300 |
| Kentucky | $59,670 | $60,280 | 2,450 |
| Louisiana | $54,040 | $53,130 | 3,730 |
| Maine | $57,810 | $52,660 | 570 |
| Maryland | $78,160 | $75,910 | 1,560 |
| Massachusetts | $84,950 | $84,100 | 1,980 |
| Michigan | $66,710 | $63,300 | 1,890 |
| Minnesota | $72,880 | $75,500 | 2,840 |
| Mississippi | $49,960 | $48,880 | 1,350 |
| Missouri | $58,740 | $56,590 | 2,300 |
| Montana | $56,060 | $47,590 | 400 |
| Nebraska | $63,530 | $62,200 | 1,120 |
| Nevada | $66,570 | $64,930 | 1,400 |
| New Hampshire | $64,240 | $60,240 | 520 |
| New Jersey | $78,110 | $74,210 | 5,370 |
| New Mexico | $71,000 | $74,380 | 950 |
| New York | $86,620 | $77,630 | 6,950 |
| North Carolina | $53,120 | $53,180 | 2,250 |
| North Dakota | $58,850 | $59,420 | 600 |
| Ohio | $70,590 | $72,570 | 3,290 |
| Oklahoma | $52,620 | $47,860 | 1,690 |
| Oregon | $72,090 | $68,580 | 1,330 |
| Pennsylvania | $68,760 | $64,430 | 2,510 |
| Rhode Island | $77,600 | $85,470 | 360 |
| South Carolina | $60,850 | $60,890 | 1,540 |
| South Dakota | $51,640 | $49,410 | 610 |
| Tennessee | $57,680 | $58,070 | 2,740 |
| Texas | $60,880 | $63,780 | 3,820 |
| Utah | $69,280 | $63,190 | 530 |
| Vermont | $68,220 | $63,280 | 250 |
| Virginia | $69,880 | $63,920 | 3,740 |
| Washington | $95,380 | $99,960 | 5,270 |
| West Virginia | $58,600 | $58,790 | 730 |
| Wisconsin | $60,320 | $59,350 | 1,510 |
| Wyoming | $61,500 | $60,990 | 360 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
$87,020
8,180 jobsChicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
$74,470
3,350 jobsAtlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA
$74,180
2,650 jobsSeattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
$101,370
2,530 jobsMiami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
$57,130
2,420 jobsWashington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
$78,900
2,400 jobsPhoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ
$59,050
2,310 jobsMinneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI
$77,180
1,900 jobsQuestions and answers
How much do kindergarten teachers, except special education make?
The average is $69,370 a year across the U.S. Half earn more than $62,680 and half earn less (the median).
Which state pays kindergarten teachers, except special education the most?
Washington, with an average of $95,380 a year. The best-paying metro area is Modesto, CA at $107,550.
What is the pay range?
The lowest-paid 10% earn under $46,990 a year, and the top 10% earn over $101,830.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 25-2012. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.