The 2015 Institute of Medicine (IOM) and National Research Council (NRC) report, Transforming the Workforce for Children Birth Through Age 8: A Unifying Foundation, calls for a Bachelor’s degree, with specialized knowledge and competencies, for all lead teachers working with children birth through age eight.
The IOM determined that the science of child development and early learning indicates that the work of all lead educators for young children of all ages requires the same high level of sophisticated knowledge and competencies. When early childhood educators are held to lower educational expectations and preparation than elementary school teachers, there is a perception that educating children before kindergarten requires less expertise than educating early elementary students. This helps justify the disparity in both the educational requirements and salaries for early learning teachers.
Low salaries fail to incentivize teachers to earn Bachelor’s degrees. Educators without Bachelor’s degrees have difficulty gaining higher compensation. An early childhood workforce without the necessary competencies compromises the quality of learning experiences for young children and their subsequent outcomes.
“A teacher’s salary level reflects how the work is valued by society. To maximize the potential of our young children and the educators and programs that serve them, we must do more to support and lift up preschool teachers,” said the Education Department’s deputy assistant secretary for Policy and Early Learning. As a nation, we must do better to honor early childhood educators as professionals. This is the most critical period for children in learning new skills, literacy/numeracy as well as socio-emotional development. Whether at home or structured academic program settings, early learning IS the definitive remedy for achievement gaps and disparities in education. Respect, value and acknowledge early educators who lay the foundation for future achievement and school success.
State-By-State Data
In most states, median preschool teacher earnings across the various early childhood settings (e.g., public and private schools, child care centers, and charitable organizations) are significantly lower in comparison to the median earnings of special education teachers, kindergarten teachers and other elementary school teachers.
Annual Median Salary of Early Learning and Elementary School Teachers, 2015
| State | Child Care Workers Annual Median Wage | Head Start Teachers | Preschool Teachers | Preschool Special Education Teachers | Kindergarten Teachers | Elementary School Teachers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| National Median: | $20,320 | $28,995 | $28,570 | $53,990 | $51,640 | $54,890 |
| Alabama | $18,210 | $23,090 | $26,570 | $34,770 | $47,820 | $50,390 |
| Alaska | $24,550 | $29,881 | $36,410 | $70,580 | $66,820 | $71,490 |
| Arizona | $20,070 | $32,027 | $23,560 | $44,750 | $40,230 | $39,300 |
| Arkansas | $18,290 | $27,066 | $28,170 | $31,410 | $45,390 | $44,570 |
| California | $24,150 | $34,156 | $31,720 | $70,670 | $63,940 | $72,910 |
| Colorado | $23,870 | $31,255 | $27,260 | $52,390 | $46,190 | $48,130 |
| Connecticut | $22,410 | $34,176 | $31,620 | $70,190 | $71,050 | $75,930 |
| Delaware | $20,690 | $29,276 | $25,450 | NA | $58,540 | $58,860 |
| District of Columbia | $23,010 | $68,100 | $39,940 | NA | $52,010 | $67,090 |
| Florida | $19,820 | $28,073 | $24,240 | $46,860 | $45,660 | $46,060 |
| Georgia | $19,050 | $27,000 | $28,190 | $48,300 | $53,840 | $53,790 |
| Hawaii | $18,860 | $34,316 | $33,690 | NA | $44,350 | $56,020 |
| Idaho | $18,280 | $22,000 | $21,930 | $38,280 | $44,070 | $44,940 |
| Illinois | $21,830 | $32,691 | $28,670 | $78,530 | $48,710 | $55,320 |
| Indiana | $19,480 | $23,231 | $24,530 | $48,570 | $44,970 | $48,710 |
| Iowa | $18,480 | $29,861 | $24,040 | $58,120 | $50,030 | $51,150 |
| Kansas | $18,900 | $31,680 | $24,570 | $44,680 | $44,880 | $45,110 |
| Kentucky | $18,910 | $26,316 | $37,640 | $46,550 | $52,370 | $51,850 |
| Louisiana | $18,340 | $26,739 | $39,970 | $48,230 | $47,340 | $47,460 |
| Maine | $21,580 | $24,818 | $29,620 | $32,480 | $49,960 | $51,170 |
| Maryland | $22,120 | $34,074 | $27,980 | $64,850 | $55,900 | $61,620 |
| Massachusetts | $24,980 | $28,078 | $31,580 | $55,860 | $67,170 | $71,240 |
| Michigan | $19,620 | $27,613 | $27,740 | $51,320 | $52,460 | $63,530 |
| Minnesota | $22,470 | $28,192 | $32,130 | $56,750 | $53,110 | $57,560 |
| Mississippi | $18,140 | $21,842 | $24,970 | $35,600 | $39,800 | $40,810 |
| Missouri | $18,840 | $23,870 | $25,070 | $47,360 | $45,070 | $48,030 |
| Montana | $19,100 | $19,537 | $25,900 | NA | $44,230 | $48,550 |
| Nebraska | $19,620 | $35,545 | $31,840 | $51,650 | $47,910 | $50,600 |
| Nevada | $21,120 | $28,434 | $24,640 | $51,950 | $48,700 | $53,010 |
| New Hampshire | $21,780 | $21,720 | $27,510 | $48,930 | $51,280 | $55,690 |
| New Jersey | $22,070 | $35,468 | $35,160 | $62,700 | $61,350 | $63,960 |
| New Mexico | $18,920 | $28,588 | $26,670 | $61,420 | $52,870 | $56,750 |
| New York | $25,450 | $39,050 | $31,100 | $57,380 | $60,120 | $68,540 |
| North Carolina | $19,650 | $26,139 | $25,970 | $49,520 | $39,930 | $42,170 |
| North Dakota | $19,200 | $28,673 | $35,410 | NA | $44,360 | $46,180 |
| Ohio | $19,860 | $24,255 | $23,690 | $52,240 | $52,470 | $59,620 |
| Oklahoma | $18,520 | $28,371 | $32,030 | $33,200 | $38,750 | $39,270 |
| Oregon | $22,240 | $27,065 | $27,680 | $67,850 | $56,900 | $57,820 |
| Pennsylvania | $19,590 | $26,908 | $25,970 | NA | $51,050 | $59,780 |
| Puerto Rico | $17,650 | $22,650 | $22,010 | NA | $18,420 | $36,290 |
| Rhode Island | $19,720 | $27,739 | $32,900 | $72,030 | $69,870 | $71,220 |
| South Carolina | $18,370 | $23,080 | $24,620 | $47,650 | $51,150 | $48,660 |
| South Dakota | $19,340 | $24,814 | $28,710 | $39,130 | $38,560 | $40,690 |
| Tennessee | $18,560 | $28,363 | $23,840 | $42,930 | $47,950 | $47,980 |
| Texas | $18,970 | $30,160 | $30,990 | $55,180 | $50,910 | $52,410 |
| Utah | $19,700 | $20,959 | $23,030 | $64,090 | $43,320 | $51,890 |
| Vermont | $23,400 | $26,153 | $29,390 | $52,560 | $53,080 | $53,360 |
| Virginia | $19,510 | $30,481 | $32,490 | $62,290 | $57,100 | $59,190 |
| Washington | $23,520 | $30,241 | $27,810 | $60,170 | $55,020 | $62,110 |
| West Virginia | $18,890 | $31,987 | $30,640 | NA | $47,880 | $45,740 |
| Wisconsin | $20,410 | $29,714 | $23,890 | $38,250 | $48,700 | $54,120 |
| Wyoming | $20,850 | $27,181 | $26,130 | $47,900 | $56,190 | $57,550 |
Source: All data except for Head Start data are from the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2015. Head Start data are from Head Start PIR Data (2015) and U.S. Census Bureau ACS 1 Year Estimates.
via Fact Sheet: Troubling Pay Gap for Early Childhood Teachers | U.S. Department of Education
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