Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education Salary
Educational Instruction and Library Occupations · 109K employed in the U.S.
Median annual
$62,680
Median hourly
$30
Average annual
$69,370
Typical range
$46,990–$101,830
Pay distribution
10th to 90th percentile, with the median marked.
What this role pays
The median annual salary for Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education is $62,680 as of May 2025, based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. That works out to about $30 an hour at a full-time schedule.
Teach academic and social skills to kindergarten students..
Most earn between $46,990 and $101,830 a year. There are roughly 109K people employed as kindergarten teachers, except special education in the United States. Use the state and metro pages below to see how pay changes by location, and the calculator to convert any hourly or annual figure.
Salary calculator
Convert your pay and see where it lands for Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education.
- Hourly
- $30.13
- Daily
- $241
- Weekly
- $1,205
- Bi-weekly
- $2,411
- Monthly
- $5,223
- Annual
- $62,680
$62,680 a year is around the 50th percentile for Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Educations. The median is $62,680.
Highest-paying states
Median annual wage by state.
- 1Washington$99,960
- 2Connecticut$90,030
- 3Rhode Island$85,470
- 4Massachusetts$84,100
- 5California$82,550
- 6District of Columbia$81,500
- 7New York$77,630
- 8Maryland$75,910
- 9Minnesota$75,500
- 10New Mexico$74,380
- 11New Jersey$74,210
- 12Delaware$74,030
Top-paying metro areas
Median annual wage by metro area.
- 1El Centro, CA$111,880
- 2Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA$106,000
- 3Modesto, CA$103,790
- 4Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA$103,610
- 5Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA$102,450
- 6Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA$101,780
- 7Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$101,580
- 8Walla Walla, WA$99,770
- 9Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT$99,660
- 10Bellingham, WA$98,460
- 11Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA$97,830
- 12Kingston, NY$97,110
Related job titles
Employers advertise Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education roles under these titles.
Related occupations
- Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education$63,970
- Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education$38,140
- Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$64,370
- Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$72,040
- Special Education Teachers, Secondary School$74,260
- Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors$61,540
- Special Education Teachers, Middle School$66,810
- Special Education Teachers, Preschool$64,830
What a Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education does
- Establish and enforce rules for behavior and policies and procedures to maintain order among students.
- Prepare children for later grades by encouraging them to explore learning opportunities and to persevere with challenging tasks.
- Read books to entire classes or to small groups.
- Guide and counsel students with adjustment or academic problems or special academic interests.
- Observe and evaluate children's performance, behavior, social development, and physical health.
- Identify children showing signs of emotional, developmental, or health-related problems and discuss them with supervisors, parents or guardians, and child development specialists.
- Establish clear objectives for all lessons, units, and projects and communicate those objectives to children.
- Confer with parents or guardians, other teachers, counselors, and administrators to resolve students' behavioral and academic problems.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education make?
- The median annual wage for Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education is $62,680 ($30 per hour). Pay ranges from about $46,990 at the 10th percentile to $101,830 at the 90th percentile.
- What is the average salary for a Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education?
- The average (mean) annual salary is $69,370, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.
- Which state pays Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Educations the most?
- Washington has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $99,960.
- Is Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education a growing occupation?
- BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 109K people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.
- What does a Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education do?
- Establish and enforce rules for behavior and policies and procedures to maintain order among students.; Prepare children for later grades by encouraging them to explore learning opportunities and to persevere with challenging tasks.; Read books to entire classes or to small groups..