Kindergarten Teachers: Schools and Careers

Browse all of the tabs below for info about Kindergarten Teachers:

Overview
Top Cities
Career Stories
Top Industries

Kindergarten Teachers - Career Information

Kindergarten Teachers picture Kindergarten Teachers image

Kindergarten Teachers

Kindergarten teachers teach children from four to six years of age numbers, letter recognition, phonics and offer a simple review of nature and science. A kindergarten teacher helps children advance mentally and socially. They help kindergartners learn to communicate and play with other kids.

Kindergarten teachers provide hands-on-learning and playtime. They give children constructive outlets for their curiosity about various topics. Kindergarten instructors utilize music, games, computers, books, artwork and other tools to teach children basic skills.

Responsibilities

Provide Kindergartners with resources and materials they may use for exploration, learning activities and for play
Teach basic skills including numbers, letter recognition, colors and shapes
Attend meetings of the parent-teacher association and the school board
Teach social skills and personal hygiene
Discuss with parents their children's progress
Monitor and evaluate children's behavior, performance, physical health and social development
Establish and enforce rules of behavior
Prepare children for later grades
Plan and oversee activities
Demonstrate activities to Kindergartners

Job Characteristics

Most school districts use an all-day Kindergarten system, however some Kindergarten instructors still teach two Kindergarten classes per day. They sometimes develop lesson plans during after school hours. Sometimes Kindergarten teachers attend late-day meetings. Most Kindergarten teachers work the basic 10-month school year and have a two month summer vacation.

Kindergarten instructors often have to deal with a fast pace. They may occasionally have to deal with unruly children. Kindergarten teachers often get satisfaction in their job by watching the kindergartners advance in their skills and advance socially.

Employment Outlook

The Bureau of Labor Statistics has projected a 16 percent growth in employment for Kindergarten teachers from 2006 to 2016. The growth rate will vary by region. In 2008 the median annual salary for Kindergarten teachers was $47,100.

Education, Certification, and Licensing

The traditional path for getting a job teaching in public schools is earning a bachelor's degree form a teacher education program and acquiring a license. However, most states provide alterative paths to licensure for people that have a college degree in other subjects. Private school teachers typically need a bachelor's degree but do not have to be licensed.

Education programs for Kindergarten teachers include classes created for those that are preparing to teach. Classes include physical science, literature mathematics, art, music and social science. They also take professional education courses including psychology of learning, philosophy of education and teaching methods.

The Teacher Education Accreditation Council and the National Council for Accreditation for Teacher Education provide accreditation for teacher education programs. Graduating from an accredited program is not required for becoming a teacher, however, it may make it easier to fulfill licensure requirements.

Many states provide professional development schools which are partnerships of elementary or secondary schools and universities. These schools combine practice and theory and provide students the opportunity to be involved in a year of teaching under professional guidance. Students may participate in these one year programs after they earn a bachelor's degree.

Resources

Major Employers

The major employers are public schools and private schools.

Schools for Kindergarten Teachers are listed in the column to the left.

The Top Cities tab shows employment statistics for Kindergarten Teachers by major metro area.

The Top Industries tab shows which industries have the most jobs for Kindergarten Teachers, along with salary data by industry.

The Find Schools tab lets you search for schools by field of study, degree level, and location.

Metro Area	Jobs	Salary (2008)	Relative Popularity
ALABAMA
Auburn	100	$42,190	2.2
Florence	110	$42,600	2.1
Decatur	110	$49,200	1.9
Anniston	90	$42,850	1.8
Mobile	350	$41,490	1.7
Gadsden	40	$37,190	1.2
Montgomery	230	$40,540	1.2
Dothan	70	$40,190	1.1
Tuscaloosa	100	$37,180	1
Huntsville	230	$44,750	1
Birmingham	400	$41,900	0.6
ARIZONA
Prescott	140	$41,680	2.1
Tucson	780	$33,530	1.8
Flagstaff	70	$39,020	1.2
Yuma	70	$40,510	1.1
Kingman	50	$35,600	0.9
Phoenix	1,500	$40,730	0.7
ARKANSAS
Fort Smith	310	$41,260	2.4
Jonesboro	110	$38,520	2.2
Pine Bluff	70	$42,670	2.1
Fayetteville	390	$43,900	1.7
Little Rock	510	$44,360	1.3
Hot Springs	40	$42,950	1.1
CALIFORNIA
Merced	320	$60,670	5.3
Madera	160	$49,200	4.4
Yuba City	140	$78,820	3.6
El Centro	170	$59,550	3.2
Stockton	750	$56,610	3.1
Salinas	510	$60,400	2.9
Riverside	3,960	$57,250	2.6
Bakersfield	790	$54,310	2.6
Visalia	370	$63,120	2.5
Santa Cruz	200	$58,150	2.1
Redding	140	$55,720	2
Oxnard	640	$58,150	1.8
Fresno	710	$71,760	1.8
Modesto	330	$62,260	1.8
Chico	120	$58,280	1.6
San Jose	1,720	$56,120	1.6
San Luis Obispo	170	$64,790	1.6
Santa Rosa	310	$60,780	1.5
Vallejo	200	$64,250	1.5
Sacramento	1,470	$51,950	1.4
Oakland	1,460	$53,930	1.2
Santa Barbara	220	$57,790	1.2
San Francisco	1,320	$57,080	1.1
Santa Ana	1,740	$60,170	1
San Diego	1,470	$48,380	0.9
Napa	50	$53,890	0.7
COLORADO
Greeley	140	$40,080	1.7
Colorado Springs	470	$42,590	1.6
Fort Collins	150		1.1
Denver	1,390	$47,950	0.9
Boulder	160	$48,590	0.9
CONNECTICUT
Bridgeport	630	$64,330	1.2
New Haven	370	$54,110	1.1
Danbury	70	$53,170	0.9
Hartford	570	$58,620	0.8
Waterbury	50	$58,640	0.7
Norwich	90	$65,050	0.6
DELAWARE
Wilmington	410	$50,840	1.1
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Washington	3,030	$64,100	1.1
FLORIDA
Sebastian	100	$54,360	2
Jacksonville	1,060	$45,610	1.5
Tallahassee	260	$43,750	1.4
West Palm Beach	890	$44,770	1.4
Tampa	1,940	$49,830	1.3
Sarasota	390		1.3
Orlando	1,380	$46,390	1.1
Miami	1,260		1.1
GEORGIA
Hinesville	150	$47,400	12.9
Macon	350	$45,150	3.2
Columbus	280	$43,540	2.3
Dalton	170	$49,630	2
Athens	150	$44,510	1.9
Brunswick	80	$53,280	1.9
Atlanta	4,190	$41,470	1.5
Valdosta	70	$48,140	1.2
HAWAII
Honolulu	80	$43,000	0.2
ILLINOIS
Decatur	90	$42,340	1.9
Bloomington	80	$41,720	1.1
Peoria	180	$40,350	0.9
Springfield	90	$41,320	0.8
Champaign	60	$38,350	0.6
Rockford	100	$39,180	0.6
Chicago	1,750	$44,720	0.4
INDIANA
Kokomo	50	$45,050	1.4
Anderson	40	$37,510	1
Bloomington	70	$46,060	1
Elkhart	130	$47,750	0.9
Muncie	40	$46,420	0.9
South Bend	130	$42,700	0.9
Terre Haute	40	$56,640	0.5
Gary	170	$45,310	0.5
Indianapolis	540	$48,970	0.5
Evansville	100	$42,900	0.5
Fort Wayne	70	$46,760	0.3
IOWA
Sioux City	100	$38,410	1.3
Cedar Rapids	150	$44,630	1
Des Moines	310	$39,080	0.8
Dubuque	40	$37,980	0.8
Davenport	140	$49,410	0.7
Iowa City	50	$42,400	0.7
Waterloo	50	$40,820	0.5
KANSAS
Topeka	160	$46,320	1.3
Wichita	420	$47,510	1.2
Lawrence	40	$40,800	0.9
KENTUCKY
Owensboro	60		1.2
Louisville	580	$50,470	0.8
Lexington	140	$48,050	0.5
LOUISIANA
Alexandria	150	$36,920	2.4
Monroe	170	$41,420	2
Baton Rouge	540	$43,310	1.3
Lafayette	180	$41,950	1.1
Shreveport	200	$35,600	1
New Orleans	560	$44,900	0.9
MAINE
Lewiston	80	$39,860	1.6
Bangor	90	$42,860	1.3
Portland	210	$47,310	0.9
MARYLAND
Cumberland	90	$52,480	2.5
Hagerstown	240	$43,800	2.2
Salisbury	90	$49,380	1.7
Bethesda	730	$54,690	1.1
Baltimore	1,460	$50,680	0.9
MASSACHUSETTS
New Bedford	130	$51,590	1.9
Pittsfield	50		1.5
Brockton	130	$58,310	1.3
Lowell	180	$57,670	1.3
Barnstable	130	$52,350	1.2
Lawrence	70	$54,240	1.2
Leominster	60	$56,820	1.2
Worcester	330	$55,240	1.1
Springfield	390	$53,450	1.1
Haverhill	90	$54,570	1.1
Taunton	50	$50,140	1.1
Framingham	190	$49,920	1
Boston	1,580	$54,080	0.8
MICHIGAN
Holland	70	$40,800	0.6
Niles	40	$42,550	0.6
Ann Arbor	60	$50,150	0.3
Lansing	60	$56,370	0.3
Grand Rapids	120	$49,020	0.3
Detroit	100	$45,390	0.1
MINNESOTA
St. Cloud	130	$47,390	1.2
Minneapolis	2,010	$53,000	0.9
Duluth	110	$53,130	0.8
Rochester	70	$51,310	0.7
MISSISSIPPI
Pascagoula	140	$44,010	2.9
Hattiesburg	110	$38,900	1.9
Gulfport	210	$44,280	1.7
Jackson	440	$36,100	1.5
MISSOURI
Joplin	180	$38,740	2.1
Springfield	280	$39,130	1.3
St. Joseph	60	$35,610	1.2
Columbia	100	$39,040	1.1
Kansas City	1,080	$45,250	0.9
St. Louis	1,350	$46,770	0.8
Jefferson City	60	$39,980	0.8
MONTANA
Missoula	70	$27,540	1.3
Great Falls	40	$39,300	1.2
Billings	90	$40,490	1
NEBRASKA
Omaha	630	$40,230	1.2
Lincoln	150	$47,200	0.8
NEVADA
Reno	220	$42,910	0.9
Las Vegas	980	$40,220	0.9
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Rochester	70	$43,600	1.2
Nashua	90	$46,260	0.6
Manchester	60	$46,190	0.5
NEW JERSEY
Vineland	140	$55,490	2.3
Edison	1,510	$61,060	1.2
Ocean City	50	$53,790	1.2
Atlantic City	190	$53,800	1.1
Camden	680	$59,370	1.1
Newark	1,280	$57,410	1.1
Trenton	160	$56,540	0.6
NEW MEXICO
Farmington	110	$45,360	2
Albuquerque	750	$56,250	1.6
NEW YORK
Binghamton	190	$62,490	1.6
Kingston	90	$62,750	1.4
New York	8,560	$65,910	1.4
Nassau	2,000	$79,280	1.3
Glens Falls	70	$57,650	1.3
Poughkeepsie	350	$64,260	1.3
Utica	170	$51,630	1.2
Rochester	690	$55,620	1.2
Buffalo	740	$56,740	1.2
Ithaca	50	$59,780	1.2
Albany	460	$57,340	0.9
Syracuse	270	$53,260	0.7
NORTH CAROLINA
Hickory	320	$37,010	1.7
Fayetteville	210	$39,210	1.5
Winston-Salem	310	$36,120	1.3
Raleigh	730	$39,980	1.2
Asheville	220	$41,070	1.1
Charlotte	1,020	$40,990	1
Greensboro	400	$36,380	0.9
Rocky Mount	50	$37,680	0.8
Burlington	50	$38,760	0.8
Wilmington	60	$38,110	0.4
Durham	100	$40,000	0.3
NORTH DAKOTA
Grand Forks	60	$44,020	1.2
Bismarck	60	$41,920	1
Fargo	90	$46,270	0.7
OHIO
Springfield	100	$39,580	2.1
Lima	80	$43,990	1.5
Sandusky	50	$54,280	1.4
Canton	210	$50,370	1.1
Toledo	360	$51,540	1
Akron	370	$54,280	0.9
Youngstown	230	$46,710	0.9
Columbus	920	$53,050	0.8
Cincinnati	720	$50,070	0.6
Cleveland	660	$55,530	0.5
Dayton	220	$48,270	0.5
OKLAHOMA
Lawton	100	$38,700	2.7
Tulsa	670	$43,140	1.3
Oklahoma City	520	$36,110	0.8
OREGON
Medford	200	$47,790	2.2
Corvallis	40	$32,840	1.3
Salem	210	$46,910	1.2
Portland	1,290	$45,870	1
Eugene	120	$45,930	0.7
Bend	40	$48,360	0.5
PENNSYLVANIA
Williamsport	90	$48,740	1.7
Johnstown	90	$46,890	1.5
Reading	260	$52,830	1.4
York	270	$51,570	1.3
Allentown	510	$52,950	1.3
Altoona	80		1.3
Pittsburgh	1,630	$53,380	1.2
State College	70	$54,430	1.2
Lancaster	310	$50,640	1.1
Philadelphia	2,490	$50,460	1.1
Lebanon	50	$50,510	1.1
Erie	140	$42,740	1
Harrisburg	290	$52,340	0.8
Scranton	190	$54,530	0.6
RHODE ISLAND
Providence	630	$61,030	0.9
SOUTH CAROLINA
Sumter	70	$42,960	2
Spartanburg	260	$47,880	1.9
Florence	140	$44,400	1.5
Charleston	390	$48,620	1.1
Anderson	70	$44,190	1.1
Greenville	360	$43,060	1
Columbia	340	$46,550	0.8
SOUTH DAKOTA
Rapid City	60	$44,400	0.9
Sioux Falls	130	$35,580	0.8
TENNESSEE
Cleveland	80	$41,370	2.3
Clarksville	170	$54,500	2.1
Kingsport	240	$43,440	1.9
Jackson	100	$41,240	1.7
Morristown	70	$38,790	1.5
Johnson City	90	$42,070	1.1
Knoxville	390	$43,380	1
Chattanooga	260	$42,260	1
Memphis	350	$41,170	0.5
TEXAS
Sherman	100	$43,830	2.5
Brownsville	320	$49,300	2.3
Killeen	270	$43,050	2
El Paso	600	$47,500	2
College Station	160	$40,930	1.9
Longview	180	$39,650	1.8
Midland	120		1.7
Abilene	110	$41,740	1.7
Lubbock	200	$39,630	1.5
McAllen	370	$44,470	1.5
Waco	150	$42,040	1.4
Corpus Christi	280	$45,150	1.4
Beaumont	220	$45,700	1.2
Dallas	2,860	$46,730	1.1
San Angelo	40	$40,840	1
Austin	850	$43,100	0.9
Tyler	90	$34,870	0.9
Texarkana	50	$39,910	0.9
Houston	2,560	$45,710	0.8
Wichita Falls	50	$42,040	0.8
San Antonio	710	$44,180	0.7
Fort Worth	690	$45,430	0.7
Amarillo	40	$42,630	0.4
UTAH
St. George	120	$35,050	2.4
Provo	130	$39,500	0.7
Salt Lake City	400	$42,840	0.5
VERMONT
Burlington	130	$51,220	1.1
VIRGINIA
Charlottesville	140	$58,940	1.4
Virginia Beach	1,040	$35,590	1.2
Richmond	670	$52,300	0.9
Roanoke	140	$51,420	0.8
WASHINGTON
Wenatchee	50	$50,040	1.2
Mount Vernon	50	$48,310	1.1
Yakima	70	$47,340	0.8
Tacoma	250	$53,710	0.8
Olympia	70	$51,030	0.7
Kennewick	60	$49,570	0.6
Bellingham	50	$46,850	0.6
Seattle	910	$49,470	0.5
Spokane	120	$51,030	0.5
Bremerton	40	$55,700	0.4
WEST VIRGINIA
Weirton	80	$39,500	1.9
Parkersburg	120	$45,900	1.6
Charleston	230	$43,160	1.4
Wheeling	80	$45,460	1.2
Huntington	100	$39,910	0.8
WISCONSIN
La Crosse	110	$40,580	1.5
Appleton	170	$49,210	1.3
Eau Claire	110	$42,830	1.3
Racine	110	$45,790	1.3
Janesville	90	$47,110	1.3
Green Bay	230	$45,710	1.2
Madison	470	$42,850	1.2
Sheboygan	70	$43,730	1.2
Fond du Lac	50	$52,050	1.1
Milwaukee	850	$47,430	0.8
Oshkosh	60	$41,060	0.7
WYOMING
Cheyenne	60	$52,040	1.4

Industry	Jobs	Percent	Salary (2008)
Education	165,130	94%	$47,860
Social Service	8,380	4%	$28,680

Employment For:
All Jobs > Kindergarten Teachers

Selected Schools for Kindergarten Teachers (including any online schools)

These schools offer particularly quick info upon request, and we have written detailed profiles for each (click school names to see the profiles).

Request info from multiple schools, by clicking the Get Info links.

School	Locations	Degrees	Quick Info
Argosy University Online	Online	Master	Get Info
Grand Canyon University	Online	Bachelor, Coursework, Master	Get Info
Jones International University	Online	Master	Get Info
Keiser University Campus	FL	Bachelor	Get Info
Olivet Nazarene University Graduate and Continuing Studies	IL	Master	Get Info
Southwest Florida College	FL	Bachelor	Get Info
University of Phoenix	AL, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, HI, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, MO, NC, NE, NJ, NM, NV, OH, OK, OR, PA, PR, SC, TN, TX, UT, VA, WA, WI, WY	Associate, Bachelor, Master	Get Info
University of Phoenix Online	Online	Associate, Master	Get Info
Walden University	Online	Master	Get Info
Western Governor's University Online	Online	Post-Bachelors Certificate	Get Info

CityTownInfo Career and College Resources

Link to This Resource Page (copy & paste)

Kindergarten Teacher Training Schools by State

We have some additional detailed pages at the state level for Kindergarten Teachers.

Numbers in parentheses are counts of relevant campus-based schools in the state; online schools may also be available.

Alabama (26)
Alaska (4)
Arizona (23)
Arkansas (32)
California (32)
Colorado (5)
Connecticut (12)
Delaware (8)
District Of Columbia (8)
Florida (50)
Georgia (19)
Hawaii (6)
Idaho (10)
Illinois (47)
Indiana (43)
Iowa (27)
Kansas (25)
Kentucky (28)
Louisiana (26)
Maine (10)
Maryland (28)
Massachusetts (43)
Michigan (41)
Minnesota (29)
Mississippi (23)
Missouri (42)
Montana (13)
Nebraska (20)
Nevada (8)
New Hampshire (6)
New Jersey (23)
New Mexico (17)
New York (87)
North Carolina (75)
North Dakota (11)
Ohio (47)
Oklahoma (32)
Oregon (16)
Pennsylvania (81)
Rhode Island (6)
South Carolina (28)
South Dakota (10)
Tennessee (31)
Texas (70)
Utah (12)
Vermont (9)
Virginia (18)
Washington (23)
West Virginia (18)
Wisconsin (29)
Wyoming (8)

Kindergarten Teachers: Schools and Careers

Kindergarten Teachers - Career Information

Metro Areas Rated for Popularity (as of 2008) for:Kindergarten Teachers

ALABAMA

ARIZONA

ARKANSAS

CALIFORNIA

COLORADO

CONNECTICUT

DELAWARE

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

FLORIDA

GEORGIA

HAWAII

ILLINOIS

INDIANA

IOWA

KANSAS

KENTUCKY

LOUISIANA

MAINE

MARYLAND

MASSACHUSETTS

MICHIGAN

MINNESOTA

MISSISSIPPI

MISSOURI

MONTANA

NEBRASKA

NEVADA

NEW HAMPSHIRE

NEW JERSEY

NEW MEXICO

NEW YORK

NORTH CAROLINA

NORTH DAKOTA

OHIO

OKLAHOMA

OREGON

PENNSYLVANIA

RHODE ISLAND

SOUTH CAROLINA

SOUTH DAKOTA

TENNESSEE

TEXAS

UTAH

VERMONT

VIRGINIA

WASHINGTON

WEST VIRGINIA

WISCONSIN

WYOMING

Career Stories (Job Profiles) for Kindergarten Teachers

Most Popular Industries (as of 2008) for:Kindergarten Teachers

Selected Schools for Kindergarten Teachers (including any online schools)

CityTownInfo Career and College Resources

Link to This Resource Page (copy & paste)

Kindergarten Teacher Training Schools by State

Related Careers

Metro Areas Rated for Popularity (as of 2008) for:
Kindergarten Teachers

Most Popular Industries (as of 2008) for:
Kindergarten Teachers