Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education
Also called: Montessori Preschool Teacher, Pre-Kindergarten Teacher (Pre-K Teacher), Teacher, Toddler TeacherInstruct preschool-aged students, following curricula or lesson plans, in activities designed to promote social, physical, and intellectual growth.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 16 of its 34 tasks, and jobs are projected to grow 4.5% by 2035. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 2.9% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Preschool and kindergarten teachers”
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 5.0 hires for every 10 job openings in health care and social assistance, which employs about 76% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.5.0 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $28,310 | $23,190 to $33,240 | 7,910 |
| Alaska | $46,130 | $35,210 to $60,880 | 520 |
| Arizona | $36,300 | $35,180 to $38,150 | 9,400 |
| Arkansas | $34,190 | $28,480 to $45,940 | 3,270 |
| California | $47,400 | $43,910 to $59,150 | 55,700 |
| Colorado | $45,500 | $38,200 to $63,160 | 5,210 |
| Connecticut | $45,740 | $37,510 to $58,880 | 5,230 |
| Delaware | $36,360 | $34,770 to $37,560 | 2,000 |
| District of Columbia | $62,150 | $45,490 to $77,450 | 2,350 |
| Florida | $35,860 | $30,520 to $37,610 | 35,740 |
| Georgia | $43,920 | $35,340 to $59,100 | 16,850 |
| Guam | $22,120 | $21,550 to $28,510 | 160 |
| Hawaii | $48,780 | $41,280 to $58,270 | 1,410 |
| Idaho | $32,800 | $29,980 to $39,220 | 1,010 |
| Illinois | $40,910 | $37,750 to $46,790 | 22,420 |
| Indiana | $36,650 | $30,520 to $44,130 | 7,110 |
| Iowa | $33,830 | $29,240 to $37,550 | 5,910 |
| Kansas | $47,750 | $37,450 to $55,640 | 1,330 |
| Kentucky | $29,780 | $27,840 to $39,300 | 8,520 |
| Louisiana | $38,020 | $29,680 to $50,250 | 3,570 |
| Maine | $43,890 | $37,560 to $48,430 | 1,110 |
| Maryland | $44,600 | $36,750 to $47,710 | 8,020 |
| Massachusetts | $45,890 | $37,820 to $48,580 | 18,710 |
| Michigan | $37,110 | $34,650 to $45,310 | 10,950 |
| Minnesota | $43,430 | $37,570 to $47,240 | 10,320 |
| Mississippi | $36,250 | $23,310 to $45,020 | 3,600 |
| Missouri | $36,090 | $30,440 to $44,030 | 5,580 |
| Montana | $36,540 | $31,480 to $44,950 | 960 |
| Nebraska | $47,040 | $38,080 to $59,990 | 1,630 |
| Nevada | $38,870 | $32,790 to $46,650 | 2,360 |
| New Hampshire | $39,350 | $36,350 to $46,700 | 2,220 |
| New Jersey | $48,220 | $39,030 to $64,370 | 16,190 |
| New Mexico | $44,070 | $37,230 to $60,740 | 2,490 |
| New York | $46,520 | $38,610 to $59,680 | 23,870 |
| North Carolina | $35,710 | $30,700 to $40,330 | 18,370 |
| North Dakota | $39,720 | $30,660 to $48,420 | 540 |
| Ohio | $35,180 | $29,530 to $37,280 | 19,840 |
| Oklahoma | $31,790 | $28,520 to $46,930 | 7,010 |
| Oregon | $45,140 | $38,670 to $56,840 | 6,300 |
| Pennsylvania | $36,050 | $31,200 to $38,270 | 22,760 |
| Puerto Rico | $32,120 | $28,080 to $37,960 | 2,960 |
| Rhode Island | $36,830 | $35,900 to $43,280 | 1,890 |
| South Carolina | $34,500 | $29,280 to $37,170 | 4,550 |
| South Dakota | $44,500 | $34,830 to $48,260 | 1,470 |
| Tennessee | $34,280 | $29,290 to $53,450 | 5,420 |
| Texas | $33,860 | $28,420 to $37,690 | 41,200 |
| Utah | $35,010 | $29,780 to $37,550 | 3,670 |
| Vermont | $49,730 | $44,400 to $59,440 | 940 |
| Virgin Islands | $44,790 | $24,730 to $50,160 | 100 |
| Virginia | $37,140 | $34,660 to $45,150 | 13,570 |
| Washington | $45,660 | $42,800 to $48,490 | 13,210 |
| West Virginia | $32,480 | $27,040 to $47,940 | 2,190 |
| Wisconsin | $36,160 | $30,190 to $38,670 | 11,330 |
| Wyoming | $29,930 | $27,850 to $50,940 | 1,040 |
Nationally: $38,140. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 16 of its 34 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| AI + software | Teach basic skills, such as color, shape, number and letter recognition, personal hygiene, and social skills. | Not published |
| Not much | Establish and enforce rules for behavior and procedures for maintaining order. | Not published |
| AI + software | Adapt teaching methods and instructional materials to meet students' varying needs and interests. | Not published |
| AI alone | Organize and lead activities designed to promote physical, mental, and social development, such as games, arts and crafts, music, storytelling, and field trips. | under 0.01% |
| Not much | Prepare materials and classrooms for class activities. | Not published |
| Not much | Assimilate arriving children to the school environment by greeting them, helping them remove outerwear, and selecting activities of interest to them. | Not published |
See all 34 tasks
| Not much | Read books to entire classes or to small groups. | Not published |
| Not much | Identify children showing signs of emotional, developmental, or health-related problems and discuss them with supervisors, parents or guardians, and child development specialists. | Not published |
| Not much | Provide a variety of materials and resources for children to explore, manipulate, and use, both in learning activities and in imaginative play. | Not published |
| AI + software | Demonstrate activities to children. | Not published |
| AI + software | Establish clear objectives for all lessons, units, and projects and communicate those objectives to children. | Not published |
| Not much | Teach proper eating habits and personal hygiene. | Not published |
| Not much | Arrange indoor and outdoor space to facilitate creative play, motor-skill activities, and safety. | Not published |
| Not much | Observe and evaluate children's performance, behavior, social development, and physical health. | Not published |
| Not much | Serve meals and snacks in accordance with nutritional guidelines. | Not published |
| AI + software | Meet with parents and guardians to discuss their children's progress and needs, determine their priorities for their children, and suggest ways that they can promote learning and development. | Not published |
| AI + software | Plan and conduct activities for a balanced program of instruction, demonstration, and work time that provides students with opportunities to observe, question, and investigate. | 0.01% |
| AI + software | Organize and label materials and display students' work in a manner appropriate for their ages and perceptual skills. | Not published |
| Not much | Enforce all administration policies and rules governing students. | Not published |
| Not much | Attend professional meetings, educational conferences, and teacher training workshops to maintain and improve professional competence. | Not published |
| Not much | Meet with other professionals to discuss individual students' needs and progress. | Not published |
| AI alone | Plan and supervise class projects, field trips, visits by guests, or other experiential activities and guide students in learning from those activities. | Not published |
| AI alone | Confer with other staff members to plan and schedule lessons promoting learning, following approved curricula. | Not published |
| AI alone | Prepare reports on students and activities as required by administration. | Not published |
| Not much | Attend staff meetings and serve on committees as required. | Not published |
| AI + software | Maintain accurate and complete student records as required by laws, district policies, and administrative regulations. | Not published |
| Not much | Attend to children's basic needs by feeding them, dressing them, and changing their diapers. | Not published |
| AI alone | Collaborate with other teachers and administrators in the development, evaluation, and revision of preschool programs. | Not published |
| Not much | Select, store, order, issue, and inventory classroom equipment, materials, and supplies. | Not published |
| Not much | Prepare and implement remedial programs for students requiring extra help. | Not published |
| AI + software | Administer tests to help determine children's developmental levels, needs, and potential. | Not published |
| AI + software | Supervise, evaluate, and plan assignments for teacher assistants and volunteers. | Not published |
| AI + software | Provide students with disabilities with assistive devices, supportive technology, and assistance accessing facilities, such as restrooms. | Not published |
| Not much | Perform administrative duties, such as hall and cafeteria monitoring and bus loading and unloading. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 2 of the 34 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 34 tasks fall under 21 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #4 Maintain current knowledge in area of expertise
- #23 Prepare informational or instructional materials
- #36 Purchase goods or services
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Develop educational programs, plans, or procedures | |||
| Monitor individual behavior or performance | |||
| Assist individuals with special needs | |||
| Set up classrooms, facilities, educational materials, or equipment | |||
| Teach academic or vocational subjects | |||
| Advise others on educational or vocational matters | |||
| Communicate with others about operational plans or activities | |||
| Teach life skills |
Show all 21 activities
| Assess student capabilities, needs, or performance | |||
| Collaborate in the development of educational programs | |||
| Maintain current knowledge in area of expertise | |||
| Prepare informational or instructional materials | |||
| Purchase goods or services | |||
| Prepare reports of operational or procedural activities | |||
| Maintain operational records | |||
| Evaluate personnel capabilities or performance | |||
| Distribute materials, supplies, or resources | |||
| Develop safety standards, policies, or procedures | |||
| Supervise personnel activities | |||
| Replenish inventories of materials, equipment, or products | |||
| Serve on organizational committees |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- Teaching material38%
- A plan or strategy16%
- A document or report15%
- A presentation or slides5%
- Ideas or a brainstorm5%
How they worked with Claude
52% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for preschool teachers, except special education specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 166,087 moves out
- 1 Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education High -0.4% 7%
- 2 Teachers and Instructors, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 5%
- 3 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 4%
- 4 Teacher Assistants (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 4%
- 5 Postsecondary Teachers, All Other Very high +2.0% 3%
Where people moved in from
of 125,406 moves in
- 1 Teacher Assistants (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 7%
- 2 Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education High -0.4% 6%
- 3 Teachers and Instructors, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 5%
- 4 Retail Salespersons Very high -0.3% 4%
- 5 Customer Service Representatives Very high -5.3% 3%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 29% high school
- 10% postsecondary certificate
- 12% some college
- 12% associate's
- 17% bachelor's
- 8% post-bachelor's certificate
- 12% master's
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 32 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 2% less than high school
- 18% high school
- 20% some college
- 12% associate's
- 31% bachelor's
- 16% master's
- 1% professional degree
Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Preschool and kindergarten teachers” · 8,691 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Preschool and kindergarten teachers”
12 programs, such as Bilingual and Multilingual Education, Teacher Education, Multiple Levels and Montessori Teacher Education.
See all
- Bilingual and Multilingual Education
- Teacher Education, Multiple Levels
- Montessori Teacher Education
- Waldorf/Steiner Teacher Education
- Kindergarten/Preschool Education and Teaching
- Early Childhood Education and Teaching
- International Teaching and Learning
- Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language/ESL Language Instructor
- Teaching French as a Second or Foreign Language
- Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language, Other
- Child Development
- Child Care and Support Services Management
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
76.0% this occupation
45.3% all occupations
| By kind | This occupation | All occupations |
|---|---|---|
| a license | 33.2% | 19.1% |
| a certification | 29.3% | 5.8% |
| an educational certificate | 9.5% | 2.8% |
Share of jobs whose employer requires it. BLS doesn't say which credential. How to read this
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeship Finder ↗ DOL lists 1 registered apprenticeship in this occupation (Early Childhood Educator). Apprenticeship.gov can't be linked to one occupation, so search for “Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education” there.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS
See it online, and explore any career: https://www.pathmosaic.com/card/25-2011.00