How Much Does a Kindergarten Teacher In the United States Make an Hour? 2019
In the United States, kindergarten teachers undertake the responsibility of teaching kids whose average age is generally five. The main subjects taught at this level include math, science, reading and writing. They are also involved in teaching other skills like managing their emotions, to basics like tying their shoes, among others. To qualify as a kindergarten teacher, you must have a bachelor’s degree and in most cases, a state certification.
Basic Salary
As of April 2019, the Bureau of Labor Statistics highlighted that kindergarten teachers made an average of $50,380 in a year. This body does not highlight the hourly rate because most kindergarten teachers work full-time all year-round. However, dividing $50,380 by the standard number of hours worked per year, 2080, the average hourly rate is $24.22.
$24.22 average rate for kindergarten teachers is lower than what high school and elementary teachers earn. Elementary teachers earn an average of $25.55 per hour while high school teachers get about $26.51 per hour. However, these amounts do not include vocational or special education specialties.
Schools and Salary
Some of the biggest employers of kindergarten instructors are secondary and elementary schools. At this level, most of the teachers make an average of $24.72 per hour. Kindergarten teachers working in elementary and secondary schools constitute more than 3% out of a total of 5.7 million training, library and education workers.
States and Salary
Salaries of kindergarten teachers varies from one state to the other. Although the economic status of the state plays a vital role in determining the rate at which kindergarten teachers get paid, other important factors too determine what a teacher receives. For example, California, which has the highest population in the United States offers the most jobs for kindergarten teachers, about 28,000 positions.
In California, kindergarten teachers get as much as $27.24 on average per hour, which is significantly higher than the national average. However, Rhode Island has the highest average rates for kindergarten teachers, $32.55 per hour, while other professionals in education earn an average of $27.87 per hour.
Cities and Salaries
Salaries for kindergarten varies across various cities in the country. Most of the populous and economically vibrant cities have higher average pay for kindergarten teachers as compared to less populated and economically average cities.
For example, New York City, which is the most populous city in the United States, has an average salary of $32.41 per hour, which is significantly higher than the national average. New York City also happens to be the city with the most jobs for kindergarten instructors at 13,400 positions.
Other cities across the country with a significant population and economic strength such as Los Angeles, Houston and Chicago have kindergarten average rates at $27.22, $23.60, and $22.78 respectively.
Although there is a national average of what most kindergarten teachers earn on an hourly basis, cities, schools and states play a vital role in determining what kindergarten teachers earn. However, it is important to highlight that all kindergarten teachers earn way above the minimum wage across the country, which is the same for other education, library and training workers.
