The highest-paying states for preschool teachers, except special education (ranked by average annual salary) are listed in Table 1. The entry level salary (as measured by the salary of the lowest 10% paid earners) and the number of employment of preschool teachers, except special education in those states are also shown in the table. As shown in the table, with an annual salary of $48,660, District of Columbia is the highest paying state for preschool teachers, except special education. It is followed by Virgin Islands (average annual salary $42,310). The salary and employment information is computed from data published by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in April 2023 [1]. For more salary information of preschool teachers, except special education in a specific state, use the links in the table.
| Rank | State | Average Salary i | Entry Level Salary i |
# of Empl. i |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $48,660 |
$35,350 | 1,920 |
| 2 | Virgin Islands | $42,310 |
$23,590 | 70 |
| 3 | Nebraska | $39,680 |
$27,730 | 930 |
| 4 | California | $39,040 |
$31,290 | 53,430 |
| 5 | Hawaii | $39,030 |
$31,000 | 1,050 |
| 6 | Kentucky | $38,670 |
$22,420 | 2,720 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $38,010 |
$34,680 | 12,160 |
| 8 | Kansas | $37,690 |
$23,560 | 1,640 |
| 9 | Washington | $37,640 |
$30,960 | 10,950 |
| 10 | New York | $37,340 |
$29,550 | 26,950 |
| 11 | Colorado | $36,990 |
$30,740 | 5,770 |
| 12 | New Jersey | $36,740 |
$28,230 | 16,930 |
| 13 | Louisiana | $36,560 |
$21,570 | 1,880 |
| 14 | Vermont | $36,510 |
$30,110 | 1,450 |
| 15 | Minnesota | $36,280 |
$29,750 | 11,490 |
| 16 | Maryland | $35,930 |
$28,190 | 8,100 |
| 17 | North Dakota | $35,920 |
$24,830 | 540 |
| 18 | Maine | $35,820 |
$28,720 | 1,100 |
| 19 | Oregon | $35,710 |
$29,830 | 5,620 |
| 20 | Alaska | $35,550 |
$27,200 | 540 |
| 21 | Illinois | $35,400 |
$28,320 | 18,890 |
| 22 | Connecticut | $35,320 |
$28,720 | 6,380 |
| 23 | New Hampshire | $34,970 |
$29,370 | 2,960 |
| 24 | Virginia | $34,360 |
$20,280 | 9,250 |
| 25 | Texas | $34,130 |
$22,900 | 35,080 |
| 26 | Missouri | $33,870 |
$23,880 | 5,610 |
| 27 | Michigan | $33,570 |
$27,280 | 8,150 |
| 28 | Georgia | $32,090 |
$22,940 | 11,000 |
| 29 | Montana | $31,000 |
$23,030 | 1,320 |
| 30 | Guam | $30,840 |
$19,760 | 100 |
| 31 | Pennsylvania | $30,520 |
$23,780 | 19,900 |
| 32 | Nevada | $30,200 |
$22,810 | 2,390 |
| 33 | Wisconsin | $29,860 |
$22,900 | 9,700 |
| 34 | Utah | $29,810 |
$22,290 | 4,100 |
| 35 | Arizona | $29,800 |
$28,090 | 8,190 |
| 36 | North Carolina | $29,710 |
$22,290 | 16,380 |
| 37 | Indiana | $29,540 |
$22,410 | 6,600 |
| 38 | Rhode Island | $29,290 |
$24,070 | 1,390 |
| 39 | South Carolina | $29,270 |
$21,650 | 4,420 |
| 40 | South Dakota | $29,230 |
$23,210 | 1,280 |
| 41 | Iowa | $29,070 |
$21,790 | 5,040 |
| 42 | Ohio | $29,050 |
$23,210 | 14,160 |
| 43 | Tennessee | $28,990 |
$21,800 | 6,070 |
| 44 | West Virginia | $28,770 |
$21,760 | 2,300 |
| 45 | Delaware | $28,510 |
$22,560 | 2,010 |
| 46 | Florida | $28,490 |
$22,480 | 23,820 |
| 47 | Wyoming | $28,290 |
$18,050 | 930 |
| 48 | New Mexico | $28,240 |
$23,920 | 2,950 |
| 49 | Oklahoma | $28,190 |
$21,410 | 4,560 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $27,600 |
$23,200 | 3,610 |
| 51 | Puerto Rico | $26,370 |
$18,000 | 3,250 |
| 52 | Idaho | $25,640 |
$20,400 | 1,510 |
| 53 | Mississippi | $23,180 |
$18,260 | 2,860 |
| 54 | Alabama | $21,770 |
$18,010 | 5,620 |