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Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education
Teach academic and social skills to kindergarten students.
Other titles employers use
Bilingual Kindergarten Teacher · Classroom Teacher · Educator · Instructor · Kinder Teacher · Kindergarten Classroom Teacher · Teacher · Title One Kindergarten Teacher
Inside the work
What you would actually do.
6 responsibilities that define the role, before job titles and workplaces change the details.
- 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.
- Instruct students individually and in groups, adapting teaching methods to meet students' varying needs and interests.
- Teach basic skills, such as color, shape, number and letter recognition, personal hygiene, and social skills.
- Demonstrate activities to children.
- Read books to entire classes or to small groups.
Who it suits
Would this work hold your attention?
This career often appeals to people drawn to helping, creative and organizing work.
- Creative
- Making, designing, writing, or performing without one set answer
- Organizing
- Creating order, checking details, and keeping work accurate
Skills and strengths
What you would get good at.
Compare the skills the work relies on, the subjects behind it, and the abilities that make it easier to learn.
Core skills
- Social Perceptiveness
- Instructing
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Learning Strategies
- Monitoring
Subjects to know
- Education and Training
- English Language
- Psychology
- Mathematics
- Customer and Personal Service
Useful strengths
- Oral Expression
- Written Comprehension
- Oral Comprehension
- Written Expression
- Problem Sensitivity
Working day
Picture yourself doing it.
These measures show how much of the day involves people, movement, conversation, and hands-on work.
| Measure | Out of 5 | What that means here |
|---|---|---|
| Close to other people | 4.4 | Arm’s length or closer, most of the day |
| On your feet | 4.1 | Standing or moving for most of it |
| Talking face to face | 4.6 | Continuous — the job is conversations |
| Working with your hands | 2.7 | Little of the day |
Preparation
How people prepare for this work.
Employers usually ask for a bachelor's degree. Other routes may also lead into the field.
- A four-year degree 76%
- A master's degree 24%
Tools of the work
Technology you may use.
- Spreadsheet software
- Office suite software
- Electronic mail software
- Presentation software
- Word processing software
- Computer based training software
- Desktop communications software
- Multi-media educational software
Opportunity near you
See where this work is growing.
Choose a state to compare the size of the field, annual openings, and expected hiring change.
- People doing this work
- 17,630
- Job openings each year
- 1,940
- Expected hiring change, 2022–2032
- 11.9%
Compare every available state
| State | People doing it | Job openings each year | Expected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 17,630 | 1,940 | 11.9% |
| Florida | 10,410 | 1,140 | 11.3% |
| New York | 8,430 | 130 | 18.2% |
| California | 6,800 | 720 | 4.6% |
| Washington | 6,610 | 820 | 13.6% |
| Virginia | 4,560 | 480 | — |
| Colorado | 4,270 | 470 | 15.4% |
| Illinois | 4,210 | 450 | 2.7% |
| Georgia | 4,100 | 450 | 9.9% |
| North Carolina | 3,260 | 350 | 7.2% |
| Tennessee | 3,140 | 350 | 15.4% |
| Pennsylvania | 2,870 | 300 | — |
| Arizona | 2,810 | 300 | 3.3% |
| Maryland | 2,730 | 300 | 10.5% |
| Minnesota | 2,630 | 280 | 4.0% |
| Kentucky | 2,420 | 250 | 1.3% |
| Wisconsin | 2,400 | 260 | 3.9% |
| Ohio | 2,290 | 240 | 1.8% |
| South Carolina | 2,120 | 230 | 8.2% |
| Indiana | 2,110 | 220 | 2.4% |
| Iowa | 1,760 | 190 | 6.7% |
| Missouri | 1,620 | 170 | 2.5% |
| Oklahoma | 1,600 | 170 | 6.0% |
| Nebraska | 1,530 | 160 | 3.4% |
| Arkansas | 1,520 | 160 | 2.7% |
| Connecticut | 1,520 | 160 | 6.3% |
| New Mexico | 1,310 | 140 | 5.6% |
| Mississippi | 1,270 | 140 | 4.1% |
| Nevada | 1,240 | 130 | 6.0% |
| Maine | 1,210 | 130 | — |
| Louisiana | 1,080 | 120 | 2.9% |
| Oregon | 1,030 | 110 | 3.0% |
| Michigan | 1,010 | 110 | 1.0% |
| Kansas | 970 | 100 | 2.1% |
| Utah | 880 | 100 | 20.5% |
| Montana | 790 | 80 | 3.9% |
| Massachusetts | 780 | 90 | 9.9% |
| South Dakota | 750 | 80 | 5.6% |
| West Virginia | 750 | 80 | 4.2% |
| New Hampshire | 630 | 70 | — |
| North Dakota | 550 | 60 | 7.8% |
| Wyoming | 500 | 50 | 11.1% |
| Alabama | 490 | 50 | 6.5% |
| Rhode Island | 350 | 40 | 2.9% |
| Puerto Rico | 280 | 30 | 7.7% |
| Alaska | 270 | 30 | 3.8% |
| Delaware | 270 | 30 | 8.0% |
| District of Columbia | 270 | 30 | 8.0% |
| Idaho | 260 | 30 | 13.0% |
| Vermont | 220 | 20 | — |
Career to college
Build a path toward this work.
Start with a related major, then compare colleges where students complete that field.
Where to study
Colleges with strong activity in these fields.
Start with program size, admission, and likely cost. Open a college for the full picture.
Western Governors University
- Degrees each year
- 1,496
- Admit rate
- Not reported
- Annual cost after aid
- $13,000
Arizona State University Campus Immersion
- Degrees each year
- 568
- Admit rate
- 90%
- Annual cost after aid
- $17,000
Liberty University
- Degrees each year
- 522
- Admit rate
- 99%
- Annual cost after aid
- $27,000
Illinois State University
- Degrees each year
- 473
- Admit rate
- 89%
- Annual cost after aid
- $16,000
University of Central Florida
- Degrees each year
- 434
- Admit rate
- 40%
- Annual cost after aid
- $10,000
California State University-Sacramento
- Degrees each year
- 424
- Admit rate
- 94%
- Annual cost after aid
- $9,000
University of Northern Iowa
- Degrees each year
- 432
- Admit rate
- 94%
- Annual cost after aid
- $14,000
California State University-Los Angeles
- Degrees each year
- 402
- Admit rate
- 92%
- Annual cost after aid
- $5,000