I make $13/hr as an assistant in Georgia. My last day is tomorrow. The previous owner of the company came in yesterday and asked why I was leaving them. When I told her I don't make a livable wage, she laughed and suggested I find a roommate. Ma'am, I have a whole fiance and three children, but great solution 👍🏻
The amount of times the owner of our school-who owns four total- has suggested that someone ‘gets a roommate’ when they turn in notice is way too high. As she drives up in her 2024 full size SUV and in between multiple week long vacations 🙄
My director changed the subject REAL quick after she saw I was about to go off lol fully explained to this woman as professionally as possible that I have never made so little since I was 17 and after rent, I have $300 left for the whole month. F them kids 🤣
Like $12.50/hour as a lead over here lol
But I live in a poverty area and this is actually really good for where I’m at (like there are people making federal minimum around here still. I love when people say the fight for $15 is over and old news and everyone gets that now and I’m over here like lmfao not all of us fam! Some of us live in poor man’s landia still)
I was making $17 up until recently. Last week got bumped up to a whopping $18 after I threatened to put my notice in if I wasn’t getting a raise— I was promised one after 90 days but didn’t get it til 6 months in, had to fight for it, it was not fun and I’m still not happy because it’s not enough (obviously) I live in NY minimum wage just went from $15 to $16
That high! Here is in California it’s Minimum wage is 16. Though some cities it’s higher. Off course business have all increases pricing too. Though the public transit agency decreased fare.
Washington minimum wage is 16.28 not 20 according to this (https://minimumwage.com/in-your-state/). Though maybe Seattle had there only law like many California Counties/Cities
Most of the major cities have implemented their own minimum wage ordinance, higher than the state average. In the Seattle area, it’s $20. Technically 19.97 or something like that… basically, 20.
I used to be a lead, quit last year, was making $14.13 hourly as a lead infant teacher in southern New Jersey. It was definitely not enough to live off of.
In Seattle area and the school published the salaries for teachers. Leads are full time but it comes out to $36/hour plus benefits, PTO, insurance, etc. Other teachers make closer to $28 if I recall.
I should add the qualifications. My daughter's lead teacher has a bachelors. It's a Montessori school but they pay for the teachers to get certified.
I don't know about that poster, but I work for SPS and our lead teachers are certificated teachers, so they're making 100k+. I'm an assistant and make $36/hr plus great benefits. Seattle schools are a mess, but Seattle Preschool Program is funded through the city too, so we are a bit protected from all the SPS bullshit.
I'm assistant making $18.65. Leads in prekcounts are salary and can make up to $50,000 depend on on experience and education. Non funded lead teachers make $19 and up.
I responded, but deleted it because it might get me in trouble as the info was too specific. If you are near Tulsa and want to make more money as an Early Childhood Educator, message me. I make a lot. Like, more than anyone I've seen here. And I'm pretty happy where I am as well. Let me know if you need more info on where I work. I'm a lead teacher with a bachelor's degree, but we also hire teachers with little education or experience.
No, we get a monthly bonus based on our lesson plans. We get $10 for everything planned and done for the week. We also get a bonus for driving bus, closing the building and doing evaluations.
I’ve been thinking about applying to Head Start because I’d get a nice pay increase and I’m wondering if yours is the one I’m thinking of! Hmmm, if it’s got a NFL team in the name in an area with a fruit name, give me the good bad and ugly!
Well I'm in Kansas, so there is no NFL team associated with fruit lol. But it's been a great job and I have amazing support. Since Head Start is federally funded there are a LOT of extra things we need to do compared to private preschools or the school district preschool program, but it all has a purpose and it's all backed by decades of research.
I just got bumped to $18 a few weeks ago only because starting pay went up, and they didn’t want me to be paid less than newer teachers. Which I appreciate, but with the kids I have in my room, definitely aint enough
I make $19 an hour and thinking about asking for a raise. I live “comfy” as a single person but things are just getting more expensive. I’m also one of the only accountable teachers, by the books/state regs and do the most for my classroom compared to the rest of the center. I’m not being dramatic when I say they all deserve minimum wage. Sorry not sorry.
I’m in NY btw
Co-teacher situation here and I make $15.75 in AL. Def on the lower end- everyone in my center (teacher wise) makes the same. Prob the reason we can’t replace the one teacher who quit to work an office job to get health insurance.
I work half day so I can still make pick up for my school age kids
Wow. I recently left my center after 8 years total with 4 being a director mostly because I only made $16.25 per hour. New hires without even having the required training hours were getting hired at $14.
$19/hr as lead teacher at an in-home facility. I'm in Washington State, like many other commenters... But the min wage is only $20 in Seattle, not the whole state.
14.5 but gonna be getting 15.50 in a month as a raise. Living in Texas. I currently have all of the educational requirement for CDA, just trying to get my room ready for the visit now.
Looking at everyone’s pay, I wanna move 😭
I mean, yeah. I sure as hell deserve that much for the work I do. But I’m already making more than my coteacher and she’s a mother of three (I’m a 23 year old who still lives at home)! They don’t pay ANYONE at this school enough…
19.2/hr, with heath benefits. I honestly have little experience and am expecting an increase when I finish my training through my company. I live in Texas and work with infants
$26 in Ontario, Canada. I do a damn great job and work way beyond requirements because I actually love my job. So when I told my current work place my old supervisor wanted to hire me back after my mat leave I negotiated with my current and they gave me a raise as close to what my old supervisor was offering.
$17/hour, also north NJ. I agree, it’s not nearly enough for the amount of work we do (especially north NJ, it’s so expensive 😭) At my last school I would get $1 raise a year, I was an assistant then. I started my lead position in November so probably sometime in the summer or fall I’ll ask for a raise.
17 an hour man.. I'm not a lead teacher I'm an assistant teacher for pre k and a float in a daycare and make 19.20 an hour I feel that's kinda low as well but I live in a city area where its expensive
new hampshire, started at $16/hour as a lead almost a year ago, now I'm at $16.25 (whoop dee doo). still nowhere near livable, but my one year anniversary is coming up so we'll see what i can negotiate
This isn’t really a valid question to ask bc everyone’s responses will vary based on what area they live in. I make 17/hr in a mid size Midwest city and it’s not enough for me to live on, and it’s double the minimum wage
Well yeah, I asked for input primarily from folks around here — as in, around northern New Jersey — but also am asking for input from anyone in general. I knew everyone’s answers would vary.
I work in PA as a lead PreK teacher (bachelors degree required for my position). Been at my center a little under a year and I make $20.60/hr. I’m looking into new teaching jobs through our county units for better pay and hours. I can’t live off $20/hr with extremely long days.
At my most recent job I was making $13 an hr as a lead. When I chose to switch to assistant in a different room, I was making the same. I applied for and was offered a position with a different company and their base offer was $13 and if I scrounged up enough relevant coursework documentation I could have gotten as much as $13.76. I declined their offer and am exploring the possibility of opening my own preschool and childcare center.
I make $12 as a lead 🥲 but don’t worry, in two years I can get a raise and get $12.25!!
I am also one of the highest paid teachers at the center bc of education + experience
Currently I make 20.50. I’m in Northern California and have an associates degree. I’m biting the nail and going back to school for my bachelor’s because I need to make more money. It sounds great on paper but it’s not enough to live on if something were to happen to my husband and I had to support our daughter by myself.
Chicago
$20 / hr. First year teaching, but I taught swimming for two years and I have a lot of ECE credits. No degree (yet). I also have a lot of ece- tangential courses which I think helped.
I’m up for a raise in April and I’m really nervous about asking for it. I really like my center and my parents give me such great feedback to the director- plus a good relationship with them- but I’m still nervous! Idk how much to ask.
I make a salary of 58k a year, (I am also an AD but both me and my SD are also head teachers). I have 9 years experience, 4 as a head teacher. I do have a bachelor’s degree but not in ECE or related. I started at this center 3 years ago at 43k a year.
Location, experience, and education are important. Have you explored job postings for local schools in your area for the same position and compared pay? I would start there! Knowing the local market value and being able to show/prove it speaks volumes in negotiation.
Do you have your teaching license? I wouldn’t accept anything under 35 an hour…those without teaching licenses usually get around 20-24 an hour near me.
I make 18.90 as a lead in Tucson AZ (it’s not super expensive here compared to other areas). I’m getting my yearly raise next month plus I’m almost done getting my CDA which will give me another raise that’s probably 75 cents. I have a bachelors degree in liberal arts with (at least) 12 credits in ECE/Psychology. That helped me negotiate better pay at hire. I also have the opportunity to get 3 more raises by completing a free educational program offered by my company. I also have pto, sick pay, health insurance, and eventually 401k matching. I am still poor but I’ve fought hard for a better position. I love what I do; I’m passionate about it. I just want to work with kids and not be poor.
Edit to say this is at a very large child care company
$21 in Alabama. I have two bachelors (Spanish language and Child/Family Studies), experience, and I’m working on my MA. It doesn’t compare to the average salaries around here (loads of engineers), but it’s Alabama, and the pay structure is very rigid and comes preset from corporate so I couldn’t negotiate.
I would be making over $30/hr in the Bay Area in CA as a lead. We moved in July 2022 to WA and I am not a lead any more but I'd still make way less as a lead here. I thought it was fair, but I have two kids now and the 40% discount would not have gone very far. Basically my whole paycheck would be going to childcare.
I make $15.50 as a lead in a small privately owned center in WNC. I have around 20yrs experience and my credentials. Living wage was just pushed to over $17 here….but places can’t keep up. My spouse makes more doing trash removal at fancy apartment complexes where the residents consider themselves too “special” to walk their garbage to the dumpster themselves. Kind of sad honestly.
My base rate from the company is $19.50. Thanks to government grants, it’s more like $25/hour. I had to ask for that extra dollar in my base rate. Otherwise, I’d only be making a dollar more than the non-ECEs at the centre
Edit: This is Ontario, Canada
I make just under $28 but I’m a lead for my entire age group program. Im Massachusetts so I’m still below cost of living but huge improvement from getting hired at $15.50!
Granted I was just made a lead teacher with little experience in a daycare setting (lots of previous experience as a nanny and camp counselor), and I make $14.50 an hour. It is seriously not enough to live on when McDonalds is hiring for $16 an hour in my area.
I live in Pennsylvania currently co leading I make 16.75 an hour asked for seventeen because I'm in school and missing chucks of the mornings three days out of the week that's the reason they wouldn't pay me what I wanted which I still find ridiculous however I was told they would speed up when we got our quarterly raises (that we only get for up to a year) of 25 cents cueing the eyeroll
I’m very fortunate to be earning ~33 per hour as a lead (I’m paid an annual salary so that’s about the breakdown) with benefits, *before taxes.*I have 12+ years experience, bachelors and ECE certifications. Our preschool is part of a k-8, and years ago our director negotiated that we would be paid the same salary bands as k-5 teachers. I’m in California.
$17.50 as a lead in nebraska. bachelors in elementary plus i wouldn’t shut up about making more money. according to my immediate higher ups, this is “probably as good as it’s gonna get for right now”.
i’m in europe, but we don’t have leads/assistants at my center. we have teachers and interns doing a study! we get paid here based on experience and education. since i had like 4 years experience working with children with a bachelor’s degree, i was offered my starting of €17/hour which is about $18/hour.
They tried keeping my hourly at $17 when they “promoted” me to lead and I gave my two weeks a week or so later after expressing that won’t work for me and they essentially said too bad. Suburb in Massachusetts for reference.
I made $20/hr as a lead for 3K in NYC…yes, NYC. Right as I was about to hand in my 2 weeks, I was promoted to assistant director with a significant raise and benefits. I will never accept that treatment again.
Oh my freaking heck! Please move to Australia immediately. Qld is desperate for teachers and pay is over $70/hour (gross) and can go higher. Lead/senior teacher can get over 100 000 per year. You get paid for 5 hours / day but are expected to also plan etc after hours but still way more than you are making. Also, have you seen pictures of Queensland? :)
[https://www.qtu.asn.au/salaries-CA2022](https://www.qtu.asn.au/salaries-CA2022)
$14.91/hr, infant teacher in south carolina. minimum wage here is still $7.25
i have my associates in ece- graduate this winter with my bachelors- in the field for 8 years this year
Reading these answers about minimum wage reminds me how absolutely nuts it is that ND, and the National minimum wage is $7.25, so some people are making the same as I was when I graduated high school 20 years ago.
25. 26 after my 90 days plus a 100 health stipend. I was making no more than 18 in Nevada before I moved here. That's with a decade of experience and a CDA
Not a lead here per se as the center just has all teachers on sane level
19.25 in Chicago and I had to beg for the extra bit.
I was making 16.5 as an assistant and 17.5 in the suburbs as a lead. I recently earned my montessori diploma. So I'll definitely going to ask for a raise.. I think 20 is fair but you should ask closer to 25.
Minneapolis: $23 after my last raise, plus we get a monthly bonus of about $300 about 8 times a year. i have an unrelated bachelor degree and 30 years experience in the field.
$17.25 as a lead, I also do the cleaning of two classrooms on the weekends at $25.00 an hour.
My center for my area is one of the higher hourly rates than other centers.
Starting pay is now $14.00.
State minimum wage is $7.25.
I’m a floater and I currently make $17 an hour. I’ve been offered a co-lead position and will get a 2 dollar raise. Our lead teachers get paid $22-$25 dollars based on their degree and skills. According to other teachers in the area we get paid very well although some other teachers disagree…we are based in NYC. Hope this helps.
I make a hair over $26/hr, Chicagoland area
How many years experience do you have? I also assume you have a CDA or degree in ECE?
8 years experience, with a bachelor’s degree in an unrelated field. I do have lots of coursework in education and early childhood education, though.
Geez. I was making $16.50 an hour in Chicago with 7 years experience and a bachelor’s degree in an unrelated field. This was 3 years ago, but still.
The market was veryyyyy different 3 years ago. I have 8 years of experience and am in grad school!
Curious, what kind of center? And what’s your level of education?
In an affluent suburb. B.S. in an unrelated field, with coursework in EDU and ECE. Currently enrolled in grad school!
I make $13/hr as an assistant in Georgia. My last day is tomorrow. The previous owner of the company came in yesterday and asked why I was leaving them. When I told her I don't make a livable wage, she laughed and suggested I find a roommate. Ma'am, I have a whole fiance and three children, but great solution 👍🏻
The amount of times the owner of our school-who owns four total- has suggested that someone ‘gets a roommate’ when they turn in notice is way too high. As she drives up in her 2024 full size SUV and in between multiple week long vacations 🙄
So disrespectful. I would have told her she could swap salaries with me and get a roommate herself since she thinks it’s no biggie.
Exactly. I’d report this to HR but I bet there isn’t one. I know this game.
I wouldn't even know what to say tbh
Maam, I already have four roommates. 😂
My director changed the subject REAL quick after she saw I was about to go off lol fully explained to this woman as professionally as possible that I have never made so little since I was 17 and after rent, I have $300 left for the whole month. F them kids 🤣
I make 13.50 as a lead lol
Like $12.50/hour as a lead over here lol But I live in a poverty area and this is actually really good for where I’m at (like there are people making federal minimum around here still. I love when people say the fight for $15 is over and old news and everyone gets that now and I’m over here like lmfao not all of us fam! Some of us live in poor man’s landia still)
I'm at 4 years as a lead teacher in the same classroom getting 12.50/hr
Lol. I started with $13.50 too. Then it went up to $14.50 before I left that center.
I was making $17 up until recently. Last week got bumped up to a whopping $18 after I threatened to put my notice in if I wasn’t getting a raise— I was promised one after 90 days but didn’t get it til 6 months in, had to fight for it, it was not fun and I’m still not happy because it’s not enough (obviously) I live in NY minimum wage just went from $15 to $16
18 is still not enough 😭 it should be 25 for lead teachers. Thank god you least fight for it
I live in Seattle and make $24 as an assistant teacher. Minimum wage here is $20. I have 10 years experience and a degree.
I make $22 in seattle! i want $24 now! lol
That high! Here is in California it’s Minimum wage is 16. Though some cities it’s higher. Off course business have all increases pricing too. Though the public transit agency decreased fare. Washington minimum wage is 16.28 not 20 according to this (https://minimumwage.com/in-your-state/). Though maybe Seattle had there only law like many California Counties/Cities
Most of the major cities have implemented their own minimum wage ordinance, higher than the state average. In the Seattle area, it’s $20. Technically 19.97 or something like that… basically, 20.
Me too!
wow a lot of seattle people here
I pay all my teachers $30
Can I come work for you?
$24/hour in Seattle
I used to be a lead, quit last year, was making $14.13 hourly as a lead infant teacher in southern New Jersey. It was definitely not enough to live off of.
That's the minimum wage. What were they paying everyone else?
Also $14.13. Someone asked to make $15 and the place threw a fit
No wonder you quit. What terrible management. And NJ isn't cheap either.
Nope. I’m lucky that I live with my parents because finding a job has been hell, but damn I’d rather be unemployed than working there.
In Seattle area and the school published the salaries for teachers. Leads are full time but it comes out to $36/hour plus benefits, PTO, insurance, etc. Other teachers make closer to $28 if I recall. I should add the qualifications. My daughter's lead teacher has a bachelors. It's a Montessori school but they pay for the teachers to get certified.
$36/hour! Is that just one school?
I don't know about that poster, but I work for SPS and our lead teachers are certificated teachers, so they're making 100k+. I'm an assistant and make $36/hr plus great benefits. Seattle schools are a mess, but Seattle Preschool Program is funded through the city too, so we are a bit protected from all the SPS bullshit.
I made $32 with excellent benefits, stipends, etc as a lead in CA! Not uncommon with the right agency in the right type of area.
Yup, just one school. Not a chain
That’s really good for Seattle 👀
wtf are you hiring lol
LOL I can say the school has pretty low turnover
fair enough, i’d stick around for $36!
I'm assistant making $18.65. Leads in prekcounts are salary and can make up to $50,000 depend on on experience and education. Non funded lead teachers make $19 and up.
$30 with benefits in Toronto, Canada
I'm in BC, Canada and make around $28 after the provincial government wage top up. But I converted to USD and it's not even $21 lol
Cries in Oklahoma, $10/hr here.🥲
I responded, but deleted it because it might get me in trouble as the info was too specific. If you are near Tulsa and want to make more money as an Early Childhood Educator, message me. I make a lot. Like, more than anyone I've seen here. And I'm pretty happy where I am as well. Let me know if you need more info on where I work. I'm a lead teacher with a bachelor's degree, but we also hire teachers with little education or experience.
I am just so sorry. You deserve much more!
Wow, you make me feel better over here in poor, rural, poverty stricken PA. We’re not doing well, but slightly better than you!
Chicago suburbs- $28/hr but the pay is based on years teaching.
How many years have you been teaching? I live in Chicago and the pay at the center I was at was terrible.
I've been teaching part-time for 15 years. I think the pay scale hits $28 after 10 years of experience.
24/h in toronto canada plus a provincial wage enhancement that brings it up to basically 26/h
Where do you work? A company like the Y or just a regular daycare? I make $30 + benefits.
regular daycare! i get benefits after a year i think
$21.50 in Minneapolis
I make $16 an hour before my bonus. With my bonus, I make close to $20 an hour. Thankfully, I live in a state where the cost of living is low
Bonus as in... Yearly?
No, we get a monthly bonus based on our lesson plans. We get $10 for everything planned and done for the week. We also get a bonus for driving bus, closing the building and doing evaluations.
my lead made 3300 a month
I make $22 in MA, with a bachelors degree
About $25 an hour near Seattle.
24 in greater seattle area
Our TA’s start around $17, leads around $20.
$13/hour. 25 years experience😅
Why would you sell yourself so short ??
I make about $28/hr as a Head Start teacher in Kansas. I'll make more once I finish my licensure program.
I’ve been thinking about applying to Head Start because I’d get a nice pay increase and I’m wondering if yours is the one I’m thinking of! Hmmm, if it’s got a NFL team in the name in an area with a fruit name, give me the good bad and ugly!
Well I'm in Kansas, so there is no NFL team associated with fruit lol. But it's been a great job and I have amazing support. Since Head Start is federally funded there are a LOT of extra things we need to do compared to private preschools or the school district preschool program, but it all has a purpose and it's all backed by decades of research.
I just got bumped to $18 a few weeks ago only because starting pay went up, and they didn’t want me to be paid less than newer teachers. Which I appreciate, but with the kids I have in my room, definitely aint enough
My partner makes 22/hr. I'm a floater teacher and I make 16.50/hr
16.50 as a lead. And that’s on the higher end in my area.
When I was lead they were paying me 16.50 & then the assistant they hired for me was getting paid 17 & she didn’t even have ECE units 💀
Kindercare did that too, they hired people with 0 experience that would be getting paid more than me w a degree 😱
Yeah I was at learning care group & they did that to me. Never again!
I make $19 an hour and thinking about asking for a raise. I live “comfy” as a single person but things are just getting more expensive. I’m also one of the only accountable teachers, by the books/state regs and do the most for my classroom compared to the rest of the center. I’m not being dramatic when I say they all deserve minimum wage. Sorry not sorry. I’m in NY btw
I make 17 as an assistant but since they have given me more responsibility I am thinking of asking for a raise as well.
$27.60 in Seattle.
I make $24 outside Philly
$18 in Kansas City and I had to practically beg
Co-teacher situation here and I make $15.75 in AL. Def on the lower end- everyone in my center (teacher wise) makes the same. Prob the reason we can’t replace the one teacher who quit to work an office job to get health insurance. I work half day so I can still make pick up for my school age kids
Wow. I recently left my center after 8 years total with 4 being a director mostly because I only made $16.25 per hour. New hires without even having the required training hours were getting hired at $14.
22 in South Carolina & I know I’m on the high end for the area. I’m 28 and feel like I’ve peaked
20/HR as an assistant. The teachers at my placeake 30-40 (San Diego area) and I'll be bumped up to more like 25 when my credentials come thru
Can I ask you what part of SD? Like north/south? I’m only making $20 as a lead!!
Sending you a dm girl 👍
$19/hr as lead teacher at an in-home facility. I'm in Washington State, like many other commenters... But the min wage is only $20 in Seattle, not the whole state.
$22.50 as a lead
19.50 an hour in MN, that's actually on the higher end for the area. Most of the centers around my job only pay leads $15-17
$20 in CA
22/hr with no experience
Do you mind sharing a general location?
SoCal in an expensive city. This wouldn’t be enough to live off if I didn’t split rent w my partner
14.5 but gonna be getting 15.50 in a month as a raise. Living in Texas. I currently have all of the educational requirement for CDA, just trying to get my room ready for the visit now. Looking at everyone’s pay, I wanna move 😭
My lead teachers make 15 I make 14 😳
I would expect 25 at least for that change
You think I should ask they raise my wage from $17 to $25? Am I crazy for thinking they’ll think I’M crazy for asking?
I mean, yeah. I sure as hell deserve that much for the work I do. But I’m already making more than my coteacher and she’s a mother of three (I’m a 23 year old who still lives at home)! They don’t pay ANYONE at this school enough…
$21/hr in CT
13.50 an hour in Virginia 🙄
20.15 New Mexico with BA in early childhood and +10yrs experience.
19.2/hr, with heath benefits. I honestly have little experience and am expecting an increase when I finish my training through my company. I live in Texas and work with infants
$26 in Ontario, Canada. I do a damn great job and work way beyond requirements because I actually love my job. So when I told my current work place my old supervisor wanted to hire me back after my mat leave I negotiated with my current and they gave me a raise as close to what my old supervisor was offering.
As the assistant director at my center in TN, I was making $14.50/hr 🙃 Big reason why I left.
I’ve been at my school for 21 years and just passed $20 an hour, pathetic I work in New Jersey in one of the large chain daycares.
Not a lead but I’m an assistant and make $20 in NYC
$17/hour, also north NJ. I agree, it’s not nearly enough for the amount of work we do (especially north NJ, it’s so expensive 😭) At my last school I would get $1 raise a year, I was an assistant then. I started my lead position in November so probably sometime in the summer or fall I’ll ask for a raise.
23/hr with minimal benefits in Denver working as a lead teacher. 10 years experience, INS and director qualified.
17 an hour man.. I'm not a lead teacher I'm an assistant teacher for pre k and a float in a daycare and make 19.20 an hour I feel that's kinda low as well but I live in a city area where its expensive
I make 22 an hour as an assistant. My lead makes 25 an hour.
new hampshire, started at $16/hour as a lead almost a year ago, now I'm at $16.25 (whoop dee doo). still nowhere near livable, but my one year anniversary is coming up so we'll see what i can negotiate
$16.50 at my old job, $19 at my current one. I have a bachelor’s in human development and I’m in the northeast US.
$20/hr in metro Detroit
I make $18.60 in rural Maine. I'm making a decent living for our area.
I’m not a lead but I make $21.82 as an assistant in Los Angeles. 7 years experience. No degree
$18 in WA
I make 18 :(
This isn’t really a valid question to ask bc everyone’s responses will vary based on what area they live in. I make 17/hr in a mid size Midwest city and it’s not enough for me to live on, and it’s double the minimum wage
Well yeah, I asked for input primarily from folks around here — as in, around northern New Jersey — but also am asking for input from anyone in general. I knew everyone’s answers would vary.
I work in PA as a lead PreK teacher (bachelors degree required for my position). Been at my center a little under a year and I make $20.60/hr. I’m looking into new teaching jobs through our county units for better pay and hours. I can’t live off $20/hr with extremely long days.
$19.50 about 30 min north of Seattle
At my most recent job I was making $13 an hr as a lead. When I chose to switch to assistant in a different room, I was making the same. I applied for and was offered a position with a different company and their base offer was $13 and if I scrounged up enough relevant coursework documentation I could have gotten as much as $13.76. I declined their offer and am exploring the possibility of opening my own preschool and childcare center.
I make $12 as a lead 🥲 but don’t worry, in two years I can get a raise and get $12.25!! I am also one of the highest paid teachers at the center bc of education + experience
$20 in IL
I make $17.25/hr as a lead at my center in Missouri. I have my CDA and that’s it.
Currently I make 20.50. I’m in Northern California and have an associates degree. I’m biting the nail and going back to school for my bachelor’s because I need to make more money. It sounds great on paper but it’s not enough to live on if something were to happen to my husband and I had to support our daughter by myself.
I make $20.50 in CT. I have a degree & many years of experience.
Central Indiana. $20.45/hr. 17 yrs experience. 11.5 at this school. Infant/toddler CDA.
$23, just outside DC.
$15/hour at a private preschool, 4 years lead teaching. ECE degree.
I made $14 an hour before I left for public education. I had a masters degree then too
Chicago $20 / hr. First year teaching, but I taught swimming for two years and I have a lot of ECE credits. No degree (yet). I also have a lot of ece- tangential courses which I think helped. I’m up for a raise in April and I’m really nervous about asking for it. I really like my center and my parents give me such great feedback to the director- plus a good relationship with them- but I’m still nervous! Idk how much to ask.
I make a salary of 58k a year, (I am also an AD but both me and my SD are also head teachers). I have 9 years experience, 4 as a head teacher. I do have a bachelor’s degree but not in ECE or related. I started at this center 3 years ago at 43k a year.
$19.26 in OR
Location, experience, and education are important. Have you explored job postings for local schools in your area for the same position and compared pay? I would start there! Knowing the local market value and being able to show/prove it speaks volumes in negotiation.
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Do you have your teaching license? I wouldn’t accept anything under 35 an hour…those without teaching licenses usually get around 20-24 an hour near me.
I made 15 as a lead. Now I make 16 as a floater in a new center, and leads make $17.50
We pay 20-25 $/h for leads and 16-18$/h for assistants plus benefits in Columbus, Ohio.
I make 18.90 as a lead in Tucson AZ (it’s not super expensive here compared to other areas). I’m getting my yearly raise next month plus I’m almost done getting my CDA which will give me another raise that’s probably 75 cents. I have a bachelors degree in liberal arts with (at least) 12 credits in ECE/Psychology. That helped me negotiate better pay at hire. I also have the opportunity to get 3 more raises by completing a free educational program offered by my company. I also have pto, sick pay, health insurance, and eventually 401k matching. I am still poor but I’ve fought hard for a better position. I love what I do; I’m passionate about it. I just want to work with kids and not be poor. Edit to say this is at a very large child care company
26/hr plus monthly stipend for other things I do.
Ohio, $11.00 with an associates degree as assistant, if I move up, I max at $12.50 at my center 🥲
Afternoon lead, solo. 4/5s. North Texas area. $16/hr
$21 in Alabama. I have two bachelors (Spanish language and Child/Family Studies), experience, and I’m working on my MA. It doesn’t compare to the average salaries around here (loads of engineers), but it’s Alabama, and the pay structure is very rigid and comes preset from corporate so I couldn’t negotiate.
I would be making over $30/hr in the Bay Area in CA as a lead. We moved in July 2022 to WA and I am not a lead any more but I'd still make way less as a lead here. I thought it was fair, but I have two kids now and the 40% discount would not have gone very far. Basically my whole paycheck would be going to childcare.
I make $15.50 as a lead in a small privately owned center in WNC. I have around 20yrs experience and my credentials. Living wage was just pushed to over $17 here….but places can’t keep up. My spouse makes more doing trash removal at fancy apartment complexes where the residents consider themselves too “special” to walk their garbage to the dumpster themselves. Kind of sad honestly.
$17 as a floater. Affluent New York area. $2 raise a year.
My base rate from the company is $19.50. Thanks to government grants, it’s more like $25/hour. I had to ask for that extra dollar in my base rate. Otherwise, I’d only be making a dollar more than the non-ECEs at the centre Edit: This is Ontario, Canada
Where I'm at with wage enhancement it's $30 for ECE and I/T, if I lead would be $32 these are CAD amounts
I make just under $28 but I’m a lead for my entire age group program. Im Massachusetts so I’m still below cost of living but huge improvement from getting hired at $15.50!
$11/hr *cries*
Granted I was just made a lead teacher with little experience in a daycare setting (lots of previous experience as a nanny and camp counselor), and I make $14.50 an hour. It is seriously not enough to live on when McDonalds is hiring for $16 an hour in my area.
I'm not a lead (nor an assistant, Canada works differently) but I make $30/hr canadian/22usd
In Arlington VA we pay our leads (must have a CDA or greater and at lest 5 years experience) starting $27/hr.
Making 14/hr as a floater in NC. Been working as an assistant and hoping once my 90 days comes up they'll give me an increase.
I live in Pennsylvania currently co leading I make 16.75 an hour asked for seventeen because I'm in school and missing chucks of the mornings three days out of the week that's the reason they wouldn't pay me what I wanted which I still find ridiculous however I was told they would speed up when we got our quarterly raises (that we only get for up to a year) of 25 cents cueing the eyeroll
I make just over $32/hr as a lead in LA
I’m very fortunate to be earning ~33 per hour as a lead (I’m paid an annual salary so that’s about the breakdown) with benefits, *before taxes.*I have 12+ years experience, bachelors and ECE certifications. Our preschool is part of a k-8, and years ago our director negotiated that we would be paid the same salary bands as k-5 teachers. I’m in California.
$17.50 as a lead in nebraska. bachelors in elementary plus i wouldn’t shut up about making more money. according to my immediate higher ups, this is “probably as good as it’s gonna get for right now”.
lead teachers at my school make $24-$26ish an hour, depending on education and experience. san diego, california area. assistants make about $19-$20.
Seattle, I’m a team lead now but as a lead teacher I was making $27 last year.
i’m in europe, but we don’t have leads/assistants at my center. we have teachers and interns doing a study! we get paid here based on experience and education. since i had like 4 years experience working with children with a bachelor’s degree, i was offered my starting of €17/hour which is about $18/hour.
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They tried keeping my hourly at $17 when they “promoted” me to lead and I gave my two weeks a week or so later after expressing that won’t work for me and they essentially said too bad. Suburb in Massachusetts for reference.
I made $20/hr as a lead for 3K in NYC…yes, NYC. Right as I was about to hand in my 2 weeks, I was promoted to assistant director with a significant raise and benefits. I will never accept that treatment again.
I have a bachelors degree in education making $20
Oh my freaking heck! Please move to Australia immediately. Qld is desperate for teachers and pay is over $70/hour (gross) and can go higher. Lead/senior teacher can get over 100 000 per year. You get paid for 5 hours / day but are expected to also plan etc after hours but still way more than you are making. Also, have you seen pictures of Queensland? :) [https://www.qtu.asn.au/salaries-CA2022](https://www.qtu.asn.au/salaries-CA2022)
$18/hr in Connecticut. Was previously $17 until I got my CDA. Worked here 3 years and that’s my only raise.
18/hr. I work for a big, national company. Idk why they can’t pay us more.
$15 an hour. i’m in va 😭
$14.91/hr, infant teacher in south carolina. minimum wage here is still $7.25 i have my associates in ece- graduate this winter with my bachelors- in the field for 8 years this year
Reading these answers about minimum wage reminds me how absolutely nuts it is that ND, and the National minimum wage is $7.25, so some people are making the same as I was when I graduated high school 20 years ago.
25. 26 after my 90 days plus a 100 health stipend. I was making no more than 18 in Nevada before I moved here. That's with a decade of experience and a CDA Not a lead here per se as the center just has all teachers on sane level
I'm an inclusion teacher. $31 an hour.
SoCal- $20/hr. It’s not even close to enough for the cost of living here.
Left recently, but I made $13 an hour as an assistant teacher in Florida
I direct a preschool. My lead guide (years of experience and a BA in Education) gets $28 in California. The assistants get $22.
Seattle Bellevue area. Made $26 as a Lead. Had an opportunity to make $28hr as they really wanted me to stay. Only had 1 year prior teaching.
$15/hr Wyoming
I’m a lead toddler teacher in Chicago and I make 20 an hour
$17.50 an hour and it took me 5 years to get to that from $12.50. You can’t even afford a one bedroom apartment with that in my area
I'm a lead teacher in Denver, Colorado making $21 an hour
I’m not a lead teacher per se but I run my own private preschool program and with an agency will be making roughly $20/hour (Canada).
$21/hr in Minnesota
I’m making 28.50 as a lead in my 20th year teaching. We’re in Massachusetts, HCOL area.
19.25 in Chicago and I had to beg for the extra bit. I was making 16.5 as an assistant and 17.5 in the suburbs as a lead. I recently earned my montessori diploma. So I'll definitely going to ask for a raise.. I think 20 is fair but you should ask closer to 25.
My teachers make $22 in Ma
I have a degree in ECE i make $21 in PA
Minneapolis: $23 after my last raise, plus we get a monthly bonus of about $300 about 8 times a year. i have an unrelated bachelor degree and 30 years experience in the field.
$17.25 as a lead, I also do the cleaning of two classrooms on the weekends at $25.00 an hour. My center for my area is one of the higher hourly rates than other centers. Starting pay is now $14.00. State minimum wage is $7.25.
I am a assistant teacher but I am lead teacher qualified. I live in Maryland and the lead teachers I have worked with make around 17/hr.
I’m a floater and I currently make $17 an hour. I’ve been offered a co-lead position and will get a 2 dollar raise. Our lead teachers get paid $22-$25 dollars based on their degree and skills. According to other teachers in the area we get paid very well although some other teachers disagree…we are based in NYC. Hope this helps.