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Elementary School Teacher vs Preschool Teacher: what changes?

Consider Elementary School Teacher if you want to teach academic and social skills to students at the elementary school level. Consider Preschool Teacher if you would rather instruct preschool-aged students, following curricula or lesson plans, in activities designed to promote social, physical, and intellectual growth. Entry credentials differ: Elementary School Teacher, bachelor's degree; Preschool Teacher, associate's degree.

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Elementary School Teacher and Preschool Teacher. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences
What this means in practice

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Start with earnings, the route into the job, training, available openings, and a day-to-day reality.

Elementary School Teacher

National median pay (2025)
$63,970
Route into the job
Bachelor's degree
Prior related experience
No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing
BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate
Instruct students individually and in groups, using teaching methods such as lectures, discussions, and demonstrations.
Annual openings (2025–2035)
87,500
Know before you choose

BLS projects employment to shrink 0.4% from 2025 to 2035. Openings can still occur when existing workers leave.

See the full Elementary School Teacher brief

Preschool Teacher

National median pay (2025)
$38,140
Route into the job
Associate's degree
Prior related experience
No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing
BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate
Teach basic skills, such as color, shape, number and letter recognition, personal hygiene, and social skills.
Annual openings (2025–2035)
66,700
Know before you choose

The work routinely happens in close physical proximity to other people; personal space is limited.

See the full Preschool Teacher brief
See scores, detailed data, and how the comparison works

How the national numbers differ

1

Elementary School Teacher has the edge on median pay

Elementary School Teacher is at $63,970, compared with $38,140 for Preschool Teacher.

2

Preschool Teacher has the edge on projected growth

Preschool Teacher is at 4.5% projected growth, compared with -0.4% projected growth for Elementary School Teacher.

3

Typical preparation differs.

Elementary School Teacher: Bachelor's degree Preschool Teacher: Associate's degree Preparation categories do not establish admission difficulty, calendar time, tuition, time without earnings, or licensing difficulty.

4

Elementary School Teacher has the edge on annual openings

Elementary School Teacher is at 87,500 annual openings, compared with 66,700 annual openings for Preschool Teacher.

55/ 100

Elementary School Teacher

vs
54.1/ 100

Preschool Teacher

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence

Elementary School Teacher vs Preschool Teacher

DimensionElementary School TeacherPreschool Teacher
Median pay (2025)$63,970$38,140
Pay percentile55.3 percentile8.7 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)-0.4%4.5%
Annual openings (2025–2035)87,50066,700
2025 employment1,419,300583,200
How you qualifyBachelor's degreeAssociate's degree
O*NET preparation groupJob Zone 4Job Zone 3
Related work experienceNo prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
On-the-job trainingBLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.

The table reports national benchmarks and reviewed work descriptions. It does not rate personal suitability, job security, or physical safety.

Read Elementary School Teacher briefRead Preschool Teacher brief

Try another comparison

Elementary School Teacher vs High School Teacher

Compare pay, growth, education, and the tradeoffs that affect the decision.

Elementary School Teacher
$63,970 · -0.4% growth
High School Teacher
$72,040 · -0.2% growth
Compare careers →

Preschool Teacher vs High School Teacher

Compare pay, growth, education, and the tradeoffs that affect the decision.

Preschool Teacher
$38,140 · 4.5% growth
High School Teacher
$72,040 · -0.2% growth
Compare careers →
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