Pay by state · 51 states
Kindergarten Teacher Salary by State (2026)
Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education earn the most in Washington at $99,960 a year and the least in Montana at $47,590 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $62,680. All 51 states and territories with reported data are ranked below, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $99,960Washington
- National median
- $62,680BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Lowest median
- $47,590Montana
- States reporting
- 51of 54 OEWS areas
All states
Kindergarten Teacher salary in every state
Sort by any column. Employment is the number of kindergarten teachers, except special education OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | WAWashington | $99,960 | $79,150 | $108,050 | 5,270 | $93,409 |
| 2 | CTConnecticut | $90,030 | $73,960 | $102,050 | 1,420 | $86,893 |
| 3 | RIRhode Island | $85,470 | $63,420 | $96,130 | 360 | $83,565 |
| 4 | MAMassachusetts | $84,100 | $65,150 | $100,840 | 1,980 | $79,522 |
| 5 | CACalifornia | $82,550 | $64,100 | $107,340 | 7,430 | $74,557 |
| 6 | DCDistrict of Columbia | $81,500 | $76,160 | $98,110 | 180 | $74,158 |
| 7 | NYNew York | $77,630 | $62,380 | $103,570 | 6,950 | $71,932 |
| 8 | MDMaryland | $75,910 | $62,860 | $93,010 | 1,560 | $72,323 |
| 9 | MNMinnesota | $75,500 | $56,040 | $86,720 | 2,840 | $76,556 |
| 10 | NMNew Mexico | $74,380 | $60,740 | $80,640 | 950 | $80,662 |
| 11 | NJNew Jersey | $74,210 | $62,830 | $96,940 | 5,370 | $68,205 |
| 12 | DEDelaware | $74,030 | $52,300 | $80,450 | 70 | $74,172 |
| 13 | OHOhio | $72,570 | $57,550 | $82,080 | 3,290 | $78,222 |
| 14 | OROregon | $68,580 | $57,560 | $84,920 | 1,330 | $66,350 |
| 15 | GAGeorgia | $65,680 | $59,810 | $77,980 | 4,530 | $68,208 |
| 16 | NVNevada | $64,930 | $55,020 | $78,040 | 1,400 | $64,944 |
| 17 | PAPennsylvania | $64,430 | $57,700 | $80,960 | 2,510 | $66,033 |
| 18 | ILIllinois | $64,020 | $53,010 | $81,390 | 4,660 | $64,047 |
| 19 | VAVirginia | $63,920 | $59,390 | $82,510 | 3,740 | $63,222 |
| 20 | TXTexas | $63,780 | $55,960 | $66,350 | 3,820 | $65,714 |
| 21 | MIMichigan | $63,300 | $47,990 | $81,740 | 1,890 | $65,789 |
| 22 | VTVermont | $63,280 | $55,980 | $79,650 | 250 | $64,599 |
| 23 | UTUtah | $63,190 | $58,120 | $78,360 | 530 | $63,916 |
| 24 | COColorado | $62,870 | $55,120 | $78,850 | 3,260 | $61,008 |
| 25 | IDIdaho | $62,240 | $54,860 | $77,010 | 460 | $65,177 |
| 26 | NENebraska | $62,200 | $51,400 | $75,720 | 1,120 | $69,032 |
| 27 | PRPuerto Rico | $61,760 | $51,770 | $63,270 | 4,120 | N/A |
| 28 | WYWyoming | $60,990 | $58,080 | $63,680 | 360 | $65,799 |
| 29 | SCSouth Carolina | $60,890 | $50,430 | $70,140 | 1,540 | $64,950 |
| 30 | KYKentucky | $60,280 | $49,130 | $65,070 | 2,450 | $66,860 |
| 31 | NHNew Hampshire | $60,240 | $50,850 | $78,920 | 520 | $57,831 |
| 32 | NDNorth Dakota | $59,420 | $49,470 | $62,070 | 600 | $66,795 |
| 33 | WIWisconsin | $59,350 | $48,780 | $72,090 | 1,510 | $63,075 |
| 34 | WVWest Virginia | $58,790 | $50,240 | $62,000 | 730 | $65,689 |
| 35 | IAIowa | $58,420 | $48,830 | $65,780 | 1,160 | $66,566 |
| 36 | INIndiana | $58,250 | $49,030 | $61,860 | 2,120 | $62,414 |
| 37 | FLFlorida | $58,100 | $51,630 | $62,520 | 8,810 | $56,182 |
| 38 | TNTennessee | $58,070 | $49,990 | $63,070 | 2,740 | $63,209 |
| 39 | KSKansas | $56,670 | $49,210 | $61,600 | 1,300 | $62,919 |
| 40 | MOMissouri | $56,590 | $47,780 | $65,300 | 2,300 | $62,312 |
| 41 | NCNorth Carolina | $53,180 | $46,910 | $59,530 | 2,250 | $56,379 |
| 42 | HIHawaii | $53,160 | $47,740 | $69,840 | 90 | $48,349 |
| 43 | LALouisiana | $53,130 | $50,670 | $59,270 | 3,730 | $60,233 |
| 44 | AZArizona | $52,830 | $49,190 | $62,620 | 3,020 | $52,475 |
| 45 | MEMaine | $52,660 | $46,360 | $65,770 | 570 | $54,261 |
| 46 | ARArkansas | $52,060 | $50,420 | $58,980 | 1,490 | $59,882 |
| 47 | ALAlabama | $50,900 | $39,820 | $63,790 | 310 | $57,305 |
| 48 | SDSouth Dakota | $49,410 | $48,050 | $57,440 | 610 | $55,776 |
| 49 | MSMississippi | $48,880 | $47,020 | $56,780 | 1,350 | $56,214 |
| 50 | OKOklahoma | $47,860 | $46,540 | $56,450 | 1,690 | $54,484 |
| 51 | MTMontana | $47,590 | $44,840 | $62,670 | 400 | $50,283 |
Method
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education, that changes the ranking: Washington leads on raw pay at $99,960, while Washington leads once prices are taken into account at $93,409.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Questions
Kindergarten Teacher pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education the most?
Washington reports the highest median wage for Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education at $99,960 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by Connecticut ($90,030) and Rhode Island ($85,470).
Which state pays Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education the least?
Montana reports the lowest median for Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education at $47,590 a year, $52,370 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity puts Washington first at $93,409 in national-average dollars, from a raw median of $99,960. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.