Early Childhood Education Jobs in Alaska

Work in Alaska’s early childhood education field and you’ll be part of something quite special. In 2016, Alaska’s State Board of Education and Early Development assembled for one, specific goal: improving public education in Alaska. From there Alaska’s Education Challenge was implemented and actions aimed at specific goals were put into motion.

Today, much consideration in the state is given to the earliest learners, and recommendations from the Alaska Education Challenge, an outline for scholastic and developmental success, begin at preschool age, so that all children in Alaska, regardless of age, enjoy access to rich learning experiences. The long-term goals of this challenge will require educators who can guide the youngest of learners as they begin their educational journey.

With ample job opportunities, particularly throughout the state’s rural regions, and salaries outpacing the national average, it’s a great time to begin working in Alaska’s early childhood education field.

Early Childhood Jobs in Alaska

For Alaska’s aspiring early childhood educators, there’s a couple of good reasons why there’s plenty to look forward to. First, this state continues to rank among the top in the nation for teacher salaries. At more than $36,000 annually, early childhood educators in Alaska are earning about $2,000 more than the national average. And second, Alaska’s continued struggles to meet the demand for early childhood educators, particularly in rural parts of the state, means job opportunities are abundant and continuing to grow.

Occupation	Total Employed	Median Annual Salary	% of US Median
Childcare Workers	1,880	$27,900	113%
Child, Family, and School Social Workers	~1,500	$48,970	98%
Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School	640	$72,770	115%
Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education	940	$36,210	102%
Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education	200	$62,660	107%
Special Education Teachers, Preschool	90	$65,500	106%
Education Administrators, Preschool and Childcare	140	$57,760	107%
= Salary below nat’l. avg.      = Salary above nat’l. avg.

Explore the early childhood educator job openings posted almost anywhere in Alaska and you’ll quickly find that salaries in most categories trump the national average. Most notable are the earnings among special education teachers in kindergarten and elementary school settings, with teachers in both these areas earning nearly $10,000 more than the national average.

Childcare Workers – Childcare workers in Alaska earn $27,900 on average – that’s about $3,000 more than the national average.  Jobs for Alaska’s childcare workers are projected to increase by 5.9% through 2026.

Child, Family, and School Social Workers – The roughly 1500 child, family, and social workers in Alaska earn an average of $48,970, a salary that is quite close to the national average. The number of child, family, and school social workers in Alaska is projected to rise 3.1% through 2026.

Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education – Kindergarten teachers in Alaska enjoy an average salary of $62,660, or about $4,000 more than the national average. The number employed in this field total 200.

Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education – Like many other professions in early childhood education, preschool teachers in Alaska earn a salary that beats the national average. With average earnings of $36,210, preschool teachers here make about $2,000 more than the national average. There are 940 preschool teachers working in Alaska – nearly five times the number working at the kindergarten level. The number of jobs for preschool teachers in Alaska is expected to increase 6% through 2026.

Special Education Teachers – Kindergarten and Elementary School – Alaska’s special education teachers in kindergarten and elementary school settings earn $72,770 on average, nearly $10,000 more than the nation average.With 640 of these professionals working here, there are more special education teachers at this level than in any other educational settings in the state. In comparison, there are just 270 working in middle schools and 430 in high school settings.

Education Administrators, Preschool and Childcare – Education administrators in preschool and childcare settings earn an average salary of $57,760, or about $4,000 more than the national average. There are 140 of these professionals working in Alaska.

Special Education Teachers, Preschool – Alaska’s special education teachers in preschool settings earn an average annual salary of $65,500, or about $7,000 more than the national average. There are currently just 90 people in Alaska working in this highly specialized role.

City-Level Job Stats

While there were more than ten times the number of preschool teachers in Anchorage than Fairbanks, Fairbanks preschool teachers earned about $7,000 more annually than their counterparts down south.

Preschool Teachers

• Anchorage – 690 licensed teachers with an average salary of $33,750
• Fairbanks – 60 licensed teachers with an average salary of $40,800

Special Education Teachers – Kindergarten and Elementary School

• Fairbanks – 130 licensed teachers with an average salary of $68,470

Education Administrators – Preschool and Childcare

• Anchorage – 70 administrators with an average salary of $60,090

2018 Occupational Employment Statistics sourced from the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) [salary data accessed April 2019] https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_ak.htm#25-0000. 

BLS salary data represents state and MSA (Metropolitan Statistical Area) average and median earnings for the occupations listed and includes workers at all levels of education and experience. This data does not represent starting salaries. Employment conditions in your area may vary.