Early Childhood Education Jobs in Arizona
Arizona’s successful early childhood education system wasn’t born out of chance or luck. Instead, it was the result of a methodical, multifaceted effort that includes a number of checks and balances. In other words, it’s all hands on deck in Arizona when it comes to ensuring the state’s earliest learners have the best chance at long-term success.
A great example of this is the state’s First Things First organization, a voter-initiated organization that funds some of the state’s early education and health programs. Staffed by community volunteers and organized and managed by regional councils, First Things First ensures state funding is properly distributed and that Arizona’s earliest learners and their families have access to quality early care and education.
A career in early childhood education in Arizona is your opportunity to be part of this state’s groundbreaking efforts to ensure the youngest learners are prepared to enjoy the brightest futures.
Arizona Salary Rankings
in the US for Education Administrators, Preschool and Childcare
in the US for Childcare Workers
in the US for Special Education Teachers, Preschool
in the US for Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education
in the US for Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education
in the US for Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School
Early Childhood Jobs in Arizona
The future looks bright for Arizona’s early childhood educators, thanks to recent legislation awarding the state’s public school teachers a 20% pay raise over the next two years – the result of a statewide teacher walkout during the 2018-19 school year to protest historically low wages. Pursue a career in early childhood education and you, too, may benefit from this recent legislation that’s designed to make salaries in the Grand Canyon State more competitive with the national average.
| Occupation | Total Employed | Median Annual Salary | % of US Median | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education | 6,820 | $31,010 |  90% |
|
| Childcare Workers | 10,450 | $25,160 |  102% |
|
| Child, Family, and School Social Workers | 5,780 | $39,020 | 78% |
|
| Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education | 3,040 | $44,670 | 77% |
|
| Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School | 2,850 | $44,590 | 71% |
|
| Education Administrators, Preschool and Childcare | 1,070 | $40,900 | 76% |
|
| Special Education Teachers, Preschool | 310 | $42,830 | 70% |
|
| = Salary below nat’l. avg. = Salary above nat’l. avg. |
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Childcare Workers – Arizona’s 10,450 childcare workers earn an annual, average salary of $25,160. Job prospects are very strong, however. The number of childcare workers in Arizona is projected to rise 18.8% through 2026 – more than twice the national rate of 7%.
Child, Family, and School Social Workers – Child, family, and school social workers earn an average annual salary of $39,020. There are 5,780 child, family and school social workers in Arizona, and the number of jobs in this important profession is expected to increase by 30.2% through 2026 – much higher than the national growth rate projection of 16%.
Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education – Kindergarten teachers in Arizona earn an average annual salary of $44,670. There are currently 3,040 kindergarten teachers in Arizona, but the number of jobs is expected to increase by 10.8% through 2026.
Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education – There are 6,820 preschool teachers in Arizona, or about twice the number of kindergarten teachers here. The annual salary for these professionals averages $31,010.The number of preschool teachers in Arizona is projected to rise by 27.8% through 2026, which is more than double the national projection of 10% for this occupation
Special Education Teachers – Kindergarten and Elementary School –Special education teachers in kindergarten and elementary school settings in Arizona earn an average salary of $44,590. Arizona is home to 2,850 special ed teachers working at the kindergarten and elementary level– that’s about nine times the number of special education teachers in preschool settings in the state. Jobs in special education at the kindergarten and elementary school level are projected to rise by 9.4% in Arizona through 2026.
Education Administrators, Preschool and Childcare –Education administrators in preschool and childcare settings earn an annual average salary of $40,900. Employment among Arizona’s education administrators in preschool and childcare settings is expected to rise by 29.7% through 2026 – nearly triple the national projection of 11% for this profession.
Special Education Teachers, Preschool –Arizona’s special education teachers in preschool settings earn an average salary of $42,830. There are only about 310 special education teachers in preschool settings in Arizona, but considerably more are on the way. A job increase of 12.9% through 2026 is projected for special ed teachers in Arizona’s preschools, which is higher than the national projected rate of just 10%.
City-Level Job Stats
While Arizona’s early childhood teachers earn less than the national average, this state is home to regions with some of the nation’s highest concentration of jobs. For example, Tucson is tenth in the nation among metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of positions for school social workers.
Other areas of Arizona are home to some of highest employment levels in the nation in the early childhood space. For example, the Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale metropolitan region is ranked tenth in the nation among metropolitan areas with the highest employment level for kindergarten teachers.
Preschool Teachers
- Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale, AZ 4,780 teachers earning an average of $31,240
- Tucson, AZ 1,290 teachers earning an average of $29,750
- Prescott, AZ 100 teachers earning an average of $30,600
- Yuma, AZ 250 teachers earning an average of $29,500
- Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ 160 teachers earning an average of $27,300
- Flagstaff, AZ 110 teachers earning an average of $35,990
Kindergarten Teachers
- Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale, AZ – 2,170 teachers earning an average of $44,980
- Tucson, AZ – 260 teachers earning an average of $41,430
- Prescott, AZ – 60 teachers earning an average of $40,820
- Yuma, AZ – 90 teachers earning an average of $38,230
- Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ – 100 teachers earning an average of $33,690
- Flagstaff, AZ – average salary of $48,920
Special Education Teachers – Preschool
- Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale, AZ – 200 $48,700
- Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ – 70 $23,160
Special Education Teachers – Kindergarten and Elementary School
- Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale, AZ – 2,040 teachers earning an average of $45,260
- Tucson, AZ – 310 teachers earning an average of $42,060
- Prescott, AZ – 30 teachers earning an average of $39,990
- Yuma, AZ – 90 teachers earning an average of $39,210
- Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ – 60 teachers earning an average of $36,750
- Flagstaff, AZ – average salary of $48,050
Education Administrators – Preschool and Childcare
- Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale, AZ – 790 administrators earning an average of $40,390
- Tucson, AZ – 130 administrators earning an average of $38,670
- Yuma, AZ – 40 administrators earning an average of $42,520
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_az.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.