Early Childhood Education Jobs in Maryland

In Maryland, professional opportunities for early childhood educators continue to grow and the state’s already robust pre-k program continues to gain steam. This is all thanks to additional grant funding that’s being used to expand the state’s publicly funded pre-k programs. The Commission on Innovation and Excellence in Education (also known as Kirwan Commission), offered guidance and recommendations on how to distribute the $1.2 million that was awarded from the state.

In the months that followed many schools were able to increase the number of pre-k classes available, and many have been able to transition half-day programs to full-day. For example, Charles County Public Schools was able to increase its pre-k program enrollment by about 250 students throughout its seven elementary schools.

These positive changes to Maryland’s early childhood education system spell success for the state’s earliest learners and the teachers who work here.

Early Childhood Jobs in Maryland

And there’s more good news for Maryland’s early childhood educators: the state is home to high-paying jobs, particularly for those educated and experienced in working with students on the autism spectrum and with other special needs. Special education teachers at the preschool and elementary school levels can find salaries averaging about $62,000 and $59,000, respectively.

Occupation	Total Employed	Median Annual Salary	% of US Median
Childcare Workers	8,870	$25,980	106%
Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education	9,400	$38,440	112%
Child, Family, and School Social Workers	4,480	$59,280	119%
Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School	3,970	$64,590	102%
Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education	2,610	$67,170	115%
Education Administrators, Preschool and Childcare	860	$57,350	106%
Special Education Teachers, Preschool	360	$61,210	99%
= Salary below nat’l. avg.      = Salary above nat’l. avg.

The metropolitan areas around Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia are real hotspots for the employment of child, family, and school social workers, which creates at least one advantage for low income residents in surrounding areas. Even better, the D.C. area comes in at the very top of the scale when it comes to salary expectations for school social workers, who earn $70,270 a year on average.

Childcare Workers – 8,870 people are employed as childcare workers here, with an average annual salary of $25,980, $1,370 better than the national average.

Child, Family, and School Social Workers –There are only 4,480 child, family, and school social workers in Maryland, with plenty of room for more considering the state needs. The average annual salary for each is $59,280, which is nearly $10,000 better than the national average.

Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education – Maryland has only 2,610 kindergarten teachers outside the special ed classroom, with a mean annual salary of $67,170. That’s $8,800 better than the national average.

Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education – 9,400 individuals teach preschool here, making an average of $38,440 a year, which is $4,030 better than their counterparts nationally.

Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School – There are 3,970 special education teachers here at kindergarten and higher elementary levels, pulling down an average salary of $64,590—slightly better than the national average of $63,110.

Special Education Teachers, Preschool and Childcare – Only 360 people in Maryland teach special education at the preschool level, with an average salary of $61,210. That’s only $400 more than the typical preschool special ed teacher in the U.S.

Education Administrators, Preschool and Childcare – It might surprise you that there are only 860 administrators working in preschool and childcare here, and surprise you even more that the average salary is $57,350. Still, that’s $3,360 better than the national average for the role.

City-Level Job Stats

Although Baltimore is a major city in its own right, it’s better to think of Maryland employment markets in terms of regional clusters. You can see clearly the effects of the big demand around Baltimore and Washington in terms of salary for every category, coming in well above the national average. For preschool special education teachers, for example, teachers in that area can expect almost $12,000 better than the national median.

Preschool Teachers

• Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD – 4,510 teachers with a median annual salary of $57,830
• Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV – 10,810 teachers with a median annual salary of $34,390
• Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD – 9,400 teachers with a median annual salary of $28,100
• California-Lexington Park, MD – 40 teachers with a median annual salary of $31,790
• Cumberland, MD-WV – Median annual salary of $41,730
• Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV – 210 teachers with a median annual salary of $30,650
• Salisbury, MD-DE – 470 teachers with a median annual salary of $25,350

Kindergarten Teachers

• Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD – 1,410 teachers with a median annual salary of $69,340
• Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD – 1,810 teachers with a median annual salary of $57,800
• Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV – 2,940 teachers with a median annual salary of $66,850
• Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV – 100 teachers with a median annual salary of $51,760
• Salisbury, MD-DE – A median annual salary of $56,690

Special Education Teachers – Preschool

• Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD – 290 teachers with a median annual salary of $58,120
• Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV – 270 teachers with a median annual salary of $74,200
• Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD – 130 teachers with a median annual salary of $48,840

Special Education Teachers – Kindergarten and Elementary School

• Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD – 2,010 teachers with a median annual salary of $63,310
• Salisbury, MD-DE – 250 teachers with a median annual salary of $61,520
• Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV – 4,560 teachers with a median annual salary of $71,640
• Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD – 4,980 teachers with a median annual salary of $64,230

Education Administrators – Preschool and Childcare

• Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD – 370 administrators with a median annual salary of $42,280
• Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV – 1,400 administrators with a median annual salary of $57,490
• Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD – 1,580 administrators with a median annual salary of $49,610
• Salisbury, MD-DE – 50 administrators with a median annual salary of $34,980

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_md.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.