Early Childhood Education Jobs in Minnesota

Pursue a career as a preschool teacher in Minnesota and you’ll be part of the state’s outstanding efforts to grow and improve its early childhood education system.

The state set aside $28 million for early childhood education in its 2015-16 budget and then took another large stride toward excellence in early learning in 2017 when it expanded its programs to include voluntary pre-K classes throughout 74 school districts and charter schools. And thanks to the massive outpouring of support, the state expanded the program in 2018 to include more than 7,000 students across 80 districts.

Already rich in early childhood education jobs, Minnesota’s latest efforts are sure to bring more plentiful and varied professional opportunities to the state’s preschool teachers.

Early Childhood Jobs in Minnesota

The Land of Ten Thousand Lakes is also the land of tens of thousands of well-paying jobs in early childhood education. The Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area is one of the best places in the state to find high-paying early childhood education jobs, but there are niche areas all over where you can find excellent opportunities. Overall, the state does well in providing early childhood education jobs that meet or exceed the national salary trend.

Occupation	Total Employed	Median Annual Salary	% of US Median
Childcare Workers	11,830	$25,820	105%
Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education	8,180	$37,500	110%
Child, Family, and School Social Workers	8,150	$49,760	100%
Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School	4,600	$63,030	99%
Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education	3,440	$60,580	104%
Education Administrators, Preschool and Childcare	840	$58,740	109%
Special Education Teachers, Preschool	1,490	$62,810	102%
= Salary below nat’l. avg.      = Salary above nat’l. avg.

Most Minnesota early childhood educator positions pay better than their counterparts in the nation as a whole. For school social workers, the difference here is night and day—they make almost $6,000 more a year than in other states, a substantial increase for what is typically a low-paying job. Employment for administrators has also been on the rise, going up more than 11 percent recently.

Childcare Workers – There are 11,830 childcare workers throughout the state, making an average of $25,820 a year. That’s $1,210 better than the national average.

Child, Family, and School Social Workers – 8,150 people work in schools and with other agencies as child, family, and school social workers, with an average salary of $55,560. That blows the national average of $49,760 out of the water!

Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education – Only 3,440 people work as kindergarten teachers here, but they make an average of $60,580 a year. That’s slightly better than the national average of $58,370.

Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education – There are just about as many preschool teachers as social workers here, at 8,180. Earning an average salary of $37,500, preschool teachers here earn $3,090 more than the national average for this profession.

Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School – There are 4,600 special ed teachers at the kindergarten and elementary levels in Minnesota, making an average of $63,030. That’s almost exactly in line with the national average.

Special Education Teachers, Preschool and Childcare – 1,490 teachers work in special education at the preschool level, with an average salary of $62,810. That’s $1,200 better than the national average.

Education Administrators, Preschool and Childcare – Only 840 people are employed as education administrators at this level, with an average salary of $58,740, almost $4,000 better than the national average.

City-Level Job Stats

MSP is one of the more obvious places to look for high-paying childcare positions in the state, and also the area with the most openings overall in every job category. But Rochester is another area that deserves a look, with similar salaries, despite offering fewer positions overall.

Preschool Teachers

• Duluth, MN-WI – 530 teachers with a median annual salary of $28,820
• Mankato-North Mankato, MN – 170 teachers with a median annual salary of $29,260
• Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI – 5,580 teachers with a median annual salary of $34,490
• Rochester, MN – 330 teachers with a median annual salary of $31,810
• Cloud, MN – 340 teachers with a median annual salary of $23,650
• Fargo, ND-MN – 710 teachers with a median annual salary of $23,990
• Grand Forks, ND-MN – 70 teachers with a median annual salary of $30,550
• La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN – 360 teachers with a median annual salary of $24,100

Kindergarten Teachers

• Duluth, MN-WI – 160 teachers with a median annual salary of $59,310
• Mankato-North Mankato, MN – 90 teachers with a median annual salary of $56,040
• Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI – 2,170 teachers with a median annual salary of $62,950
• Rochester, MN – 170 teachers with a median annual salary of $57,510
• Cloud, MN – 80 teachers with a median annual salary of $45,050
• Fargo, ND-MN – 160 teachers with a median annual salary of $53,450
• Grand Forks, ND-MN – 70 teachers with a median annual salary of $49,670
• La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN – 150 teachers with a median annual salary of $54,120

Special Education Teachers – Preschool

• Duluth, MN-WI – 40 teachers with a median annual salary of $45,940
• Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI – 950 teachers with a median annual salary of $65,160
• Rochester, MN – Median annual salary of $61,210

Special Education Teachers – Kindergarten and Elementary School

• Duluth, MN-WI – 140 teachers with a median annual salary of $55,370
• Mankato-North Mankato, MN – 80 teachers with a median annual salary of $56,020
• Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI – 3,010 teachers with a median annual salary of $66,620
• Rochester, MN – Median annual salary of $58,180
• Cloud, MN – 160 teachers with a median annual salary of $58,920
• Fargo, ND-MN – 220 teachers with a median annual salary of $56,110
• Grand Forks, ND-MN – 80 teachers with a median annual salary of $53,250
• La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN – A median annual salary of $39,090

Education Administrators – Preschool and Childcare

• Duluth, MN-WI – 80 administrators with a median annual salary of $47,160
• Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI – 580 administrators with a median annual salary of $55,350
• Rochester, MN – 40 administrators with a median annual salary of $54,500
• Fargo, ND-MN – 100 administrators with a median annual salary of $51,420

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_mn.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.