Early Childhood Education Jobs in Missouri
Missouri’s early childhood education system is getting the attention it deserves, and the early childhood educators who lend their talents to teaching and caring for the state’s earliest learners are benefitting from this renewed focus.
While Missouri continues to consider options for instituting a universal pre-k system, the state’s existing early childhood education programs got a much-needed boost in 2019 from a $6.5 million grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This money will be used, in part, toward gathering important information in order to identity areas of need in the state’s early learning programs with the goal of improving those programs.
With more and varied opportunities on the horizon adding to the state’s already-robust preschool system, there may be no better time than now to begin exploring a career in early childhood education.
Missouri Salary Rankings
in the US for Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education
in the US for Childcare Workers
in the US for Special Education Teachers, Preschool
in the US for Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education
in the US for Education Administrators, Preschool and Childcare
in the US for Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School
Early Childhood Jobs in Missouri
Missouri is home to large metro areas with the kind of population density that can make the wide open rural swaths of the state dotted by small communities feel like an entirely different world by comparison. This dichotomy can lead to real variations in the salaries that early childhood education workers here earn.
One thing that is constant regardless of location, though, is the increasing demand for childcare professionals of all stripes almost everywhere in the state. On the whole, the number of jobs opening up for Missouri’s preschool teachers can be expected to go up between five and ten percent throughout the state over the coming decade.
| Occupation | Total Employed | Median Annual Salary | % of US Median | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Childcare Workers | 12,930 | $23,490 |  95% |
|
| Child, Family, and School Social Workers | 8,620 | $37,680 | 86% |
|
| Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education | 5,510 | $30,440 | 88% |
|
| Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School | 1,680 | $54,190 | 86% |
|
| Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education | 1,710 | $51,630 | 88% |
|
| Education Administrators, Preschool and Childcare | 640 | $51,940 | 85% |
|
| Special Education Teachers, Preschool | 350 | $37,510 | 61% |
|
= Salary below nat’l. avg.  = Salary above nat’l. avg. |
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Education administrators throughout Missouri do pretty well for themselves, making just about the national average. Although other roles may be lower in general, there is a bright spot in every category: oncoming job growth that will ensure plenty of positions for everybody. In childcare alone, the number of jobs is expected to more than double over the next seven years.
Childcare Workers – There are 12,930 childcare workers in the state, making an average salary of $23,490, which is right around the national average. By 2026, the number of workers is expected to skyrocket to 28,110.
Child, Family, and School Social Workers – The 8,620 social workers specializing in child, family, and school services make an average of $37,680. A 13 percent bump is expected in the number of available positions over the next seven years, however.
Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education – There are only 1,710 kindergarten teachers working in Missouri outside of special education, but they make a relatively robust $51,630 annually, on average. There will also be about 5 percent more job openings in this field by 2026.
Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education – The 5,510 have an average annual salary of $30,440. The state expects a 10 percent increase in the number of jobs becoming available by 2026.
Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School – The 1,680 special education teachers in Missouri working at the kindergarten and elementary level in special education can expect an average salary of $54,190. As with regular kindergarten teachers, the number of positions will increase by about 5 percent by 2026.
Special Education Teachers, Preschool and Childcare – Only 350 individuals work as teachers in special education at the preschool level, making an average of $37,510 annually. By 2026, the number of jobs in this field will increase by nearly 7 percent.
Education Administrators, Preschool and Childcare – The 640 early childhood education administrators in Missouri make an average annual salary of $51,940, pretty near the national average of $53,990.
City-Level Job Stats
With such a large urban/rural divide, it’s easy to predict fairly wide differences in salaries for different areas of the state. In general, the big cities have more openings at higher salary rates. But there are definitely hot spots for different jobs, such as Joplin for preschool teachers and the Fayeteville area for special education teachers at both the kindergarten and preschool levels.
Preschool Teachers
- Columbia, MO – 180 teachers with a median annual salary of $20,150
- Joplin, MO – Median annual salary of $28,330
- Kansas City, MO-KS – 1,740 teachers with a median annual salary of $25,640
- Springfield, MO – 290 teachers with a median annual salary of $24,470
- Louis, MO-IL – 3,880 teachers with a median annual salary of $26,800
- Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR-MO – 930 teachers with a median annual salary of $25,440
Kindergarten Teachers
- Cape Girardeau, MO-IL – 40 teachers with a median annual salary of $44,210
- Joplin, MO – 160 teachers with a median annual salary of $46,660
- Kansas City, MO-KS – 770 teachers with a median annual salary of $50,890
- Springfield, MO – 300 teachers with a median annual salary of $47,320
- Louis, MO-IL – 540 teachers with a median annual salary of $50,240
- Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR-MO – 240 teachers with a median annual salary of $48,090
Special Education Teachers – Preschool
- Kansas City, MO-KS – 150 teachers with a median annual salary of $53,120
- Springfield, MO – 40 teachers with a median annual salary of $41,390
- Louis, MO-IL – Median annual salary of $25,550
- Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR-MO – 90 teachers with a median annual salary of $57,440
Special Education Teachers – Kindergarten and Elementary School
- Jefferson City, MO – Median annual salary of $63,430
- Joplin, MO – 60 teachers with a median annual salary of $41,780
- Kansas City, MO-KS – 730 teachers with a median annual salary of $57,110
- Springfield, MO – 180 teachers with a median annual salary of $47,450
- Louis, MO-IL – 990 teachers with a median annual salary of $51,110
- Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR-MO – 190 teachers with a median annual salary of $57,040
Education Administrators – Preschool and Childcare
- Columbia, MO – 40 administrators with a median annual salary of $31,210
- Kansas City, MO-KS – 350 administrators with a median annual salary of $47,520
- Springfield, MO – 50 administrators with a median annual salary of $42,680
- Louis, MO-IL – 400 administrators with a median annual salary of $39,890
- Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR-MO – 90 administrators with a median annual salary of $33,860
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_mo.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.