Early Childhood Education Jobs in North Carolina

North Carolina’s booming population has kept job prospects for preschool teachers strong, and the state’s early childhood education system, while admittedly struggling to keep up with the state’s growing youth population, is on the right track toward success.

According to the State of Preschool 2018 annual report, North Carolina increased its pre-k spending by about $6 million in 2017-18 alone, with plans to continue this upward trend in the coming years. Plus, the state received a $4.49 million grant in 2018 to strengthen its early childhood education system.

These types of investments are critical to increasing the number and quality of pre-k programs throughout North Carolina and are just what early childhood educators here depend on for more and varied professional opportunities. In other words, an increasing population and early childhood learning funds to match are the perfect recipe for success for North Carolina’s early childhood educators.

Early Childhood Jobs in North Carolina

North Carolina’s urban areas are among the fastest-growing in the country, so the number of jobs in cities like Raleigh and Charlotte are on the rise. Even outside the big cities, there are plenty of positions that fall within the early childhood education niche all across the state with equally strong growth prospects and competitive salaries, from preschool teachers to administrators. Job growth in all ECE job classifications is expected to continue. That along with the rising pay rates in some cities make a career in early childhood education a great option in North Carolina.

Occupation	Total Employed	Median Annual Salary	% of US Median
Childcare Workers	18,830	$22,940	93%
Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education	16,110	$28,260	82%
Child, Family, and School Social Workers	11,610	$46,990	95%
Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School	7,080	$47,760	76%
Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education	3,320	$46,490	80%
Education Administrators, Preschool and Childcare	1,750	$47,330	88%
Special Education Teachers, Preschool	580	$50,490	82%
= Salary below nat’l. avg.      = Salary above nat’l. avg.

Growth numbers are the big story when it comes to early childhood educator jobs throughout North Carolina. Many of these positions will see 10 percent increases by 2026, adding to already impressive numbers in each category. That translates to a lot of openings in almost every part of the state.

Childcare Workers – 18,830 people work in childcare in North Carolina, a number that is expected to go up by around 10 percent over the next seven years. Their average salary here is $22,940 per year.

Child, Family, and School Social Workers – North Carolina has 11,610 social workers serving children, families and the school system, together making an average of $46,990 a year. The state expects to add almost 1,500 of these jobs over the next seven years.

Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education – The 3,320 kindergarten teachers in North Carolina make an average of $46,490. The number of jobs for these specialists will increase by around 8 percent by 2026.

Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education – There are 16,110 preschool teachers throughout the state. Their average pay is $28,260. The position is expected to expand by more than 12 percent over the next seven years.

Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School – The 7,080 special education teachers working in kindergarten and elementary schools will see their ranks swell by 7.5 percent by 2026. They make an average of $47,760 a year.

Special Education Teachers, Preschool and Childcare – There are about 580 special education specialists at the preschool level in North Carolina, making an average of $50,490 annually. The number of jobs in this role is expected to grow by almost 9 percent over the next seven years.

Education Administrators, Preschool and Childcare – There are 1,750 people working in education administration at the preschool level, with an average salary of $47,330. Those positions are forecast to increase by more than 10 percent by 2026.

City-Level Job Stats

The first thing that jumps out at you about the early childhood education field in North Carolina is just how many dedicated teachers, administrators and others are hard at work in all corners of the state. This is particularly true for preschool teachers, who have large numbers in almost every demographic area. Pay close attention to salaries, however, because they can vary considerably depending on position—Winston-Salem is the best for preschool teachers, but the Elizabeth City area near the Virginia border is the clear winner for anyone at the kindergarten level.

Preschool Teachers

• Asheville, NC – 720 teachers with a median annual salary of $28,430
• Burlington, NC – 180 teachers with a median annual salary of $26,940
• Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC – 4,340 teachers with a median annual salary of $25,720
• Durham-Chapel Hill, NC – 900 teachers with a median annual salary of $28,490
• Fayetteville, NC – 840 teachers with a median annual salary of $26,420
• Goldsboro, NC – 280 teachers with a median annual salary of $23,900
• Greensboro-High Point, NC – 1,050 teachers with a median annual salary of $24,720
• Greenville, NC – 270 teachers with a median annual salary of $23,420
• Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC – 340 teachers with a median annual salary of $24,540
• Jacksonville, NC – Median annual salary of $22,230
• New Bern, NC – 240 teachers with a median annual salary of $23,690
• Raleigh, NC – 2,650 teachers with a median annual salary of $28,510
• Rocky Mount, NC – 190 teachers with a median annual salary of $23,040
• Wilmington, NC – 570 teachers with a median annual salary of $22,080
• Winston-Salem, NC – 1,020 teachers with a median annual salary of $31,300
• Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC – 1,690 teachers with a median annual salary of $27,290

Kindergarten Teachers

• Asheville, NC – 180 teachers with a median annual salary of $49,450
• Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC – 840 teachers with a median annual salary of $47,580
• Durham-Chapel Hill, NC – 170 teachers with a median annual salary of $41,770
• Fayetteville, NC – 320 teachers with a median annual salary of $41,190
• Greensboro-High Point, NC – 210 teachers with a median annual salary of $47,690
• Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC – 30 teachers with a median annual salary of $40,300
• New Bern, NC – 40 teachers with a median annual salary of $45,180
• Raleigh, NC – 630 teachers with a median annual salary of $50,430
• Rocky Mount, NC – 30 teachers with a median annual salary of $36,530
• Wilmington, NC – 40 teachers with a median annual salary of $49,700
• Winston-Salem, NC – 290 teachers with a median annual salary of $47,090
• Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC – 620 teachers with a median annual salary of $64,600

Special Education Teachers – Preschool

• Asheville, NC – 40 teachers with a median annual salary of $46,830
• Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC – 90 teachers with a median annual salary of $50,660
• Greensboro-High Point, NC – 40 teachers with a median annual salary of $57,170
• Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC – 130 teachers with a median annual salary of $69,660

Special Education Teachers – Kindergarten and Elementary School

• Asheville, NC – 250 teachers with a median annual salary of $46,830
• Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC – 1,700 teachers with a median annual salary of $49,140
• Durham-Chapel Hill, NC – 500 teachers with a median annual salary of $43,610
• Fayetteville, NC – 290 teachers with a median annual salary of $46,860
• Greensboro-High Point, NC – 750 teachers with a median annual salary of $48,530
• Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC – 250 teachers with a median annual salary of $43,430
• New Bern, NC – 50 teachers with a median annual salary of $43,650
• Raleigh, NC – 1,040 teachers with a median annual salary of $52,080
• Rocky Mount, NC – 120 teachers with a median annual salary of $38,930
• Wilmington, NC – 220 teachers with a median annual salary of $44,930
• Winston-Salem, NC – Median annual salary of $46,250
• Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC – 1,250 teachers with a median annual salary of $69,780

Education Administrators – Preschool and Childcare

• Asheville, NC – 90 administrators with a median annual salary of $51,400
• Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC – 300 administrators with a median annual salary of $44,110
• Durham-Chapel Hill, NC – 200 administrators with a median annual salary of $59,600
• Fayetteville, NC – 90 administrators with a median annual salary of $34,230
• Greensboro-High Point, NC – 80 administrators with a median annual salary of $42,460
• Jacksonville, NC – Median annual salary of $32,240
• Raleigh, NC – 270 administrators with a median annual salary of $41,930
• Rocky Mount, NC – 30 administrators with a median annual salary of $27,120
• Wilmington, NC – 40 administrators with a median annual salary of $34,880
• Winston-Salem, NC – 100 administrators with a median annual salary of $52,860
• Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC – 150 administrators with a median annual salary of $56,700

 

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_nc.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.