Early Childhood Education Jobs in North Dakota

In recent years, North Dakota’s quickly expanding population (it reached an all-time high of 760,077 residents in 2018) has translated into a lot more exciting jobs in the state’s early childhood education system.

But perhaps the most exciting changes to the state’s early childhood learning system occurred most recently when it moved from the sidelines to the mainstream by putting a state-funded preschool system into motion. While the initial program in 2017-18 was small, with an enrollment of just 965 students, the $3 million grant from the state legislature will be used toward a number of initiatives in the coming years, including grants for educators and school districts and continuing education grants for teachers in pre-k, Head Start, and childcare settings.

Thanks to these initiatives, the state’s early childhood system is becoming larger, stronger, and better coordinated than ever, making the pursuit of a career in early childhood education in North Dakota one that you can feel great about.

Early Childhood Jobs in North Dakota

North Dakota is booming, and early childhood education jobs are booming along with it. The influx of workers that are coming to the Bakken are no longer just single twenty-somethings in it for a quick buck, instead they are settling in for the long haul—and that means children and families are coming along with them.

While the state was once known for low salaries and few jobs in early childhood education, the demand has bumped up the number of positions and the oil money has built salaries to levels that are competitive both regionally and nationally.

Occupation	Total Employed	Median Annual Salary	% of US Median
Childcare Workers	2,880	$25,190	102%
Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School	570	$56,660	90%
Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education	450	$53,440	92%
Child, Family, and School Social Workers	750	$54,870	110%
Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education	1,220	$28,220	82%
Education Administrators, Preschool and Childcare	200	$45,350	84%
= Salary below nat’l. avg.      = Salary above nat’l. avg.

Like every other segment of the North Dakota economy, jobs in early childcare education have been growing by leaps and bounds with the influx of new residents. You won’t have any trouble finding positions that are set for double digit job growth over the next decade, including in preschool administration which will be pushing 24 percent growth over that timeframe.

Childcare Workers – The 2,880 dedicated childcare workers in North Dakota make an average of $25,190, slightly better than the national average of $24,160.

Child, Family, and School Social Workers – With only 750 child, family, and school social workers to cover the entire state, they definitely earn their average salary of $54,870 each year. It’s only appropriate that in North Dakota these professionals earn an average salary that comes in more than $5,000 above the national average.

Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education – There is also a relatively small number of kindergarten teachers in the state, only 450, but that number is set to expand by about 10 percent over the next 7 years. Their average salary is $53,440.

Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education – The 1,220 preschool teachers in North Dakota make an average of $28,220 a year. The number of jobs for these specialists is expected to swell by more than 18 percent by 2026.

Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School – 570 teachers work in special education in kindergarten and elementary schools. Their average salary is $56,660 a year. An almost 11 percent bump in the number of jobs is expected over the next 7 years here.

Special Education Teachers, Preschool and Childcare – Only 80 teachers work in special education at the preschool level North Dakota, with this elite group of specialists earning an average salary of $56,640.

Education Administrators, Preschool and Childcare – There are only 200 education administrators across the state working in early childcare education, and they earn an average of $45,350 between them. The position is set to explode, however, with almost 24 percent job growth expected by 2026.

City-Level Job Stats

Naturally, a boom driven by remote positions in the remote oil fields is going to push most teachers out into smaller towns throughout the state. But Fargo has benefited with large numbers of teaching positions and solid salaries available for almost every position.

Preschool Teachers

• 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
• Bismarck, ND – 110 teachers with a median annual salary of $33,020

Kindergarten Teachers

• 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
• Bismarck, ND – 70 teachers with a median annual salary of $51,990

Special Education Teachers – Kindergarten and Elementary School

• 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
• Bismarck, ND – 80 teachers with a median annual salary of $56,880

Education Administrators – Preschool and Childcare

• Fargo, ND-MN – 100 administrators with a median annual salary of $51,420
• Bismarck, ND – 40 administrators with a median annual salary of $35,450

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_nd.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.