Early Childhood Education Jobs in Ohio

Pursue a career in early childhood education in Ohio and you’ll be part of not just a growing early childhood learning system but a system that’s focused on providing the state’s earliest learners with high-quality education and care.

Ohio’s Step Up to Quality program is a five-star tiered quality rating and improvement system that was designed with one goal in mind: to improve the quality of Ohio’s childcare programs. All state-funded early childhood education and pre-k special education programs are required to participate in the program, and they must achieve a 3, 4, or 5 to maintain state funding.

These types of checks and balances allow the state to create and maintain an early childhood learning system that provides only the highest quality care and education for the youngest students.

Most recently, a $10.49 million federal grant, which will be used to increase access to the state’s early childhood care and education programs, serves as a valuable addition to the state’s already robust early childhood learning system and translates into better and more varied professional opportunities for the preschool teachers and administrators here.

It’s an exciting time to lend your talents and dedication to Ohio’s early childhood learning system!

Early Childhood Jobs in Ohio

There’s good news for Ohio’s early childhood educators— salaries here consistently place teachers among the highest paid in the Midwest, and among the top 20 in the nation.

Teacher salaries here, and in nearby Michigan and Illinois, often garner national attention. Add to that the affordable cost of living in the Buckeye State and early childhood educators here find that paychecks go even further than for those earning more but living in more expensive states. Plus, professional opportunities are abundant here, thanks to a rising demand for these educational experts in the coming years.

Occupation	Total Employed	Median Annual Salary	% of US Median
Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education	15,390	$29,020	84%
Childcare Workers	18,630	$22,740	92%
Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School	7,160	$56,180	89%
Child, Family, and School Social Workers	10,090	$45,030	90%
Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education	2,890	$59,750	102%
Education Administrators, Preschool and Childcare	1,910	$47,610	88%
Special Education Teachers, Preschool	1,110	$64,790	105%
= Salary below nat’l. avg.      = Salary above nat’l. avg.

Kindergarten teachers and special ed teachers in preschool settings are both standouts among Ohio’s educators, both earning salaries that exceed the national average. Preschool special ed teachers are the highest earners in the field within the state, with an average salary of $64,790.

Childcare Workers – There are 18,630 childcare workers in Ohio. These professionals earn an average salary of $22,740. A steady 7% increase in the number of childcare worker jobs through 2026 ensures a bright employment outlook for these early childhood professionals.

Child, Family, and School Social Workers – There are 10,090 child, family, and school social workers employed in Ohio, and these professionals earn an average of $45,030. Employment among Ohio’s child, family, and school social workers is projected to rise by 17.1% – that’s higher than the national projected growth rate of 16% for this profession.

Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education – Ohio’s 2,890 kindergarten teachers earn an average of $59,750 – that’s more than $1,000 above the national average. Kindergarten teacher jobs in Ohio are projected to increase by 5.9% through 2026.

Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education – There are 15,390 preschool teachers working in Ohio, and they earn an average salary of $29,020. Exciting professional opportunities lie ahead in this field, as jobs are projected to increase by 17.8% through 2026.

Special Education Teachers – Kindergarten and Elementary School – Ohio’s 7,160 special education teachers in kindergarten and elementary school settings earn, on average, $56,180. Special education teacher jobs in Ohio should increase by 6.1% through 2026.

Education Administrators, Preschool and Childcare – There are 1,910 education administrators in preschool and childcare settings in Ohio. The average salary for these professionals is $47,610. The number education administrator jobs in Ohio’s preschools is expected to increase by 17.4% through 2026, ensuring plenty of professional opportunities in the coming years

Special Education Teachers, Preschool – Ohio’s 1,110 special education teachers in preschool settings earn an average salary of $64,790 – that’s about $6,000 more than the national average. Special education teacher jobs in preschool settings in Ohio are projected to rise by 9.8% through 2026, which is fair amount higher than the national projected growth rate of 8% during the same period.

City-Level Job Stats

Your earning potential in Ohio is largely dependent on where you work.

In many occupations, average salaries here can vary by as much as $20,000 between metropolitan areas. For example, kindergarten teachers in the Dayton metro area earn an average salary of $73,980, which is much greater than their colleagues in the Cincinnati-Middletown metro area, who earn just $52,350 on average.

Preschool Teachers

• Cincinnati-Middletown, OH-KY-IN – 2,710 licensed teachers with an average salary of $33,380
• Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor – 2,940 licensed teachers with an average salary of $27,580
• Columbus – 3,710 licensed teachers with an average salary of $29,330
• Dayton –1,130 licensed teachers with an average salary of $27,790
• Akron – 960 licensed teachers with an average salary of $26,000
• Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA – 410 licensed teachers with an average salary of $29,280
• Toledo – 1,000 licensed teachers with an average salary of $27,250
• Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH – 400 licensed teachers with an average salary of $30,980
• Canton-Massillon –580 licensed teachers with an average salary of $22,560
• Wheeling, WV-OH – 110 licensed teachers with an average salary of $30,010
• Springfield – 120 licensed teachers with an average salary of $30,110
• Mansfield – 90 licensed teachers with an average salary of $30,720
• Lima – 150 licensed teachers with an average salary of $31,930
• Steubenville-Weirton, OH-WV – 70 licensed teachers with an average salary of $42,510

Kindergarten Teachers

• Cincinnati-Middletown, OH-KY-IN – 720 licensed teachers with an average salary of $52,350
• Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor – 400 licensed teachers with an average salary of $59,170
• Columbus – 250 licensed teachers with an average salary of $57,270
• Dayton –average salary of $73,980
• Akron – 270 licensed teachers with an average salary of $55,860
• Toledo – 230 licensed teachers with an average salary of $69,420
• Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH – 200 licensed teachers with an average salary of $45,120
• Canton-Massillon – 170 licensed teachers with an average salary of $58,670
• Wheeling, WV-OH –average salary of $56,410

Special Education Teachers – Preschool

• Cincinnati-Middletown, OH-KY-IN – 170 licensed teachers with an average salary of $70,880
• Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor –280 licensed teachers with an average salary of $65,060
• Columbus – 270 licensed teachers with an average salary of $67,960
• Dayton – 90 licensed teachers with an average salary of $69,070
• Akron – average salary of $68,010
• Canton-Massillon –average salary of $47,800

Special Education Teachers – Kindergarten and Elementary School

• Cincinnati-Middletown, OH-KY-IN – 1,320 licensed teachers with an average salary of $59,890
• Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor – 950 licensed teachers with an average salary of $57,930
• Columbus – 1,680 licensed teachers with an average salary of $55,950
• Dayton – 470 licensed teachers with an average salary of $63,070
• Akron – 320 licensed teachers with an average salary of $52,460
• Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA – 270 licensed teachers with an average salary of $58,450
• Toledo – 300 licensed teachers with an average salary of $53,950
• Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH – 450 licensed teachers with an average salary of $44,620
• Canton-Massillon – 180 licensed teachers with an average salary of $58,900
• Wheeling, WV-OH – 40 licensed teachers with an average salary of $45,880
• Springfield – 80 licensed teachers with an average salary of $42,840
• Mansfield –average salary of $41,720
• Lima –average salary of $54,030
• Steubenville-Weirton, OH-WV –average salary of $50,400

Education Administrators – Preschool and Childcare

• Cincinnati-Middletown, OH-KY-IN – 420 administrators with an average salary of $49,920
• Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor – 490 administrators with an average salary of $44,030
• Columbus – 360 administrators with an average salary of $48,770
• Dayton – 180 administrators with an average salary of $48,330
• Akron – 70 administrators with an average salary of $53,010
• Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA – 60 administrators with an average salary of $56,210
• Toledo – 130 administrators with an average salary of $47,270
• Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH – 40 administrators with an average salary of $38,460
• Canton-Massillon – 60 administrators with an average salary of $37,440

 

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_oh.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.