Early Childhood Education Jobs in Virginia
Early childhood learning is about to take an impressive leap in Virginia, making the pursuit of a career here one that you can feel good about.
Through a $9.9 million federal grant in 2019, Virginia will have the opportunity to strengthen its preschool development system. More specifically, the Virginia Department of Education will allocate these funds to support a number of statewide programs and initiatives focused on creating a strategic plan for the future and aligning early learning standards to ensure the state’s children are prepared for kindergarten and beyond.
Plus, about $4 million of the grant will be used specifically towards the support of the state’s educators and towards efforts to unify childcare, Head Start and pre-k programs.
For the state’s aspiring and practicing early childhood educators, this type of renewed focus on early childhood learning equates to better career prospects and more opportunities to make a difference in the lives of the state’s youngest learners.
Virginia Salary Rankings
in the US for Special Education Teachers, Preschool
in the US for Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education
in the US for Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School
in the US for Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education
in the US for Education Administrators, Preschool and Childcare
in the US for Childcare Workers
Early Childhood Jobs in Virginia
Average salaries that often exceed the national average, combined with a 2019 proposal by Governor Ralph Northam to increase teacher pay by 5% represent fantastic opportunities for early childhood educators in Virginia. If this latest proposal passes as it is expected to, it would be the largest pay increase for Virginia teachers in 15 years. Strong job prospects, and equally strong salaries that are slated to get even better make it an exciting time to become a preschool teacher, administrator, special education specialist or other professional working within the early childhood education sphere in Virginia.
| Occupation | Total Employed | Median Annual Salary | % of US Median | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Childcare Workers | 14,410 | $24,620 |  100% |
|
| Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education | 10,010 | $37,880 | 110% |
|
| Child, Family, and School Social Workers | 9,340 | $51,880 | 104% |
|
| Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School | 5,870 | $66,790 | 106% |
|
| Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education | 4,010 | $65,550 | 108% |
|
| Education Administrators, Preschool and Childcare | 1,000 | $55,080 | 102% |
|
| Special Education Teachers, Preschool | 600 | $66,470 | 108% |
|
 = Salary below nat’l. avg. = Salary above nat’l. avg. |
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Preschool teachers in Virginia consistently earn more than the national average, with special educators in preschool settings topping the list with an average salary of $66,470 – or $8,000 more than the national average of $58,390.
Childcare Workers – There are 14,410 childcare workers employed in Virginia who earn an average salary of $24,620, which is in line with the national average of $24,610. Jobs in this profession are projected to increase by 6.9% through 2026, which is consistent with the national projected growth rate of 7% for this profession.
Child, Family, and School Social Workers – Virginia’s 9,340 child, family, and school social workers earn an average salary of $51,880 – slightly higher than the national average of $49,760 for this profession. Jobs in this field are projected to increase by 23.3% through 2026, which is much higher than the national projected growth rate of 16% for this occupation.
Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education – There are 4,010 kindergarten teachers employed in Virginia. The projected growth rate for this profession in Virginia is 11.6% through 2026 – much higher than the national projected growth rate of 7% during the same period. Virginia’s kindergarten teachers earn an average salary of $65,550 – that’s $7,000 more annually than the national average for this profession.
Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education – Virginia’s 10,010 preschool teachers earn an average salary that comes in at $37,880 – about $3,000 more annually than the national average for this profession. The projected job growth rate for Virginia’s preschool teachers is 8.1% through 2026.
Special Education Teachers – Kindergarten and Elementary School – There are 5,870 special education teachers in kindergarten and elementary school settings in Virginia, and it’s projected that the number of jobs in this field will increase by 11% through 2026 – much faster than the national projected growth rate of 8% during this period. Virginia’s special education teachers at the kindergarten and elementary school level earn an average salary of $66,790 – that’s about $3,000 more than the national average of $63,110.
Education Administrators, Preschool and Childcare – There are some 1,000 administrators working in preschool and childcare settings, and the job growth rate for this profession is projected to be 9.5% through 2026. These early childhood educators earn an average salary of $55,080 in Virginia, or about $2,000 more than the national average of $53,990.
Special Education Teachers, Preschool – There are 600 special education teachers in preschool settings working in Virginia, and these professionals earn an average salary of $66,470 – that’s $8,000 more than the national average of $58,390. The job growth rate for these early childhood educators is projected at 11.5% through 2026 – much higher than the national rate of 8% during this time.
City-Level Job Stats
Virginia’s largest metropolitan area – Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV – boasts the largest number of early childhood education jobs and some of the highest salaries, too. For example, among the state’s preschool teachers, those in this metro area earn an average salary of $40,490, which is anywhere from $1,000 to $15,000 more than other metro areas throughout the state.
Preschool Teachers
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV – 10,810 licensed teachers with an average salary of $40,490
- Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC – 1,690 licensed teachers with an average salary of $38,080
- Richmond – 1,390 licensed teachers with an average salary of $35,640
- Roanoke – 330 licensed teachers with an average salary of $31,230
- Lynchburg, VA – 180 licensed teachers with an average salary of $29,380
- Kingsport-Bristol-Bristol, TN-VA – 200 licensed teachers with an average salary of $31,630
- Charlottesville – 330 licensed teachers with an average salary of $39,260
- Winchester, VA-WV – 170 licensed teachers with an average salary of $30,310
- Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford – 110 licensed teachers with an average salary of $32,000
- Harrisonburg – average salary of $24,990
Kindergarten Teachers
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV –2,940 licensed teachers with an average salary of $69,980
- Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC – 620 licensed teachers with an average salary of $63,590
- Richmond – 610 licensed teachers with an average salary of $54,710
- Roanoke – 90 licensed teachers with an average salary of $54,150
- Lynchburg, VA – average salary of $48,170
- Kingsport-Bristol-Bristol, TN-VA – 140 licensed teachers with an average salary of $50,980
- Charlottesville – 110 licensed teachers with an average salary of $69,300
- Winchester, VA-WV – average salary of $60,820
- Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford – 80 licensed teachers with an average salary of $44,030
Special Education Teachers – Preschool
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV – 270 licensed teachers with an average salary of $78,760
- Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC – 130 licensed teachers with an average salary of $67,470
- Richmond – 80 licensed teachers with an average salary of $50,490
Special Education Teachers – Kindergarten and Elementary School
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV – 4,560 licensed teachers with an average salary of $73,620
- Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC – 12,50 licensed teachers with an average salary of $69,330
- Richmond – 750 licensed teachers with an average salary of $57,970
- Roanoke – 110 licensed teachers with an average salary of $51,430
- Lynchburg, VA – 120 licensed teachers with an average salary of $51,500
- Kingsport-Bristol-Bristol, TN-VA – 160 licensed teachers with an average salary of $48,140
- Charlottesville – 130 licensed teachers with an average salary of $65,500
- Winchester, VA-WV – average salary of $55,690
- Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford – 60 licensed teachers with an average salary of $49,480
Education Administrators – Preschool and Childcare
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV –1,400 licensed teachers with an average salary of $67,700
- Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC – 150 licensed teachers with an average salary of $57,520
- Richmond – 120 licensed teachers with an average salary of $48,630
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_va.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.