Preschool Teacher Job Description Templates for Private Programs
6 free templates for private preschools and childcare centers teaching three to five year olds on a curriculum: general, lead, assistant, Pre-K, method-specific, and substitute. Download as DOCX.
The first preschool director I helped with a hiring problem had been running the same job description for six years. It opened with the phrase warm and nurturing environment, said nothing about the curriculum, nothing about the ratio, and nothing about pay. She was getting applicants. She was not getting anyone who had ever written a lesson plan.
That is the recurring failure in early childhood hiring. Preschool teacher postings get written as though the job were babysitting with a nicer floor, when the actual role is delivering a curriculum to three to five year olds inside a licensed setting with ratios, assessments, and a family expecting kindergarten readiness at the end of it. Candidates who can do that work read the vague version and assume you cannot tell the difference.
At FirstHR we build hiring documents for owners and directors who have no HR department behind them. The six templates below cover a general preschool classroom, a lead teacher, an assistant, a Pre-K room, a method-specific program, and a substitute pool, each with the credential, ratio, and overtime notes the generic versions leave out.
TL;DR
A preschool teacher job description covers curriculum delivery for three to five year olds, not custodial care. State the age group, curriculum, ratio, credential bar, and pay. Classification turns on primary duty: instruction can be exempt with no salary test, care cannot. National median pay is $38,140 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Six templates below as DOCX.
What the Role Actually Is
A preschool teacher plans and delivers an instructional program for children roughly three to five years old, assesses each child against early learning standards, and reports progress and school readiness to families. That instructional duty is what separates the role from every other job in an early childhood building.
The distinction is not academic. The Bureau of Labor Statistics tracks preschool teachers except special education as their own occupation, with 478,780 jobs nationally in the Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for May 2025. Childcare workers are counted separately in the same survey, at 518,910 jobs and a median annual wage of $34,980 against $38,140 for preschool teachers. Two occupations, two labor markets, two postings.
Preschool teacher
Curriculum, ages three to five
Plans and delivers a written curriculum, assesses development against early learning standards, and reports readiness to families. The instructional duty is the job, and it is what makes this a separate posting from every other role in the building.
Infant and toddler teacher
Care-heavy, under three
Feeding, diapering, safe sleep, and responsive caregiving dominate the schedule. Real development work happens, but the primary duty is care, which changes the credential you ask for and the overtime classification you apply.
Childcare worker
Supervision and daily care
Supervises and cares for children without owning a curriculum. Hourly and non-exempt in almost every case. Use a childcare posting when the honest description of the role is care and supervision rather than teaching.
Program director
Runs the center
Owns licensing, enrollment, staffing, budget, and family relations. Separate posting, separate pay band, separate classification analysis. Do not fold director duties into a lead teacher job description to save a headcount line.
Write the Posting for the Day, Not for the Title
The honest test is what the schedule looks like from arrival to pickup. If most of the block is lesson delivery, small groups, observation, and assessment, you are hiring a preschool teacher. If most of it is toileting, meals, rest, and supervision, you are hiring care staff and should use a childcare worker posting instead. Getting this wrong attracts the wrong applicants and creates a classification problem you will discover at the worst possible moment.
What Belongs in the Posting
A preschool teacher job description does four jobs at once: it describes the classroom accurately, it filters people who lack the credential, it protects you legally, and it closes the candidate. Most programs write only the first, and vaguely.
What candidates read first
Age group and classroom, stated exactly
Curriculum name and philosophy in one line
Ratio and maximum group size
Calendar: school year or year-round, and closure days
What filters applicants
Credential bar: CDA, associate, or bachelor’s degree
State licensing training and annual hours
Whether you supervise an assistant teacher
Physical requirements written plainly
What protects you
FLSA classification stated on the posting
Background check requirement before unsupervised access
Mandated-reporter duty named up front
Equal opportunity statement
What wins the hire
Pay or a good-faith range
Paid planning time outside classroom hours
Who covers breaks and how
Tuition discount, training budget, and a named contact
The omission I see most often is paid planning time. Preschool teachers are expected to write lesson plans, maintain portfolios, and prepare conference materials, and the posting almost never says when that happens or whether it is paid. Silence reads as unpaid evening work, and experienced teachers screen it out. Our general guide to writing a job description covers the underlying structure in more depth.
6 Preschool Teacher Job Description Templates to Download
Download all six as one file or copy them individually. Each follows the same structure: program overview, position summary, key responsibilities, required qualifications, a classification and compliance note, an equal opportunity statement, and how to apply. The bracketed fields are the only parts you need to change.
Download All 6 Preschool Teacher Job Description Templates
General preschool teacher, lead, assistant, Pre-K, Montessori or faith-based, and substitute. All in one download.
Preschool Teacher
The core three-to-five role
One classroom, one curriculum, one set of families. The general posting most private programs need, with ratios, assessment, and licensing records built in.
Lead Preschool Teacher
Owns the room and the team
For the teacher who sets the plan and directs assistants. Adds supervision duties and an honest note on why a lead title does not automatically create an exemption.
Assistant Preschool Teacher
Hourly support role
For the second adult in the room. Non-exempt by design, with the break, training, and hours-worked rules that small programs get wrong most often.
Pre-K Teacher
Four and five year olds
The kindergarten readiness year, with screening tools, transition summaries, and the strongest case for the teaching professional exemption.
Montessori or Faith-Based
Method-specific hiring
For programs where the method is the product. Certification expectations, prepared environment duties, and a warning about religious requirement language.
Substitute or Float
Coverage pool
For the cleared bench that keeps you in ratio when someone calls out, with the contractor warning and the pre-clearance rule stated plainly.
Template 1: Preschool Teacher
The core three-to-five classroom role, with curriculum planning, assessment, family conferences, ratio maintenance, and licensing records built in.
approach and keep classrooms at [ratio] with a maximum group size of [number].
POSITION SUMMARY
The Preschool Teacher plans and delivers a daily curriculum for a classroom of
three to five year olds, observes and documents each child’s development,
maintains a safe classroom within licensing ratios, and partners with families
on progress and school readiness.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Write and deliver weekly lesson plans aligned to [curriculum name] and the
[state] early learning standards
•Lead small-group and whole-group instruction in early literacy, early math,
science exploration, art, music, and gross motor play
•Observe, document, and assess each child using [assessment tool] and keep
portfolios current
•Prepare the classroom environment and rotate learning centers on a schedule
•Support social and emotional development, guide behavior positively, and
implement individual plans in partnership with families and specialists
•Maintain required child-to-staff ratios at all times, including transitions,
outdoor time, and rest period
•Hold [frequency] family conferences and send [weekly] classroom updates
•Direct the work of the assistant teacher assigned to the classroom
•Keep licensing records current: attendance, incident reports, medication logs,
allergy plans, and daily health checks
•Complete [number] hours of annual professional development required by state
licensing
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•[Child Development Associate credential / associate degree in early childhood
education / bachelor’s degree in early childhood education: choose one]
•[Number] years leading a preschool classroom preferred
•Current pediatric CPR and First Aid certification, or willingness to obtain
before the start date
•Must clear the comprehensive background check required for child care staff
under state and federal rules before working unsupervised with children
•Physically able to lift [weight], sit on the floor, and move quickly outdoors
CLASSIFICATION AND COMPLIANCE NOTE (read before posting)
Preschools are covered enterprises under the FLSA regardless of size or profit
status. A bona fide preschool teacher whose primary duty is teaching may qualify
for the teaching professional exemption, and no salary test applies to that
exemption. An employee whose primary duty is caring for the physical needs of
children rather than instructing is non-exempt: hourly, with overtime past forty
hours in a week. Classify on the actual duties. Confirm your state licensing
qualification and training rules. This is general information, not legal advice.
EEO STATEMENT
[Program Name] is an equal opportunity employer and provides reasonable
accommodations for the essential functions of this role.
COMPENSATION AND HOW TO APPLY
Compensation: $_ per [hour / year], [benefits summary], [paid closure
days], [tuition discount for staff children].
To apply, email __ with your resume and two references.
Template 2: Lead Preschool Teacher
For the teacher who owns the room and directs the assistants in it. Adds supervision duties, family escalation, and a note on why a lead title alone does not create an exemption.
Lead Preschool Teacher Job Description
LEAD PRESCHOOL TEACHER JOB DESCRIPTION
Program: __ ([City, State])
Reports to: [Director / Assistant Director]
Classroom: [Age group], with [number] assistant teachers
Employment type: Full-time, [school year / year-round]
FLSA status: [Exempt / Non-exempt] (see classification note)
Compensation: $_ per [hour / year]
ABOUT THIS ROLE
The Lead Preschool Teacher owns one classroom end to end. You set the curriculum
plan, run the room, direct the assistant teachers assigned to you, and are the
family’s main point of contact for that child’s year with us.
POSITION SUMMARY
The Lead Preschool Teacher designs and delivers the classroom curriculum,
supervises assistant staff in the room, owns family communication, and keeps the
classroom compliant with licensing requirements.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Curriculum and instruction
•Build the long-range plan, the weekly plan, and daily lessons for the room
•Differentiate activities for the range of readiness inside one age group
•Own assessment: observation notes, portfolios, screening results, and the
progress reports that go home
Leading the classroom team
•Direct the daily work of [number] assistant teachers, including break
coverage and center rotations
•Model guidance techniques and coach assistants on positive behavior support
•Give input on assistant performance to the Director
Families and readiness
•Lead [frequency] conferences and prepare kindergarten readiness summaries
•Handle first-line family concerns and escalate to the Director when needed
Compliance and safety
•Maintain ratios and group size at all times and lead evacuation drills
For the second adult in the room, written as an hourly non-exempt role with the break, training, and hours-worked rules stated where the hiring manager will actually read them.
Assistant Preschool Teacher Job Description
ASSISTANT PRESCHOOL TEACHER JOB DESCRIPTION
Program: __ ([City, State])
Reports to: [Lead Preschool Teacher / Director]
Classroom: [Age group]
Employment type: [Full-time / Part-time], [school year / year-round]
The Assistant Preschool Teacher supports the lead teacher in a classroom of
[age group] children. This is a hands-on role: you run small groups, prepare
materials, cover breaks, and help keep the room safe and within ratio.
POSITION SUMMARY
The Assistant Preschool Teacher carries out the lesson plan set by the lead
teacher, supervises children during transitions and outdoor play, prepares and
cleans classroom materials, and supports daily care routines.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Lead small-group activities and learning centers under the lead teacher’s plan
•Supervise children during arrival, meals, outdoor play, rest, and dismissal
•Prepare, set up, and sanitize classroom materials and learning centers
•Support toileting, handwashing, and self-care routines appropriate to the age
•Record observations and share them with the lead teacher
•Maintain ratio during breaks and cover the classroom when the lead teacher is
out for short periods
•Follow all licensing, health, sanitation, and safe-supervision requirements
•Complete [number] hours of annual training required by state licensing
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•High school diploma or equivalent; coursework in early childhood education
preferred, or willingness to begin a CDA within [number] months
•Comprehensive background check clearance before unsupervised child contact
•Pediatric CPR and First Aid certification, or willingness to obtain
•Able to lift [weight], move quickly, and spend the day on your feet
CLASSIFICATION AND COMPLIANCE NOTE (read before posting)
This role is non-exempt. Track all hours worked, including early arrival, staff
meetings, and closing tasks. Short rest breaks of about twenty minutes or less
count as hours worked and are paid, and a meal break only counts as unpaid time if the employee is
completely relieved of duty, which is not the case when they are still watching
children. Training required by state licensing is compensable working time.
This is general information, not legal advice.
EEO STATEMENT
[Program Name] is an equal opportunity employer and provides reasonable
accommodations for the essential functions of this role.
COMPENSATION AND HOW TO APPLY
Compensation: $_ per hour, [benefits summary], [paid training time].
To apply, email __ with your resume.
Template 4: Pre-K Teacher
For the four and five year old classroom: kindergarten readiness, screening tools, transition summaries for receiving schools, and coordination with outside providers.
Pre-K Teacher Job Description (Four and Five Year Olds)
PRE-K TEACHER JOB DESCRIPTION
Program: __ ([City, State])
Reports to: [Director / Head of Early Years]
Classroom: Pre-K, ages four to five
Employment type: Full-time, [school year / year-round]
FLSA status: [Exempt / Non-exempt] (see classification note)
Compensation: $_ per [hour / year]
ABOUT THIS ROLE
Our Pre-K classroom is the last year before kindergarten, and families judge us
on how ready their children are when they leave. The Pre-K Teacher runs a
structured but developmentally appropriate program built around early literacy,
early numeracy, and the self-regulation skills kindergarten expects.
POSITION SUMMARY
The Pre-K Teacher plans and delivers a kindergarten readiness curriculum,
assesses each child against [state] early learning standards, prepares
transition documentation for receiving schools, and communicates readiness
honestly to families.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Plan and teach a daily program covering phonological awareness, letter and
print knowledge, early writing, counting and number sense, measurement,
science inquiry, and social studies
•Build self-regulation, listening stamina, and independence for kindergarten
•Administer [screening or assessment tool] at [frequency] and record results
•Prepare kindergarten transition summaries and support family school choice
•Run [frequency] family conferences with concrete readiness evidence
•Coordinate with speech, occupational therapy, or early intervention providers
serving children in the classroom
•Maintain ratio, group size, and all licensing documentation
•Direct the assistant teacher assigned to the classroom
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•[Bachelor’s degree in early childhood education / associate degree plus
[number] years Pre-K experience: choose one]
•[State early childhood teaching credential: required / preferred / not
required]
•Experience with [assessment tool] and with a written curriculum
•Comprehensive background check clearance before unsupervised child contact
•Current pediatric CPR and First Aid certification
CLASSIFICATION AND COMPLIANCE NOTE (read before posting)
A Pre-K teacher delivering an instructional program is the strongest candidate
for the teaching professional exemption inside an early childhood setting,
because the primary duty is genuinely instruction. That still turns on what the
day actually looks like, not on the title. If the role spends most of its time
on custodial care, it is non-exempt. This is general information, not legal
advice.
EEO STATEMENT
[Program Name] is an equal opportunity employer and provides reasonable
accommodations for the essential functions of this role.
COMPENSATION AND HOW TO APPLY
Compensation: $_ per [hour / year], [benefits summary], [calendar].
To apply, email __ with your resume and a short statement
of your approach to kindergarten readiness.
Template 5: Montessori or Faith-Based Preschool Teacher
For programs where the method is the product, with certification expectations, prepared environment duties, and a warning to get religious requirement language reviewed before posting.
Montessori or Faith-Based Preschool Teacher Job Description
MONTESSORI OR FAITH-BASED PRESCHOOL TEACHER JOB DESCRIPTION
Program: __ ([City, State])
Reports to: [Director / Head of School]
Classroom: [Primary 3 to 6 / age group]
Employment type: Full-time, [school year / year-round]
FLSA status: [Exempt / Non-exempt] (see classification note)
Compensation: $_ per [hour / year]
ABOUT [PROGRAM NAME]
[Program Name] is a [Montessori / Reggio-inspired / Waldorf-inspired /
faith-based] preschool in [City, State]. Our method is not a preference, it is
the reason families choose us, so we hire teachers who are trained in it or
committed to becoming trained in it.
POSITION SUMMARY
The Teacher prepares and maintains the classroom environment according to the
[method], presents lessons in the sequence the method requires, observes and
records each child’s progress through the materials, and upholds the program’s
[philosophy / mission].
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Prepare and maintain the classroom environment to [method] standards
•Present individual and small-group lessons in the prescribed sequence
•Keep individual records of presentations given and mastery observed
•Guide a mixed-age community and support peer teaching
•[Lead daily [prayer / chapel / values] time and integrate [faith] formation
into the program: include only if applicable]
•Communicate the method to families who are new to it
•Maintain licensing ratios, records, and health and safety requirements
•Take part in [method] professional development and in-house study
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•[AMI / AMS / other] certification for the [age level], or enrollment in a
certification program with completion by [date]
•[Degree requirement]
•[If applicable: agreement with our statement of faith and willingness to
participate in religious instruction. Get legal review of this language before
posting.]
•Comprehensive background check clearance before unsupervised child contact
•Current pediatric CPR and First Aid certification
CLASSIFICATION AND COMPLIANCE NOTE (read before posting)
Method-specific certification narrows your candidate pool sharply, so decide
honestly whether it is required or preferred before you post. Religious
requirements for teaching staff at a faith-based program raise separate legal
questions, including how the ministerial exception applies to employees with
religious instructional duties. Have counsel review any faith requirement before
it goes into a posting. This is general information, not legal advice.
EEO STATEMENT
[Program Name] is an equal opportunity employer and provides reasonable
accommodations for the essential functions of this role. [Adjust for any
applicable religious organization exemption after legal review.]
COMPENSATION AND HOW TO APPLY
Compensation: $_ per [hour / year], [training support], [benefits].
To apply, email __ with your resume and certification
status.
Template 6: Substitute or Float Preschool Teacher
For the cleared bench that keeps you in ratio when someone calls out. Includes the contractor warning and the requirement that clearance is complete before the first shift. Summer program staff are a separate posting: see the camp counselor templates.
Substitute or Float Preschool Teacher Job Description
SUBSTITUTE OR FLOAT PRESCHOOL TEACHER JOB DESCRIPTION
Program: __ ([City, State])
Reports to: [Director]
Assignment: On-call coverage across classrooms, ages [range]
Employment type: [On-call / Part-time], hourly employee (not a contractor)
Compensation: $_ per hour, minimum [number] hours per call-in
ABOUT THIS ROLE
Ratios do not bend when someone calls in sick, which is why we keep a cleared
substitute pool instead of scrambling. The Substitute or Float Teacher covers
classrooms across age groups, follows the plan the lead teacher left, and keeps
the room running normally for the children.
POSITION SUMMARY
The Substitute or Float Teacher provides classroom coverage on short notice,
carries out the existing lesson plan, maintains ratio and routine, and documents
the day for the returning teacher.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Accept or decline assignments by [time] the [prior evening / same morning]
•Carry out the lesson plan and daily schedule left by the classroom teacher
•Maintain required ratios, supervision, and safety rules at all times
•Support meals, outdoor play, rest period, and transitions
•Record attendance, incidents, and a short handover note for the teacher
•Float between classrooms during breaks when not assigned to full coverage
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•[High school diploma / CDA / degree: set your bar and state it]
•Comprehensive background check clearance completed BEFORE the first shift
•Pediatric CPR and First Aid certification, or willingness to obtain
•Reliable transportation and same-day availability on [days]
CLASSIFICATION AND COMPLIANCE NOTE (read before posting)
Substitutes in a preschool are employees, not independent contractors, when you
set the schedule, the location, the ratio, and the method. Misclassifying
substitute staff as contractors is one of the most common and most expensive
mistakes small programs make. Clearance is not optional or deferrable: federal
child care rules require the comprehensive background check before a staff
member has unsupervised access to children, and licensing inspections check it.
This is general information, not legal advice.
EEO STATEMENT
[Program Name] is an equal opportunity employer and provides reasonable
accommodations for the essential functions of this role.
COMPENSATION AND HOW TO APPLY
Compensation: $_ per hour, [minimum call-in hours], [paid training time].
To apply, email __ with your resume and availability.
Credentials, Ratios, and What Licensing Requires
There is no single national qualification for a preschool teacher. State child care licensing sets the floor, accreditation or funding sources can raise it, and everything above that is a choice you make and defend in the posting.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists an associate degree as the typical entry-level education for the occupation. The most common credential in private programs is the Child Development Associate, awarded by the Council for Professional Recognition after 120 clock hours of formal early childhood education across eight subject areas, 480 hours of documented professional experience with the age group, a portfolio, an exam, and a verification visit.
Requirement
How to handle it in a private preschool posting
State licensing minimum
Check your licensing agency first; it sets the floor you cannot go below
CDA credential
The practical bar in most private programs; mark required or in progress within a set window
Associate or bachelor degree
Typical entry-level education is an associate degree; publicly funded Pre-K often requires a bachelor degree
Method certification
Only for Montessori or similar programs; it narrows the pool sharply, so decide required versus preferred
Annual training hours
State licensing sets a yearly minimum; name the number and confirm it is paid time
Pediatric CPR and First Aid
Required in practice everywhere; state whether you pay for the course
Ratio and group size
Set by state licensing; publish yours because candidates use it to judge working conditions
Ratios deserve a line in the posting rather than a footnote. State licensing sets the legal minimum, and the national health and safety standards in Caring for Our Children, fourth edition, recommend one adult per seven children with a maximum group of fourteen for three year olds, and one adult per eight children with a maximum group of sixteen for four and five year olds. Whatever your numbers are, publishing them signals that you staff the room honestly.
Overtime and the Teaching Exemption in a Preschool
Preschools are covered enterprises under the Fair Labor Standards Act regardless of size, ownership, or profit status, and a bona fide preschool teacher may qualify for the teaching professional exemption while care-focused staff may not. Primary duty decides it, and nothing else does.
The Department of Labor sets this out directly in its guidance on daycare centers and preschools under the FLSA, which confirms both halves: bona fide teachers in preschool and kindergarten settings may be exempt on the same terms as an elementary teacher, and employees whose primary duty is caring for the physical needs of the children ordinarily are not. The underlying regulation on teachers as exempt professionals explicitly includes nursery school teachers and waives the salary level and salary basis tests for teaching professionals.
Every preschool is covered by the FLSA
The 1972 amendments to the Fair Labor Standards Act extended coverage to preschools as covered enterprises, whether public or private, for profit or not for profit, and without regard to annual dollar volume. That is the single most misunderstood point in early childhood hiring. A two-classroom private preschool with a handful of staff is fully covered: it must establish a fixed workweek, keep complete daily and weekly hours records for every non-exempt employee, pay at least the federal minimum wage, and pay overtime at one and a half times the regular rate past forty hours in a week. There is no small program carve-out to fall back on. This is general information, not legal advice.
The teaching exemption exists, but it is narrow
The Department of Labor is explicit that bona fide teachers in preschool and kindergarten settings may qualify for the professional exemption on the same terms as an elementary school teacher, and unusually, no salary level or salary basis test applies to the teaching exemption at all. It turns entirely on primary duty. The limit is equally explicit: although a preschool may run some educational activities, employees whose primary duty is caring for the physical needs of the children ordinarily do not qualify as exempt teachers. Write down what the role actually does hour by hour before you decide, and keep that note.
Where hours-worked mistakes happen
Wage and Hour Division experience points to the same recurring problems in this industry. Staff taken off the clock for lunch while still supervising children are working, because a meal period only goes unpaid when the employee is completely relieved of duty. Short rest breaks of roughly twenty minutes or less count as hours worked. Training required by the state for child care licensing is compensable working time. Paying a flat fee for early arrival or late pickup coverage instead of proper overtime is a violation, as is computing overtime after eighty hours in two weeks instead of after forty in each week.
Classify on duties, then write it in the posting
Stating the classification in the job description is not legal boilerplate, it is a forcing function. It makes you decide before you hire rather than after an audit, and it sets the candidate’s expectations about hours, overtime, and paid planning time. For most assistant roles and many general preschool teacher roles at care-heavy programs, non-exempt is the honest answer, and hourly pay with tracked hours is cleaner than a salary that invites a misclassification claim. Reserve exempt treatment for roles where instruction genuinely dominates the schedule and you can show it.
Anyone outside the exemption needs hours tracked and overtime paid past forty in a week. The wider coverage rules, including what counts as compensable time, sit in our guide to the Fair Labor Standards Act.
If you are unsure which side a specific role falls on, our breakdown of exempt versus non-exempt classification works through the tests step by step. Write down the schedule you expect the person to work, hour by hour, before you decide, and keep that note with the job description.
What to Pay a Preschool Teacher
The national median for the occupation is a starting reference, not a target, because pay in early childhood is driven by the setting far more than by the title. A preschool inside a child care business and a preschool inside a school sit in different pay worlds.
National Wages for Preschool Teachers
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey (May 2025), preschool teachers except special education had a national median annual wage of $38,140, a median hourly wage of $18.34, and a mean annual wage of $43,030 across 478,780 jobs. Preschool special education teachers averaged $76,380 per year and preschool and daycare administrators $64,800 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS national estimates).
Setting or role
National wage figure
What it means for a private program
Preschool teacher, all settings
$38,140 median per year (BLS OEWS, May 2025)
Blends public Pre-K and private centers; treat as a midpoint, not a target
Educational services employer
$50,710 median per year (BLS OOH, May 2024)
School-based programs and public Pre-K sit at the top of the range
Individual and family services
$42,910 median per year (BLS OOH, May 2024)
Nonprofit and social service operated programs
Religious and civic organizations
$42,340 median per year (BLS OOH, May 2024)
Faith-based preschools often compete on mission and calendar
Child daycare services employer
$36,060 median per year (BLS OOH, May 2024)
Where most private preschools sit; benchmark here, not to the national median
Preschool special education teacher
$76,380 mean per year (BLS OEWS, May 2025)
Small occupation, largely publicly funded, hard to match privately
Preschool or daycare administrator
$64,800 mean per year (BLS OEWS, May 2025)
The director band above lead teacher
The gap between a child daycare services employer and an educational services employer for the same occupation is close to fifteen thousand dollars a year, and it is the single most useful number a private preschool owner can hold in mind. You are unlikely to close it on base pay alone. Publish a good-faith range where pay transparency laws apply, then compete on paid planning time, funded credential progress, predictable ratios, and a decision you can make in a week.
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Two sentences belong in every preschool teacher posting: one stating that employment is contingent on completing the comprehensive background check required for child care staff before unsupervised access to children, and one stating that all staff are mandated reporters of suspected child abuse and neglect.
Federal rules require licensed child care programs to run a comprehensive background check on staff before hire and at least once every five years after that. The check combines an FBI fingerprint-based criminal history search, a National Crime Information Center sex offender registry search, and state criminal, sex offender, and child abuse and neglect registry searches covering every state the person lived in during the previous five years.
Putting that in the posting is a filter, not boilerplate. Our guides to running a background check and to state background check laws cover the process and the notice requirements that apply on top of the child care rules.
Clearance Comes Before the First Shift, Not After
The most expensive mistake small programs make is letting a new teacher start while the check is pending because a classroom is short and families are waiting. Licensing inspections look for exactly this, and a lapse can affect your license, not just that one hire. Build the clearance timeline backward from the start date, keep a cleared substitute bench so you are never forced to choose, and store every certificate with its expiry date somewhere other than a folder on the director's desk.
Hiring Preschool Teachers Without an HR Department
Preschool hiring fails in three predictable places: the posting is generic, an open classroom costs enrollment while you deliberate, and the compliance paperwork for one hire is longer than the interview process. Each has a fix that does not require hiring an HR person.
You are the director, the enrollment office, and the HR department at the same time
At a private preschool the person writing the job description is usually the director or the owner, drafting it between a licensing call and a parent at the front desk. There is no HR office to hand it to, so the posting either gets written properly or it gets copied from a public school district job that describes a completely different program. Candidates notice: a district posting cannot tell them whether you are a Montessori primary classroom or a play-based program where they will design their own units, and the strongest early childhood teachers care about that difference more than about the title. The fix is a fixed structure you reuse every hiring season, so the program-specific parts are the only parts you rewrite.
Ratios mean an open classroom is a revenue problem, not just a staffing problem
Licensing ratios convert a vacancy directly into lost enrollment: you cannot admit the children if you cannot staff the room, and families who are turned away rarely come back later. That changes the economics of hiring speed. Keep a cleared substitute bench so a resignation does not close a classroom, start recruiting for the next school year before the current one ends, and treat clearance timelines as the real constraint rather than the interview calendar. Publishing pay in the posting also matters more here than in most industries, because early childhood candidates compare hourly rates across programs in a single afternoon and skip anything that hides the number.
The compliance paperwork for a single hire is longer than the interview process
One preschool teacher hire generates a background check request and clearance, fingerprint receipts, a mandated-reporter acknowledgment, pediatric CPR and First Aid certificates with expiry dates, a health assessment or TB screening where the state requires it, credential and transcript copies, licensing orientation training, handbook and policy sign-offs, emergency contacts, and payroll forms. Every one of them has to be produced on demand during a licensing inspection. FirstHR was built for exactly this: the onboarding wizard runs the same sequence for every new teacher, e-signature handles acknowledgments, document management stores certificates against the employee profile with renewal dates attached, and training modules deliver orientation before the first shift. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR.
Once the offer is signed, the work shifts to a repeatable onboarding checklist, and for teaching staff specifically our new teacher onboarding checklist covers the sequence from clearance through the first family conference.
Use a standard offer letter template so the hourly rate or salary, the FLSA classification, and the start date are recorded the same way for every hire. That single habit prevents most of the pay disputes that reach a small program in its first few years.
Key Takeaways
A preschool teacher job description describes curriculum delivery to three to five year olds, which is a different occupation and a different labor market from childcare and infant or toddler care.
State the age group, the curriculum, the ratio, the maximum group size, the calendar, and the pay, because early childhood candidates compare exactly those fields across programs.
Preschools are covered enterprises under the FLSA regardless of size or profit status, so there is no small program exception to minimum wage, hours records, or overtime.
The teaching professional exemption has no salary test and can apply to a bona fide preschool teacher, but employees whose primary duty is caring for children ordinarily do not qualify.
National median pay is $38,140 per year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), but a child daycare services employer sits near $36,060 while an educational services employer sits near $50,710 (BLS OOH, May 2024).
The comprehensive child care background check must be requested before the person becomes a staff member and repeated at least every five years, so clearance is a hiring timeline constraint.
Licensing inspections ask for documents, not intentions. FirstHR runs the same onboarding sequence for every new teacher, with e-signature for acknowledgments, document storage for clearances and CPR certificates, and renewal dates tracked so nothing expires quietly between inspections. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should a preschool teacher job description include?
A preschool teacher job description should include nine things: the age group and classroom, the curriculum and philosophy in one line, the ratio and maximum group size, the instructional duties written concretely, the assessment and family communication expectations, the credential bar marked as required or preferred, the licensing and training obligations, the background check and mandated-reporter notice, and the pay with the FLSA classification stated. Programs that skip the ratio, the calendar, and the pay lose strong candidates before the first screen, because early childhood applicants compare those three across several programs in a single sitting. Add the equal opportunity statement, name a real person to apply to, and set a deadline. The six templates on this page follow that structure so only the program-specific fields change each hiring season.
What is the difference between a preschool teacher and a daycare or childcare worker?
The difference is the primary duty, and it changes the credential, the pay, and the overtime classification. A preschool teacher plans and delivers a curriculum for children roughly three to five years old, assesses development against early learning standards, and reports school readiness to families. A childcare worker supervises and cares for children without owning a curriculum, and an infant or toddler teacher spends most of the day on feeding, diapering, safe sleep, and responsive caregiving. Instruction versus care is exactly the line the Department of Labor draws when deciding whether the teaching professional exemption applies. It is also why the postings should be separate documents: a curriculum role usually asks for a Child Development Associate credential or a degree, while a care role centers on clearance, pediatric CPR and First Aid, and licensing training. This is general information, not legal advice.
Are preschool teachers exempt from overtime?
Sometimes, and it depends entirely on the primary duty. The Department of Labor states that bona fide teachers in preschool and kindergarten settings may qualify for the professional exemption on the same terms as an elementary school teacher, and no salary level or salary basis test applies to the teaching exemption. However, the same guidance says that although a preschool may run some educational activities, employees whose primary duty is caring for the physical needs of the children ordinarily do not qualify. In practice a Pre-K teacher delivering a written curriculum has the strongest case, an assistant teacher almost never does, and a general preschool teacher at a care-heavy center often does not either. Preschools are covered enterprises under the Fair Labor Standards Act regardless of size or profit status, so there is no small program exception. When in doubt, treat the role as non-exempt, track hours, and pay overtime. This is general information, not legal advice.
How much does a preschool teacher make?
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey (May 2025), preschool teachers except special education had a national median annual wage of $38,140, a median hourly wage of $18.34, and a mean annual wage of $43,030 across 478,780 jobs. The setting matters more than the national number. The Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook, using May 2024 wage data, reported median annual wages by industry of $50,710 in educational services, $42,910 in individual and family services, $42,340 in religious, grantmaking, civic and professional organizations, and $36,060 in child daycare services. A private preschool operating as a child care business is benchmarking against the bottom of that list, not the top. Publish a good-faith range where pay transparency rules apply, and compete on paid planning time, training support, and predictable ratios.
What qualifications does a preschool teacher need?
It depends on your state licensing rules, your accreditation, and your funding source, so check those three before you write the requirement. The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists an associate degree as the typical entry-level education for preschool teachers. In practice the common bar in private programs is a Child Development Associate credential, which the Council for Professional Recognition awards after 120 clock hours of formal early childhood education across eight subject areas, 480 hours of professional experience with the relevant age group, a professional portfolio, an exam, and a verification visit. Some states require a state-issued early childhood credential, publicly funded Pre-K programs frequently require a bachelor degree in early childhood education, and accredited programs may impose their own faculty standards. Write the requirement into the posting as required or preferred and mean it, because an inflated bar in a tight labor market simply produces no applicants.
What background checks are required to hire a preschool teacher?
Federal child care rules require a comprehensive background check for staff in licensed child care programs, and it has to be requested before the person becomes a staff member and repeated at least once every five years. The check includes an FBI fingerprint-based criminal history check, a search of the National Crime Information Center National Sex Offender Registry, and state criminal registry, state sex offender registry, and state child abuse and neglect registry searches in every state where the person has lived during the preceding five years. It applies broadly across the program, covering directors, teachers, assistants, drivers, kitchen and custodial staff, and volunteers or contractors with unsupervised access to children. States add their own requirements on top, and preschool staff are mandated reporters of suspected child abuse and neglect everywhere. Build the clearance timeline backward from the start date rather than letting someone begin while it is pending. This is general information, not legal advice.
How do I hire a preschool teacher for a small program with no HR department?
Run a fixed sequence and start it earlier than feels necessary, because an unstaffed classroom is lost enrollment rather than just an inconvenience. Post a specific job description that names the age group, the curriculum, the ratio, the calendar, and the pay. Screen for classroom management and curriculum fluency, then run a paid observation session in a real classroom, which reveals more than any interview question. Check references from a director who watched the candidate teach. Move fast on the offer, because strong early childhood candidates hold several conversations at once. Then run onboarding as a checklist rather than a folder: background check clearance before the first shift, pediatric CPR and First Aid certificates with expiry dates recorded, licensing orientation training, mandated-reporter acknowledgment, handbook sign-off, and payroll forms. FirstHR handles that sequence with e-signature, document storage, and renewal tracking. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR.
