Early Childhood Education Jobs in Minnesota

Pursue a career as a preschool teacher in Minnesota and you’ll be part of the state’s outstanding efforts to grow and improve its early childhood education system.

The state set aside $28 million for early childhood education in its 2015-16 budget and then took another large stride toward excellence in early learning in 2017 when it expanded its programs to include voluntary pre-K classes throughout 74 school districts and charter schools. And thanks to the massive outpouring of support, the state expanded the program in 2018 to include more than 7,000 students across 80 districts.

Already rich in early childhood education jobs, Minnesota’s latest efforts are sure to bring more plentiful and varied professional opportunities to the state’s preschool teachers.

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Minnesota Salary Rankings

#13

in the US for Special Education Teachers, Preschool

#15

in the US for Childcare Workers

#17

in the US for Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School

#13

in the US for Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education

#11

in the US for Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education

in the US for Education Administrators, Preschool and Childcare

Early Childhood Jobs in Minnesota

The Land of Ten Thousand Lakes is also the land of tens of thousands of well-paying jobs in early childhood education. The Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area is one of the best places in the state to find high-paying early childhood education jobs, but there are niche areas all over where you can find excellent opportunities. Overall, the state does well in providing early childhood education jobs that meet or exceed the national salary trend.

Occupation	Total Employed	Median Annual Salary	% of US Median
Childcare Workers	11,830	$25,820	105%
Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education	8,180	$37,500	110%
Child, Family, and School Social Workers	8,150	$49,760	100%
Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School	4,600	$63,030	99%
Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education	3,440	$60,580	104%
Education Administrators, Preschool and Childcare	840	$58,740	109%
Special Education Teachers, Preschool	1,490	$62,810	102%
= Salary below nat’l. avg. = Salary above nat’l. avg.

Most Minnesota early childhood educator positions pay better than their counterparts in the nation as a whole. For school social workers, the difference here is night and day—they make almost $6,000 more a year than in other states, a substantial increase for what is typically a low-paying job. Employment for administrators has also been on the rise, going up more than 11 percent recently.

Childcare Workers – There are 11,830 childcare workers throughout the state, making an average of $25,820 a year. That’s $1,210 better than the national average.

Child, Family, and School Social Workers – 8,150 people work in schools and with other agencies as child, family, and school social workers, with an average salary of $55,560. That blows the national average of $49,760 out of the water!

Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education – Only 3,440 people work as kindergarten teachers here, but they make an average of $60,580 a year. That’s slightly better than the national average of $58,370.

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City-Level Job Stats

MSP is one of the more obvious places to look for high-paying childcare positions in the state, and also the area with the most openings overall in every job category. But Rochester is another area that deserves a look, with similar salaries, despite offering fewer positions overall.

Preschool Teachers

Duluth, MN-WI – 530 teachers with a median annual salary of $28,820
Mankato-North Mankato, MN – 170 teachers with a median annual salary of $29,260
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI – 5,580 teachers with a median annual salary of $34,490
Rochester, MN – 330 teachers with a median annual salary of $31,810
Cloud, MN – 340 teachers with a median annual salary of $23,650
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
La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN – 360 teachers with a median annual salary of $24,100

Kindergarten Teachers

Duluth, MN-WI – 160 teachers with a median annual salary of $59,310
Mankato-North Mankato, MN – 90 teachers with a median annual salary of $56,040
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI – 2,170 teachers with a median annual salary of $62,950
Rochester, MN – 170 teachers with a median annual salary of $57,510
Cloud, MN – 80 teachers with a median annual salary of $45,050
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
La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN – 150 teachers with a median annual salary of $54,120

Special Education Teachers – Preschool

Duluth, MN-WI – 40 teachers with a median annual salary of $45,940
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI – 950 teachers with a median annual salary of $65,160
Rochester, MN – Median annual salary of $61,210

Special Education Teachers – Kindergarten and Elementary School

Duluth, MN-WI – 140 teachers with a median annual salary of $55,370
Mankato-North Mankato, MN – 80 teachers with a median annual salary of $56,020
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI – 3,010 teachers with a median annual salary of $66,620
Rochester, MN – Median annual salary of $58,180
Cloud, MN – 160 teachers with a median annual salary of $58,920
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
La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN – A median annual salary of $39,090

Education Administrators – Preschool and Childcare

Duluth, MN-WI – 80 administrators with a median annual salary of $47,160
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI – 580 administrators with a median annual salary of $55,350
Rochester, MN – 40 administrators with a median annual salary of $54,500
Fargo, ND-MN – 100 administrators with a median annual salary of $51,420

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