Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education · SOC 25-2011
Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Preschool Teachers, Except Special Educations
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025U.S. metropolitan areas
Metro areas ranked by published median annual wage for preschool teachers, except special education. Areas where BLS suppressed the median are not ranked. Higher medians often track higher living costs — this is a pay comparison, not a ranking of where the job is “best”.
Top 25 of 383 metro areas
| # | Metro area | Median annual | Employment | Per 1,000 jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vineland, NJ | $63,340 | 330 | 5.3 |
| 2 | Albany, GA | $62,680 | 400 | 6.8 |
| 3 | Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ | $59,320 | 460 | 2.7 |
| 4 | Brunswick-St. Simons, GA | $58,000 | 100 | 2.1 |
| 5 | Fairbanks-College, AK | $57,680 | 60 | 1.8 |
| 6 | Visalia, CA | $56,930 | 430 | 2.5 |
| 7 | Kahului-Wailuku, HI | $55,340 | 160 | 2.1 |
| 8 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $53,810 | 10,280 | 4.3 |
| 9 | Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA | $51,310 | 140 | 1.7 |
| 10 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $51,190 | 3,570 | 3.1 |
| 11 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $50,230 | 28,140 | 3.0 |
| 12 | Hinesville, GA | $49,690 | 150 | 7.4 |
| 13 | Modesto, CA | $49,500 | 640 | 3.3 |
| 14 | Manhattan, KS | $49,160 | 70 | 1.3 |
| 15 | Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $48,820 | 1,500 | 3.7 |
| 16 | Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | $48,510 | 180 | 3.3 |
| 17 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $48,410 | 1,070 | 2.4 |
| 18 | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $48,130 | 630 | 3.2 |
| 19 | Merced, CA | $48,120 | 290 | 3.6 |
| 20 | Wichita, KS | $47,920 | 290 | 0.9 |
| 21 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $47,780 | 420 | 4.3 |
| 22 | Salinas, CA | $47,280 | 600 | 3.2 |
| 23 | Barnstable Town, MA | $47,190 | 270 | 2.9 |
| 24 | Lewiston-Auburn, ME | $47,010 | 90 | 1.9 |
| 25 | Vallejo, CA | $46,960 | 450 | 3.1 |
Full state and metro tables, the national distribution, and the pay map are on the Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education overview.
About this data. Estimates are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 release, retrieved from bls.gov/oes/tables.htm on July 24, 2026. OEWS estimates describe metropolitan/nonmetropolitan areas and states — not city limits — and are not designed for year-over-year comparisons. See BLS methodology, our plain-English methodology, and sources. CitySalaryData is independent and not affiliated with BLS.