Preschool teachers held about 441,000 jobs in 2014. The industries that employed the most preschool teachers were as follows:
Child day care services
55%
Religious, grantmaking, civic, professional, and similar organizations
19
Elementary and secondary schools; state, local, and private
17
Individual and family services
3
Many preschool teachers work in public and private schools or in formal childcare centers that have preschool classrooms. Others work for charitable or religious organizations that have preschool programs or Head Start programs. Head Start programs receive federal funding in order to provide educational courses for low-income families and their children from birth to age 5.
Seeing children develop new skills and gain an appreciation of knowledge and learning can be very rewarding. However, it can also be tiring to work with young, active children all day.
Work Schedules
Preschool teachers in public schools generally work during school hours. Many work the traditional 10-month school year and have a 2-month break during the summer. Some preschool teachers may teach in summer programs.
Teachers in districts with a year-round schedule typically work 8 weeks in a row then have a break for 1 week before starting a new school session. They also have a 5-week midwinter break.
Those working in day care settings may work longer hours and often work the whole year.