Parents who want to give their little ones a head start in education can send their little ones to preschool as soon as they turn three. Combining play, learning, good nutrition and naps, these facilities rely on preschool teachers to explain lessons about life and learning. These educators work normal school hours, typically from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., during a 10-month school year.
Employers
The most job opportunities for preschool teachers were in child day-care services, which hired over two-thirds of the total 340,350 preschool teachers as of May 2012, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Child day-care services take care of preschool children and provide after-school care for children. The next biggest employers of preschool teachers were elementary and secondary schools, with 20 percent of the jobs, and individual and family services, with 6 percent of the positions. Individual and family services consist of youth centers, youth self-help organizations and facilities that help families with children.
Opportunities in States
The states with best job availability for preschool teachers also have large populations. California provided nearly 14 percent of the jobs, New York 7 percent and Texas 5 percent of jobs for preschool teachers. States with the fewest jobs: Alaska, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota.
Largest Urban Areas
The metropolitan areas with the best job availability for preschool teachers also had the largest populations. Tops for both factors was New York City, with almost 5 percent of the jobs. Los Angeles and Chicago each provided about 3 percent of jobs for preschool teachers.
Job Outlook
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that jobs for preschool teachers will grow by 25 percent from 2010 to 2020, higher than the 15 percent job growth predicted for all education occupations. Child day-care services will show the biggest jump at 30 percent, followed by religious, grant-making, civic and professional organizations (17 percent) and elementary and secondary schools (12 percent). In addition, a growing population will increase the number of children aged three to five years that will need teaching.
