Elementary School Teacher vs Preschool Teacher: Which Field Is Better?

Dimension	Elementary School Teacher	Preschool Teacher
Median pay	$62,970	$37,120
Projected growth (2024–34)	-2%	4.1%
Annual openings	40,500	65,500
2024 employment	633,700	555,100
2034 projected employment	621,300	578,100
Self-employed share	0.6%	0.6%
Typical entry education	Bachelor's degree	Associate's degree
Related work experience	None	None
On-the-job training	None	None

Dimension

Elementary School Teacher

Preschool Teacher

Median pay

$62,970

$37,120

Projected growth (2024–34)

-2%

4.1%

Annual openings

40,500

65,500

2024 employment

633,700

555,100

2034 projected employment

621,300

578,100

Self-employed share

0.6%

Typical entry education

Bachelor's degree

Associate's degree

Related work experience

None

On-the-job training

None

Elementary School Teacher: main tradeoff

Projected employment is declining, yet replacement openings remain substantial; retention and certification explain why a declining occupation can coexist with shortages.

Preschool Teacher: main tradeoff

Demand and openings are substantial, but pay is low relative to other education careers, making compensation and retention the defining tradeoffs.

Which should you choose?

Elementary School Teacher has the higher national median pay in the BLS data. Preschool Teacher has the higher projected 2024–2034 growth rate. The larger decision is whether you prefer the training path, work style, and occupation-specific tradeoffs of Elementary School Teacher or Preschool Teacher.