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

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

Dimension

Preschool Teacher

Elementary School Teacher

Median pay

$37,120

$62,970

Projected growth (2024–34)

4.1%

-2%

Annual openings

65,500

40,500

2024 employment

555,100

633,700

2034 projected employment

578,100

621,300

Self-employed share

0.6%

Typical entry education

Associate's degree

Bachelor's degree

Related work experience

None

On-the-job training

None

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.

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.

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 Preschool Teacher or Elementary School Teacher.