Preschool Teacher job description: duties, skills and qualifications.

Core duties

16

O*NET task statements

Preparation

Job Zone 3 of 5

medium preparation

Typical entry education

Associate's degree

BLS 2025–35

Median pay

$38,140

BLS May 2025

Data Government data groups this job as Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education (O*NET-SOC 25-2011.00). Figures on this page are for that occupation.

1. Teach basic skills, such as color, shape, number and letter recognition, personal hygiene, and social skills. importance 4.6 of 5
2. Establish and enforce rules for behavior and procedures for maintaining order. importance 4.6 of 5
3. Adapt teaching methods and instructional materials to meet students' varying needs and interests. importance 4.6 of 5
4. Provide a variety of materials and resources for children to explore, manipulate, and use, both in learning activities and in imaginative play. importance 4.6 of 5
5. Serve meals and snacks in accordance with nutritional guidelines. importance 4.5 of 5
6. Attend to children's basic needs by feeding them, dressing them, and changing their diapers. importance 4.5 of 5
7. Meet with parents and guardians to discuss their children's progress and needs, determine their priorities for their children, and suggest ways that they can promote learning and development. importance 4.5 of 5
8. Organize and lead activities designed to promote physical, mental, and social development, such as games, arts and crafts, music, storytelling, and field trips. importance 4.5 of 5
9. Identify children showing signs of emotional, developmental, or health-related problems and discuss them with supervisors, parents or guardians, and child development specialists. importance 4.4 of 5
10. Maintain accurate and complete student records as required by laws, district policies, and administrative regulations. importance 4.4 of 5
11. Assimilate arriving children to the school environment by greeting them, helping them remove outerwear, and selecting activities of interest to them. importance 4.4 of 5
12. Observe and evaluate children's performance, behavior, social development, and physical health. importance 4.4 of 5
13. Prepare materials and classrooms for class activities. importance 4.4 of 5
14. Read books to entire classes or to small groups. importance 4.4 of 5
15. Establish clear objectives for all lessons, units, and projects and communicate those objectives to children. importance 4.3 of 5
16. Arrange indoor and outdoor space to facilitate creative play, motor-skill activities, and safety. importance 4.3 of 5

Work activities O*NET rates most important here: Assisting and Caring for Others, Getting Information, Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships, Training and Teaching Others and Thinking Creatively.

Also part of the job

Supplemental tasks O*NET lists for this occupation: less central than the core duties above, and not done in every job.

• Provide students with disabilities with assistive devices, supportive technology, and assistance accessing facilities, such as restrooms.
• Perform administrative duties, such as hall and cafeteria monitoring and bus loading and unloading.

Knowledge areas: Education and Training, English Language, Public Safety and Security, Customer and Personal Service and Psychology.

Software O*NET lists for this occupation: Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Word, Appletree, Bloomz, Children's educational software. These are examples O*NET records for the job, not a list of tools every employer uses or a checklist of what you must know.

• Education: BLS lists an associate's degree as the typical entry-level education.
• Experience: BLS lists no work experience in a related occupation as typical to enter.
• Training on the job: BLS lists no typical on-the-job training once hired.
• Preparation: O*NET places the job in Job Zone 3 of 5 (medium preparation). Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations.
• Licenses and certifications: not listed here. A license is a legal requirement set by a state; a certification is a credential from a private or professional body. Rules vary by state and employer, and a missing entry on this page does not mean none is required: check with your state's licensing board and see how to become a preschool teacher.

The most common answer among preschool teachers surveyed by O*NET is a high school diploma or equivalent (29%).

Job title: Preschool Teacher
[Company] · [City, State] · [Full-time or part-time] · [Pay range, where your state requires one]

About the role
[Company] is hiring a Preschool Teacher to instruct preschool-aged students, following curricula or lesson plans, in activities designed to promote social, physical, and intellectual growth.
[One sentence on your team and why this role matters.]

What you will do
- Teach basic skills, such as color, shape, number and letter recognition, personal hygiene, and social skills.
- Establish and enforce rules for behavior and procedures for maintaining order.
- Adapt teaching methods and instructional materials to meet students' varying needs and interests.
- Provide a variety of materials and resources for children to explore, manipulate, and use, both in learning activities and in imaginative play.
- Serve meals and snacks in accordance with nutritional guidelines.
- Attend to children's basic needs by feeding them, dressing them, and changing their diapers.
- Meet with parents and guardians to discuss their children's progress and needs, determine their priorities for their children, and suggest ways that they can promote learning and development.
- Organize and lead activities designed to promote physical, mental, and social development, such as games, arts and crafts, music, storytelling, and field trips.

What we are looking for
- [Education: BLS lists an associate's degree as typical for this occupation; set the level this role truly needs]
- [Experience: BLS lists no related work experience as typical to enter; set what this role needs]
- Strength in instructing, speaking and active listening
- Working knowledge of Education and Training and English Language
- [Software your team uses, e.g. Microsoft Excel or Microsoft Office software]
- [Any license or certification your state or company requires]

[Schedule, benefits and how to apply]

Illustrative: every name, employer, school, date and number in these samples is fictional or a bracketed placeholder. Replace each bracket with your own true details; never copy a result you did not achieve.

Not a real job posting. This template is TryHired's illustration built from government occupational data. It is not an opening at any employer, and no employer wrote it.

The median annual wage was $38,140 in May 2025. The median hourly wage was $18.34. BLS estimates about 478,780 jobs in this occupation in the U.S.

BLS projects employment of Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education to grow 4.5% from 2025 to 2035, with about 66,700 openings a year over that period, including openings to replace workers who leave.

See the full preschool teacher salary breakdown by percentile, state and metro.

• Read a real preschool teacher posting next to the core duties above. Duties it repeats, such as “Teach basic skills, such as color, shape, number and letter…”, tell you what that employer weighs most; anything it adds is specific to that team.
• Tailor your resume to the posting, not to this page: describe only preschool teacher work you have actually done, with your own results.
• Prepare a story for each of the top-rated skills (instructing and speaking); preschool teacher interview questions turns them into practice questions.