What education does a kindergarten teacher need?

Becoming a kindergarten teacher typically requires a bachelor's degree. Public school teachers in every state must obtain teacher licensure or certification. Aspiring teachers who earned a bachelor's degree in a non-education field may pursue an alternative route to certification, which can include a master's degree that leads to initial teacher licensure.

Do kindergarten teachers need student teaching experience?

Future kindergarten teachers are typically required to complete one or more student teaching experiences as part of an initial teacher licensure education degree program. Student teaching places future teachers in classrooms where they gain work experience under the supervision of a licensed teacher.

Do kindergarten teachers need certification?

All public school teachers are required to obtain licensure or certification from the state in which they teach. Requirements vary by state, but they generally include a bachelor's degree, student teaching experience, a background check and certification exams. Continuing education courses may also be required to maintain active licensure.

What advancement opportunities are available for kindergarten teachers?

Kindergarten teachers may advance by becoming lead kindergarten teachers or mentors for new teachers after gaining experience. Some teachers pursue additional degrees or certifications to become school counselors, school librarians, instructional coordinators or school administrators, such as assistant principals and principals.

Kindergarten Teacher Career Guide

Q: What skills does a kindergarten teacher need?

A future kindergarten teacher should be passionate about working with young children and able to guide them as they learn classroom behaviors, peer interaction and foundational academic skills. Helpful skills for kindergarten teachers include effective communication, resourcefulness, patience and physical stamina.

Q: Where do kindergarten teachers work?

Kindergarten teachers typically work in schools, although some work in childcare settings. The main work settings for kindergarten teachers are public schools and private schools. Public school teachers generally need state licensure or certification, while private schools may not have the same licensure requirements.

Overview

What Is a Kindergarten Teacher?

A kindergarten teacher is an educator who specializes in early childhood education. Kindergarten teachers introduce children ages four through six to a structured classroom learning environment.

At the kindergarten level, teachers focus on teaching the foundational academic skills that students need for first grade and beyond, including the basics of reading, writing and mathematics. Kindergarten teachers also help young children learn important life skills, such as emotional intelligence and other social skills.

Almost 66%

Percentage of children reported to be on track for kindergarten readiness^{(See disclaimer 1 )}

What Does a Kindergarten Teacher Do?

Kindergarten teachers provide instruction in academic fundamentals and life skills to prepare children to succeed in first grade and beyond.

As early childhood educators, kindergarten teachers are essential for helping children make the most of their formative years. The human brain is most active early in life, forming millions of neural connections necessary for cognitive processing.^{(See disclaimer 2)} By providing the early childhood education that these young learners need, kindergarten teachers help prepare them for their future. Kindergarten teachers typically teach a wide range of subjects, and they often pair instructional lessons with hands-on activities.

A kindergarten teacher’s three main tasks are:

Instruct

Kindergarten teachers prepare lesson plans and instruct students as a class, in small groups and individually in academic fundamentals, such as reading, writing and mathematics.

Evaluate

Early childhood educators evaluate students’ progress by grading assignments, and they communicate with parents and guardians about learners’ achievements and problem areas.

Manage

Kindergarten teachers manage student behavior by teaching appropriate behaviors and helping children learn about important social skills, such as sharing and turn-taking.

Education

What Experience and Education Does a Kindergarten Teacher Need?

Becoming a kindergarten teacher typically requires a bachelor’s degree. All public school teachers in every state need to obtain teacher licensure or certification.^{(See disclaimer 3)} There are alternative routes to certification for aspiring teachers who earned a bachelor’s degree in a non-education field.

High School Diploma

A high school diploma is essential for future teachers. Students should take all the courses necessary for high school graduation and college preparation. In some high schools, relevant electives may be available, such as child development, psychology, childcare and safety and first aid. High school students can also look for relevant extracurricular activities working with young children, including job shadowing and internships.^{(See disclaimer 4)}

College Degree

Student Teaching

Professional Certifications

All public school teachers are required to obtain licensure or certification from the state in which they teach.^{(See disclaimer 3)} Requirements vary by state, but generally include a bachelor’s degree and student teaching experience, as well as the successful completion of both a background check and certification exams. Continuing education courses may be required to maintain active licensure.^{(See disclaimer 3 )}

Best Degrees for Kindergarten Teachers

Kindergarten teachers can benefit from a comprehensive curriculum that covers everything from professional ethics to childhood development to pedagogy. Young learners have varied needs, requiring both specialized instruction at the early childhood level and social support for proper development.

The Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education and Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education and Special Education programs may lead to licensure for teaching kindergarten depending on the state in which you plan to teach. Be sure to check your state’s requirements for licensure.

Some of the content areas an education degree may cover include:

Classroom management

Instructional planning

Instructional methodologies

Structured English Immersion

Degree Programs for Kindergarten Teachers

424 Matching Degrees

Skills

What Skills Does a Kindergarten Teacher Need?

It’s helpful for a future kindergarten teacher to be passionate about and enjoy working with young children. Young children need close guidance as they learn how to behave and work with peers in a classroom environment, as well as acquire foundational academic skills, such as shape identification and early reading skills.

Some of the skills needed to be a kindergarten teacher:^{(See disclaimer 3)}

Effective communication

Resourcefulness

Patience

Physical stamina

Careers

Where Do Kindergarten Teachers Work?

Kindergarten teachers typically work in schools, although about 1% of them work in childcare settings.^{(See disclaimer 5)} They generally work longer than their students’ school hours, handling administrative duties after school and sometimes arriving before the school day begins to attend meetings or plan the day. During the school year, teachers may work on some evenings and weekends to catch up on lesson planning or grading. Kindergarten teachers can typically expect to have summer off, along with a midwinter break.^{(See disclaimer 5 )}

The main work settings for kindergarten teachers are:

Public Schools

About 81% of kindergarten teachers worked in public schools as of 2024.^{(See disclaimer 5)}

Private Schools

Some kindergarten teachers work in private schools, which may not have the same licensure requirements as public schools.^{(See disclaimer 3)}

$61,430

Median annual salary for kindergarten teachers, except special education, as of May 2024^{(See disclaimer 6)}

103,800

Number of job openings expected for kindergarten teachers and elementary school teachers, each year, from 2024 through 2034^{(See disclaimer 7)}

Explore Early Childhood Education Career Pathways

Want to explore where an early childhood education degree could lead? GCU's Early Childhood Education Career Pathway Guide provides additional information about potential career paths, education requirements and credential considerations.

Download the Early Childhood Education Career Pathway Guide

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If you are seeking licensure/certification, please refer to the "Accreditation and Compliance/State Disclosures” link for the specific program of interest’s website for your location and/or employment state’s licensure requirements, per 34 CFR 668.14(b)32 and 668.43(c).

Seminera, M. (2026, Feb. 5). Kindergarten Readiness Varies Widely By Income, New Data Shows. Cities Are Stepping in to Help. AP. Retrieved April 2026.
Thompson, R. (2024, Oct. 18). Early Brain Development and Public Health. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved April 2026.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2025, Aug. 28). How to Become a Kindergarten or Elementary School Teacher. Occupational Outlook Handbook. Retrieved April 2026.
Illinois WorkNet Center. (n.d.). Kindergarten Teachers - Helpful High School Courses. Illinois Career Information System. Retrieved April 2026.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2025, Aug. 28). Kindergarten and Elementary School Teachers: Work Environment. Occupational Outlook Handbook. Retrieved April 2026.
The earnings referenced were reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Kindergarten and Elementary School Teachers, as of May 2024, retrieved April 2026. Due to COVID-19, data from 2020 to 2023 may be atypical compared to prior years. BLS calculates the median using salaries of workers nationwide with varying levels of education and experience. It does not reflect the earnings of GCU graduates as kindergarten and elementary school teachers, nor does it reflect the earnings of workers in one city or region of the country or a typical entry-level salary. Median income is the statistical midpoint for the range of salaries in a specific occupation. It is very unlikely that a median salary will reflect an entry-level salary. It represents what you would earn if you were paid more money than half the workers in an occupation, and less than half the workers in an occupation. It may give you a basis to estimate what you might earn at some point if you enter this career. Grand Canyon University can make no guarantees on individual graduates’ salaries. Your employability will be determined by numerous factors over which GCU has no control, such as the employer the graduate chooses to apply to, the graduate’s experience level, individual characteristics, skills, etc. against a pool of candidates.
COVID-19 has adversely affected the global economy and data from 2020 to 2023 may be atypical compared to prior years. Accordingly, data shown is effective August 2025, which can be found here: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Kindergarten and Elementary School Teachers, retrieved April 2026.

How To Become a Kindergarten Teacher

What Is a Kindergarten Teacher?

What Does a Kindergarten Teacher Do?

What Experience and Education Does a Kindergarten Teacher Need?

Best Degrees for Kindergarten Teachers

Degree Programs for Kindergarten Teachers

What Skills Does a Kindergarten Teacher Need?

Where Do Kindergarten Teachers Work?

Explore Early Childhood Education Career Pathways

Advancement Opportunities for Kindergarten Teachers

Explore More on Kindergarten Teachers