An early childhood educator is one who takes care of children below a certain age. The CareerStint article below enlists the salary range of an early childhood educator.
The number of families looking for child day care is steadily rising, and for the past few years the expenditure of the states supporting the preschool program has also seen an increase. The salary range is dependent on the employer, for example, a child day care center, preschools, kindergarten, or grade schools offer different salaries to their employees. The other contributing factor to the salary range is the location; some metropolitan areas pay much more than the average salary.
A busy world and an average economy has led to both the parents working; consequently opening up good career options for people interested in early childhood education. College grants for single moms have also risen, and this has led to job opportunities for preschool and after school educators. Early childhood education programs are offered by many schools, and some of the programs are also available online. These training schools will prepare you for all the work ranges that come under the preschool teacher job description.
Job Description and Education Requirements
People who like to be around children and have lots of patience can have wonderful and fulfilling careers as early childhood educators. The job is mostly dealing with children below the age of 8, but under special circumstances (summer camp and grade school), you will deal with little older children. Most early childhood educators are hired as teachers assistants and require no formal education other than a high school degree.
A formal education as a child educator will ensure you a good pay packet. Community colleges and training schools offer a 1 year certification program, after which you can apply for the state licensing examination. You can also opt for a 2-year associate degree course, as this will help you get those lucrative job offers.
A child educator will have to deal with children from birth to age 8 and needs to care for them while teaching important coping and education skills. Teaching kids language and art activities are the main focus points for a child educator. The skill lies in incorporating the teachings in the form of games, kids’ crafts, and group activities, which foster a quick (and fun) learning environment.
The use of appropriate literature and poems is required to impart knowledge to the young audience. One of the important things that a child educator needs to do is impart social skills training with the help of group activities. A career in early childhood education can be very satisfying as you get to shape the minds of the young kids.
Salary
Employment outlook for this career option is steadily on the incline and job prospects seem fairly decent for the next decade. The years of experience and educational qualifications are considered while deciding the salary.. The geographical location of the job is also a major contributing factor.
The salary range for early childhood educators is between USD 18,000 to USD 40,000. The median salary is around USD 27,000.
In states like Hawaii, Idaho, Florida, Delaware, and Wisconsin, the salary range is between USD 17,000 to USD 25,000. States like Arkansas, New Hampshire, and Georgia offer between USD 27,000 to USD 32,000. New York and Connecticut offer more than USD 35,000.
At an entry-level, educators may earn around USD 18,000. Senior positions offer more than USD 30,000. Those working as administrators earn a median wage of more than USD 40,000 annually.
The salary range has a lot of variations and the mitigating circumstances that decide the salary figure can vary for different states and education institutions.