Kindergarten Teacher salary
From 299 certified H-1B filings (FY2025–FY2026). Base salary only.
- Occupation code 25-2012: Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education
- Also filed as: Montessori Teacher
At a glance
- Mostly Level I (entry-level). 70% of Kindergarten Teacher filings are Level I, compared with 19% across all H-1B filings.
- Top filer: Milwaukee Board of School Directors. 23 filings (8% of the total), median $54,386.
- Median up 21% since FY2020. From $48,422 in FY2020 to $58,571 in FY2026 (Q1–Q3). Nominal, not adjusted for inflation.
Kindergarten Teacher H-1B salary overview
Employers filed 299 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications for Kindergarten Teacher jobs in FY2025–FY2026 (occupation code 25-2012, Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education). The median base salary is $58,710, 52% below the median for all H-1B filings ($122,699), and half of the filings fall between $54,382 and $66,260. The most common wage level is Level I (entry-level), at 70% of filings. San Francisco, CA has the most filings (41), and Milwaukee Board of School Directors is the employer that files the most (23).
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Percentiles from certified H-1B filings, base salary only. Metro areas with at least 10 filings.
Top employers for Kindergarten Teacher
Employers with the most Kindergarten Teacher filings. Bar: share of all Kindergarten Teacher filings. Figure: median base salary.
Pay by level
Entry-level · 70% of filings
Mid-level · 19% of filings
Senior · 6% of filings
Expert · 5% of filings
Level medians mix different jobs, so a higher level can show a lower median. Within one job, pay rises with level.
Show the table
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Level I · Entry | $58,115 | 187 |
| Level II · Qualified | $64,250 | 52 |
| Level III · Experienced | $58,710 | 15 |
| Level IV · Fully competent | $56,000 | 13 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.
Kindergarten Teacher pay by city
Median base salary in each metro area. Rent: HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027.
Show all 7 metro areas
| Metro area | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco, CA | $63,387 | 41 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $58,219 | 23 |
| Milwaukee, WI | $54,386 | 23 |
| New York, NY | $62,930 | 20 |
| San Jose, CA | $61,500 | 19 |
| Seattle, WA | $67,640 | 15 |
| Houston, TX | $67,875 | 10 |
Metro areas with at least 10 filings for this occupation.
What a Kindergarten Teacher does
Teach academic and social skills to kindergarten students.
Typical tasks
- Establish and enforce rules for behavior and policies and procedures to maintain order among students.
- Prepare children for later grades by encouraging them to explore learning opportunities and to persevere with challenging tasks.
- Instruct students individually and in groups, adapting teaching methods to meet students' varying needs and interests.
- Teach basic skills, such as color, shape, number and letter recognition, personal hygiene, and social skills.
- Demonstrate activities to children.
- Read books to entire classes or to small groups.
Preparation
Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed. Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
O*NET occupation: Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education (25-2012.00). This section includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
H-1B pay vs. all U.S. workers
Across all U.S. workers in this occupation (Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education), the median annual wage was $62,680 in May 2025, with 108,870 people employed. The median H-1B base salary in FY2025–FY2026 is $58,710, 6% lower.
| H-1B filings | All U.S. workers (BLS, May 2025) | |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $49,420 | $46,990 |
| 25th percentile | $54,382 | $52,180 |
| Median | $58,710 | $62,680 |
| 75th percentile | $66,260 | $79,910 |
| 90th percentile | $76,208 | $101,830 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). BLS wages cover all wage and salary workers and include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are the base salary offered on certified LCAs. The two sources cover different periods. BLS reports wages of $239,200 or more as a single top value.
Salary details
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $49,420 |
| 25th | $54,382 |
| 50th (median) | $58,710 |
| 75th | $66,260 |
| 90th | $76,208 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $48,422 | $43,098 | $54,250 | 85 |
| FY2021 | $50,857 | $48,000 | $59,291 | 94 |
| FY2022 | $53,390 | $48,320 | $61,070 | 113 |
| FY2023 | $52,460 | $47,750 | $60,320 | 179 |
| FY2024 | $54,080 | $49,836 | $63,060 | 193 |
| FY2025 | $58,956 | $53,276 | $64,132 | 167 |
| FY2026 | $58,571 | $54,386 | $68,640 | 132 |
Questions
How much does an H-1B Kindergarten Teacher make?
The median base salary in certified H-1B filings for Kindergarten Teacher jobs is $58,710 (299 filings, FY2025–FY2026). Half of the filings are between $54,382 and $66,260.
What does an entry-level Kindergarten Teacher earn on an H-1B?
Level I (entry-level) filings have a median of $58,115. Level I accounts for 70% of Kindergarten Teacher filings.
Do H-1B Kindergarten Teachers earn more than other U.S. workers in the same job?
The H-1B median base salary ($58,710) is 6% lower than the median wage of all U.S. workers in this occupation ($62,680, BLS May 2025). The sources measure pay differently, so treat this as a rough comparison.