Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education Salary in Seattle, WA (2024)
Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area earn a median of $44,580 per year ($21.44 per hour) based on 8,430 jobs counted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2024. That is +20.1% against the national median of $37,120 for this occupation.
Pay distribution
The median is a single point on a wide curve. The table below shows where preschool teachers, except special education actually sit across the pay range in Seattle, WA, from the bottom decile to the top.
| Percentile | Hourly | Annual | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $18.07 | $37,580 | |
| 25th percentile | $19.06 | $39,640 | |
| Median | $21.44 | $44,580 | half earn more, half earn less |
| 75th percentile | $22.73 | $47,270 | |
| 90th percentile | $27.05 | $56,260 | |
| Average (mean) | $22.26 | $46,300 |
How Seattle, WA compares
The local median of $44,580 runs +20.1% above the US median of $37,120 for this occupation; it pays 34.0% less than the metro-wide median across all jobs ($67,510); within the metro it ranks 634th of 687 detailed occupations by median pay.
| Benchmark | Median annual | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle, WA — this occupation | $44,580 | — |
| US median, same occupation (all areas) | $37,120 | +20.1% |
| Seattle, WA — all occupations | $67,510 | -34.0% |
| Highest metro in the US for this job | $49,190 | -9.4% |
At a location quotient of 1.40, this occupation is over-represented locally: the metro has about 140% of the national share of these workers.
High confidence The relative standard error on this estimate is 1.7%, which is a tight margin — the figure is stable enough to plan around.
Ranked 634th of 687 detailed occupations in the metro by median annual wage.
Highest-paying jobs in Seattle, WA
To put $44,580 in context, these are the best-paid detailed occupations in the same metro area. This occupation sits 634th.
| Occupation | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Nurse Anesthetists | $237,310 | 410 |
| Computer and Information Research Scientists | $232,120 | 2,070 |
| Compensation and Benefits Managers | $214,220 | 400 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $212,450 | 13,900 |
| Dentists, General | $208,810 | 1,670 |
| Natural Sciences Managers | $208,230 | 2,260 |
| Medical Dosimetrists | $201,780 | 40 |
| Advertising and Promotions Managers | $192,970 | 140 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | $183,640 | 4,560 |
| Financial Managers | $180,770 | 9,460 |
Where preschool teachers, except special education earn the most
Across the 25 metro areas with released data for this occupation, medians run from $33,690 to $49,190. These are the top markets.
| Metro area | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $49,190 | 9,100 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $47,430 | 31,000 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $45,370 | 4,320 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $45,360 | 3,560 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $45,110 | 11,900 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $44,610 | 15,620 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $44,580 | 8,430 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $43,860 | 11,290 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $43,720 | 3,450 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $42,360 | 7,390 |
See the full national picture on the Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education salary by metro page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median salary for preschool teachers, except special education in Seattle, WA?
The median annual wage is $44,580, or $21 per hour. That means half of the preschool teachers, except special education working in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area earn more than this figure and half earn less. The average is $46,300.
What do the highest and lowest paid preschool teachers, except special education in Seattle, WA earn?
The bottom 10% earn $37,580 or less, while the top 10% earn $56,260 or more — a spread of $18,680 between the two ends of the distribution. The middle half of workers sit between $39,640 and $47,270.
Is preschool teachers, except special education pay in Seattle, WA above the local average?
Yes, it is 34.0% below the all-occupation median for the metro, which is $67,510. That comparison is the fairer one for judging local purchasing power, because it holds the metro's overall cost and wage level constant.
How does Seattle, WA pay compare with the rest of the US for this job?
At $44,580 the metro median is 20.1% higher than the US median of $37,120 for preschool teachers, except special education. Across the 25 metro areas covered here, this occupation ranges from $33,690 to $49,190.
How many preschool teachers, except special education work in Seattle, WA?
BLS counts about 8,430 people in this occupation in the metro area, or 4.05 jobs per 1,000 total jobs. At a location quotient of 1.40, this occupation is over-represented locally: the metro has about 140% of the national share of these workers.
About these figures
Figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey for 2024 (employment relative standard error 6.7%). OEWS measures what employers pay, not what any individual earns; it excludes self-employed workers, and it does not adjust for local cost of living.
Read the full methodology, or the original data at bls.gov/oes.