How Much Does a Preschool Teacher Make In Nevada?

Do you want a career that makes a positive impact that lasts for decades? Preschool teachers make a “meaningful difference” in children’s lives with advantages still seen in their twenties. Nevada needs more quality individuals to join this valuable vocation and give our nation’s youth the best chance for success.

The average annual preschool teacher salary as of May 2023 in Nevada is $36,530. Salary ranges can vary widely depending on the city and many other important factors, including education, certifications, additional skills, and the number of years you have spent in your profession.

Teachers of Tomorrow will walk you through Nevada preschool teacher salaries in this guide. We’ll also outline the pathways to becoming a preschool educator in the Silver State, including alternative teacher certification options. 

What Is a Preschool Teacher?

Preschool teachers are professional educators who specialize in early childhood learning. They have studied how these young people learn and develop cognitively, emotionally, and physically. These teachers educate the youngest students. Some children begin preschool at 2 years old, but many wait until they are in PreK, which is for 4-year-olds.

Some incorrectly view preschool teachers as not much more than professional babysitters. Instead, they are highly trained educators with tremendous impact. Research has shown that “the benefits of early childhood education (ECE) to children extend throughout their lives.” Children who attend preschool stand out from those that did not, including having larger vocabularies and greater mathematical knowledge. 

Preschoolers often look like they are playing, and they are. But there is serious learning involved. As their teachers gently guide them through the games, activities, songs, and stories, they learn social skills, work on essential development areas, and acquire knowledge in academic fundamentals. 

Preschool educators teach children a lot; examples include:

• Developing fine and gross motor skills. 
• Communication, including language and listening skills.
• Problem solving.
• Counting and foundational math skills. 
• Basic hygiene. 
• How to be a good friend. 
• How to clean up after an activity and put things away. 

There is no one way to be an amazing preschool teacher. Excellence in education comes from diverse backgrounds and strengths. However, successful preschool teachers do have some skills in common, such as the following:

• Enthusiasm: Excellent preschool teachers are passionate about young people. They enjoy cultivating the discovery process and welcome endless questions and unfiltered commentary. 
• Creativity: Designing lessons that are playful yet productive takes ingenuity and flexibility. Budgets can be tight. However, an excellent teacher knows how to use odds and ends, recycling, and repurposing current supplies to create engaging activities that further children’s development.
• Organization: Preschool teachers must juggle a load of responsibilities while meeting their young students’ needs. These professionals are masters of ensuring all items have a place while keeping track of paperwork, lesson plans, activity schedules, parent meetings, staff meetings, and children’s report progress. They also use various channels to keep in touch with all essential role players in their students’ lives, including parents, guardians, therapists, social workers, and other members of staff.

Preschool teachers have many responsibilities, including:

• Classroom management: Classroom space for young children must be welcoming, accessible, safe, and provide the correct vibe/mood for each area. Some spaces encourage active play, others are for quiet listening, such as story time, and there need to be areas for crafts and building. Shelves, storage tubs, and other cupboards should serve a clear and labeled purpose to encourage children to help put things away when not in use.
• Monitor playground: Preschool teachers are often required to be on duty during outside activities, observe children’s behavior (e.g., Do they socialize well? What kind of activities do they choose?), and intervene when necessary. 
• Plan field trips and special days: Outings, concerts, parents’ nights, and other special events outside of the typical weekly schedule need to be arranged in advance and aligned with the curriculum. Often, the themes of the events relate to activities that have been happening at school.  
• Liaise with colleagues: Preschool teachers rarely work alone. There are assistant teachers, aids, and educators in other classrooms. Excellent teachers regularly collaborate and communicate with their coworkers to ensure everyone’s needs are met and the school runs smoothly.

How Much Do Preschool Teachers in Nevada Make?

This is the average annual salaries for preschool teachers in Nevada as of May 2023, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics:

• Highest salary – $49,310
• Average salary – $34,940
• Lowest salary – $24,650

Nevada’s preschool teacher salary ranges vary by location, type of school, and a teacher’s years of experience and qualifications.

Certification Routes for Preschool Teachers in Nevada

The pathways to becoming a preschool teacher vary drastically across the United States. Nevada takes education seriously and requires early childhood educators in their Nevada Ready! PreK program and Head Start to have a bachelor’s degree and certification.

Nevada Department of Education’s (NDE) traditional pathway to becoming a certified early childhood educator involves the following steps:

1. Obtain a bachelor’s degree: The NDE prefers candidates to major in early child education or early childhood special education. Regardless, candidates must meet the course requirements, including 27 semester credits in early childhood education at an accredited college or university. The complete list can be read here.
2. Gain classroom experience: Candidates must complete at least 8 semester credits of supervised student teaching in an early childhood education program (birth through 2nd grade) OR 1 year of verifiable early childhood teaching experience.
3. Pass relevant exams: Candidates must pass Praxis exams that relate to their grade level and state requirements. For example, preschool teachers must take the Early Childhood Education (5025) and Education of Young Children (5024) exams. Learn more on the Praxis website. 
4. Apply for Early Childhood Education license: The Early Childhood Education license allows candidates to teach students from birth to 2nd grade. Follow the NDE’s instructions to apply for a teaching license through OPAL. Paper applications are no longer accepted.
5. Pass a background test: Candidates must have a state and federal background check when applying for a license, including renewals. The checks ensure the safety of the school. Applicants must submit their fingerprints through an approved Livescan vendor. Full instructions will be emailed after paying for the license application through OPAL. 

Alternative Route to Certification for Preschool Teachers

Career changers can still become preschool teachers even if their bachelor’s degree is not in early childhood education by using the Alternative Route to Licensure (ARL) Program.

The ARL program saves candidates from the costly hassle of obtaining a second bachelor’s degree. Instead, they gain further training by applying to an approved ARL provider such as Teachers of Tomorrow. 

The ARL program allows candidates to teach for pay as they study, instead of the traditional route’s system where candidates gain their hours through an unpaid student-teaching position. Thus, ARL is not only less expensive; you can work in your new career while you work towards certification.

Steps to becoming a preschool teacher through Nevada’s ARL programs:

1. Have a bachelor’s degree. The degree must be from an accredited college or university recognized by the NDE. 
2. Apply to your preferred ARL program. Be aware that ARL programs are not all the same. Costs, length of program, and flexibility all differ between ARL providers. 
3. Pass the relevant exams. As with the traditional route, aspiring preschool teachers must pass the required Praxis exams.
4. Secure a Nevada teaching post. The position must be state-funded. Check out the NDE Employment Opportunities page to get started. 
5. Complete your coursework. Ensure your courses are geared towards teaching birth to 2nd grade. 
6. Apply for a Provisional License. The license allows candidates to teach while they gain the required experience to apply for a standard license. 
7. Pass the background check. Background checks will be required when applying for the provisional license, for full certification, and for all renewals.

What Is the Lowest and Highest Paying Preschool Teaching Job?

As a certified preschool teacher in Nevada, you can work in various settings:

• Special education: According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of May 2023, Nevada preschool special education teachers make an average of $62,060. These jobs are among the hardest to fill across the United States. They tend to pay well but require additional training and certification. 
• Private schools: Private preschools offer extras that appeal to working families, such as smaller class sizes and full-time daycare in addition to preschool classes. The higher fees for these services allow private schools to pay their preschool teachers better than public and charter schools.
• Public schools: Nevada provides free PreK through Nevada Ready! However, families only qualify for free access if their income is below 200% of the poverty level. Thus, many families who do not qualify and require full-time daycare use private even if they plan to use public elementary schools. 
• Charter schools: Some Nevada charter schools participate in Nevada Ready! However, since they don’t have access to as much funding as public schools, teachers’ salaries are often a little lower.
• Online teaching: While online schooling remains an excellent option for many families, the demand is for higher grades instead of preschool. While online preschool teaching jobs are scarce, there are some, especially for those with ESL qualifications.

Ready to start to begin a dynamic career that makes a difference? Teachers of Tomorrow looks forward to helping you on your journey toward becoming one of Nevada’s valued preschool teachers. 

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