Preschool Teacher Career Assessment

2What is a Preschool Teacher?

A preschool teacher gets young children ready for school by teaching them through play. You teach letters and letter sounds, counting, colors, and shapes. But just as much of the job is teaching a child how to share a toy, how to ask for help with words instead of hitting, how to wash their hands, and how to sit in a group for ten minutes. You watch each child and write down what they can do. You tell parents what you see. There are two very different versions of this job, and they do not have the same rules. One is preschool in a licensed child care center or a Head Start program. The other is preschool inside a public school. Read the training section carefully, because the door you walk through changes everything.

The Reality: Say this part out loud: preschool pay in North Dakota starts low. The bottom tenth of ND preschool teachers earn about $12.50 an hour, or about $25,990 a year. That is close to what a lot of retail and fast food work pays in this state. The middle is better, about $19.10 an hour, and public school preschool jobs and Head Start pay more than most child care centers. But if you go to work in a center tomorrow with no credential, expect the bottom of that range at first. This is a job people love and still leave, and low pay is the number one reason. Know that going in.

Your Responsibilities:

• Plan play and learning activities for three to five year olds
• Teach letters, letter sounds, counting, colors, and shapes through games and songs
• Teach children how to share, take turns, and use words instead of hands
• Read out loud, sing, and lead circle time every day
• Help with coats, boots, mittens, bathroom trips, and accidents
• Watch each child and write down what they can and cannot do yet
• Talk with parents about how their child is doing
• Keep the room clean, safe, and set up for the next activity

You give a child their very first idea of what school feels like.

3A Day in the Life

6:45 AM — Unlock the room. Set out the paint, the blocks, and today’s books before anyone arrives.

7:15 AM — Children start coming in. Greet each one by name at the door. One is crying and does not want their dad to leave. You hold her hand and find her a job to do.

9:00 AM — Circle time on the carpet. The weather chart, a song about the letter M, and a story. Two children cannot sit still, so you give them each a job.

9:30 AM — Free play at centers. You sit on the floor with the blocks and ask questions that make them count and explain. You write down what you see.

10:30 AM — Coats, hats, boots, and mittens for fourteen children. This takes twenty-five minutes in January. Then outside.

11:30 AM — Lunch at the little table with them. You cut food, wipe faces, and talk. Then bathroom trips and hand washing.

12:30 PM — Rest time. Cots out, lights low. You rub a back, then use the quiet to write parent notes and plan tomorrow.

3:00 PM — Snack, one more story, and pickup. You tell each parent one real thing their child did today.

You spend almost the whole day on the floor or crouched down at a child’s eye level. You will sit in an adult-sized chair almost never.

4Training in North Dakota

There are two different doors into this job, and they do not ask for the same things. Preschool teaching in a licensed child care center or Head Start is a much lower bar to enter than preschool teaching in a public school. A public school preschool teacher is a licensed teacher, the same as a kindergarten teacher, and that takes a four-year degree. A child care center preschool teacher does not need a teaching license at all. Both are real jobs and both are called preschool teacher. Decide which one you want before you pick a school program, because the wrong program will not get you where you meant to go.

Training Pathways:

• Child care center or Head Start (you can start now): North Dakota child care rules in Administrative Code 75-03-10 set the floor here, not a teaching license. Staff must be at least fourteen years old, finish a department-approved basic child care course within ninety days of being hired, hold current infant and pediatric CPR and pediatric first aid within ninety days, and pass a fingerprint background check. After that you keep learning on the job: up to thirteen hours of approved training a year if you work thirty hours a week or more, plus one hour on safe sleep and one hour on mandated reporting every year. To be the center supervisor you need more: an associate degree in early childhood development, or a current Child Development Associate credential, or a high school diploma or equivalency plus at least one year of experience in child care. Many Head Start jobs ask for the CDA or a two-year degree.
• Two-year degree (2 years): An associate degree in early childhood education. This is the honest middle step. It moves you up in a center, it qualifies you to be a supervisor, it usually raises your pay, and at several North Dakota colleges it transfers straight into a four-year degree later.
• Public school preschool (4 years): A bachelor’s degree in early childhood education from an approved teacher preparation program, plus a North Dakota teaching license. In North Dakota the early childhood license covers birth through grade 3, so it also lets you teach kindergarten, first, second, and third grade. This is the door to school district pay, a school calendar, and a school benefits package.

Where to Train in North Dakota:

• Mayville State University (Mayville) — Early Childhood Education, B.S.Ed. Mayville State says graduates are eligible to apply for a birth to third grade teaching license, and the program is built around online and distance learning — mayvillestate.edu/academics/majors-and-minors/early-childhood
• Mayville State University (Mayville) — Early Childhood, B.A. This one is the non-licensure version, made for people already working in early childhood. It does not lead to a teaching license. Mayville State also lists an Early Childhood A.A. and three certificates: Infant and Toddler Care, Early Childhood Curriculum Birth to Five, and Understanding of Special Education in Early Childhood Birth to Five — mayvillestate.edu/academics/majors-and-minors/early-childhood
• University of North Dakota (Grand Forks) — Early Childhood Education, B.S.Ed., 125 to 128 credits, 100% online. UND says the degree prepares teachers for birth through grade 3 and leads to ND licensure after a 2.75 GPA, the state exams, and a background check — und.edu/programs/early-childhood-education-bsed
• Minot State University (Minot) — Early Childhood Education, B.S.Ed., 120 credits, about four years, on campus only. Minot State says it readies you for the birth to grade 3 North Dakota teaching license — minotstateu.edu/enroll/programs/early-childhood-education.shtml
• Minot State University (Minot) — Early Childhood, B.S. Minot State lists this one separately as a non-teacher-licensure degree, so check which one you are applying to — minotstateu.edu/enroll/programs/early-childhood.shtml
• University of Mary (Bismarck) — Early Childhood Education, B.A. or B.S., birth through grade 3. The University of Mary says the program is accredited by the North Dakota Education Standards and Practices Board and that graduates are eligible for the ND Educator’s Professional License. A fully online B.S. option is available — umary.edu/academics/undergraduate-programs/early-childhood-education
• Dickinson State University (Dickinson) — Early Childhood Education is offered as a concentration inside the teacher education program — dickinsonstate.edu/academics/fields-of-study/soe/education/teacher-education-program/concentrations-licensures
• Valley City State University (Valley City) — Early Childhood Endorsement, taken alongside the Elementary Education major — catalog.vcsu.edu/undergraduate-catalog/programs/endorsements/early-childhood
• Bismarck State College (Bismarck) — Education Foundations: Early Childhood and Elementary, a program certificate. BSC says it prepares you for Title I paraprofessional, teacher’s aide, teacher’s assistant, and Title I reading assistant work, and that it comes with a Title I Paraprofessional Certificate and a North Dakota Substitute Teacher License. It is not a teaching license by itself, but the credits stack into BSC’s Bachelor of Applied Science in Foundations of Teaching and then into a licensure program at a partner school — bismarckstate.edu/academics/programs/educationfoundationsearlychildhoodelementary
• Lake Region State College (Devils Lake) — Early Childhood Education, associate level — lrsc.edu/academics/programs
• Cankdeska Cikana Community College (Fort Totten) — Early Childhood Education, Associate of Arts, 66 credits: 38 credits of essential study and 28 credits of core early childhood classes. The college says graduates work in Early Head Start, Head Start, FACE programs, day care centers, and public schools, and that students can go on to a bachelor’s in early childhood education through Mayville State right on campus — littlehoop.edu/academics/early-childhood-education
• Sitting Bull College (Fort Yates) — Early Childhood Education, Associate of Science. The college says it builds the skills for working with infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, and that graduates can go on to a bachelor’s in early childhood education — sittingbull.edu/academics/programs/early-childhood-education-associate-of-science
• Child Development Associate (CDA) credential — not a college degree, but the credential North Dakota child care rules name for a center supervisor. The CDA Council says it takes 120 hours of formal early childhood training with at least 10 hours in each of the 8 subject areas, 480 hours of work experience with young children, a 65-question computer exam at a Pearson VUE center, a professional portfolio, and a verification visit where a specialist watches you teach. It costs $525 to apply, $250 to renew, and is good for three years — cdacouncil.org

Before You Start: For a center job: be at least eighteen to be taken seriously for a lead role, pass a fingerprint background check, and be able to get CPR and first aid certified. For a two-year or four-year degree: a high school diploma or GED. There is no hard math wall in these programs, but you will write a lot, and you will be watched and graded while you teach real children.

Tip: Start with financial aid and scholarships. Fill out the FAFSA, ask the school’s financial aid office what you qualify for, and ask an employer whether they help pay for school. That is where the money starts. After that, a career counselor or Job Service North Dakota may be able to help with what is left over, like tuition, books, a laptop, or exam fees. What can be paid for depends on the program and on your own situation, so ask before you enroll rather than after. Worth asking about specifically: two-year degrees that train you for a job, like civil engineering technology, land surveying, mechatronics, electronics, or instrumentation. North Dakota two-year colleges also cost far less than a university. Ask about paid summer internships too — engineering firms, plants, and survey crews hire students while they are still in school.

5Certification & Licensing

A center job needs clearances and training. A public school job needs a teaching license. Do not mix these two up. The North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services licenses the child care program, not you personally. The North Dakota Education Standards and Practices Board licenses you personally as a teacher. If you want to teach preschool in a public school, you need the ESPB license.

What You Actually Need, By Door:

• Child care center staff — at least fourteen years old, a department-approved basic child care course within ninety days of hire, infant and pediatric CPR and pediatric first aid within ninety days, and a fingerprint background check at hire and at least every five years after (ND Administrative Code 75-03-10-12)
• Child care center supervisor — an associate degree in early childhood development, or a current Child Development Associate credential, or a high school diploma or equivalency plus at least one year of experience in child care or a similar setting (ND Administrative Code 75-03-10-11.1)
• Yearly training, center staff — 13 hours of department-approved training a year at 30+ hours a week, 11 hours at 20 to 30 hours, 9 hours at 10 to 20 hours, 7 hours under 10 hours, plus one hour of safe sleep training and one hour of mandated reporter training every year (ND Administrative Code 75-03-10)
• Early Childhood Workforce Registry (Growing Futures) — a free state tool, not a requirement. ND Health and Human Services describes it as a way to track the training you have had, verify your education, and keep a record of your professional work (hhs.nd.gov)
• Public school preschool: Initial In-State License (two years) — ESPB says this is issued to first-time applicants who have met all of the ND requirements for licensure. You get there with a bachelor’s degree from an approved early childhood teacher preparation program, the required Praxis tests, and a background check (nd.gov/espb)
• Public school preschool: First Five-Year License — ESPB grants this after you teach successfully for 18 months full-time equivalent in North Dakota (nd.gov/espb)
• Alternate Access License (one year at a time, up to three years) — for a documented shortage area, if you already hold a bachelor’s degree. ESPB asks for a degree that lines up with the content area, or at least 30 credits in that area or a closely related one, plus a plan to finish. It renews each year only if you show progress and the school asks in writing (nd.gov/espb)

The Exams: For the teaching license, North Dakota requires all three Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators tests: Reading (5713, qualifying score 156, minimum 149), Writing (5723, qualifying score 160, minimum 153), and Math (5733, qualifying score 150, minimum 143). ESPB also allows a composite score of 466 as long as no single score falls below that test’s minimum. On top of Core you take a subject test for your licensure area. ESPB does not list those subject test codes and scores on its testing page, so ask ESPB or check the ND page on the Praxis site for the exact early childhood test and score before you register (nd.gov/espb/licensure/testing-information). None of this applies to a child care center job.

Cost: Center side: the basic child care course, CPR and first aid, and the background check. The CDA is $525 to apply and $250 to renew. School side, from the ESPB fee list: $30 initial application, $44.50 fingerprinting, $85 for the Initial In-State two-year license, $140 for a five-year license, $80 per endorsement, and $165 for an Alternate Access License. A $5 maintenance charge is added to new applications. Your degree is the big cost, not these fees.

Keeping It Current: Center side: your yearly training hours, and CPR and first aid stay current. School side: ESPB renews the five-year license when you have been under contract at least 30 days and have six semester hours of continuing education. After 25 years holding a ND license you can get a 25-Year Life License.

6Salary & Job Outlook

North Dakota Preschool Teacher Pay (May 2025):

• Starting out (bottom 10–25%): $12.50–$14.74/hour ($25,990–$30,660/year)
• Middle (median — half earn more, half earn less): $19.10/hour ($39,720/year)
• Experienced (top 25–10%): $23.28–$28.63/hour ($48,420–$59,560/year)

What that means: These are real published North Dakota numbers for preschool teachers, not national stand-ins. The middle ND preschool teacher earns about $19.10 an hour, or about $39,720 a year, which is actually a little above the national middle of $18.34 an hour. That sounds good until you look at the bottom: the lowest tenth in ND earn about $12.50 an hour, about $25,990 a year, and that is below the national bottom of $13.94. What that gap really shows is the split in this field. Child care center pay sits near the bottom. Head Start pays better. Public school preschool pays best of all, because that job is on a teacher salary schedule. The single biggest raise in this career is not seniority — it is moving from a center to a school district, and that move takes the four-year degree and the license.

Jobs in North Dakota: About 740 people do this work in ND today. By 2034, that should be about 810 (about 10% growth). Expect about 90 job openings every year in ND from growth and people retiring or changing jobs. Across the U.S., the change is about 4% growth — average.

Outlook: Good, and better than the country as a whole. O*NET shows North Dakota going from about 740 preschool teachers in 2024 to about 810 in 2034, roughly 10% growth, with about 90 openings a year. The nation is only growing about 4%. Child care centers in North Dakota are short-staffed almost everywhere, so if you want a center job you can usually find one fast. Public school preschool jobs are far rarer and get many more applicants.

Who Hires in ND: Licensed child care centers, Head Start and Early Head Start programs, tribal Head Start and FACE programs, public school districts with preschool or pre-kindergarten classrooms, church-based preschools, Montessori schools, and on-site centers run by hospitals and large employers.

Work Setting: A low-ceilinged, loud, colorful room with tiny chairs, a carpet square for circle time, cubbies, and a bathroom right off the classroom. Center jobs run year-round, often on shifts between about 6:30 in the morning and 6:00 at night, and you do not get a summer off. A public school preschool runs on the school calendar instead. You will be outside in ND winter almost every day, because young children still need to go out.

Physical Demands: Very high, and people underestimate this one. You sit on the floor, kneel, and squat all day long. You lift and carry children who weigh 30 to 45 pounds. You bend over a sink to wash fourteen pairs of hands. You will be knocked into, climbed on, and occasionally bitten or scratched. Your knees, your back, and your voice all take it. You will catch every cold that comes through the door, especially in your first two years.

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, North Dakota, May 2025 (SOC 25-2011); North Dakota and U.S. long-term employment projections 2024–2034, via O*NET OnLine. Numbers are rounded.

7Where This Leads

Path 1: Lead Preschool Teacher — Run your own classroom instead of assisting.

Path 2: Center Supervisor or Director — Lead the staff and the program.

Path 3: Head Start Teacher — Better pay and benefits than most centers.

Path 4: Public School Preschool Teacher — Add the degree and license; jump to school pay.

Path 5: Own a Child Care Business — Open a licensed family or group program.

Path 6: Early Childhood Special Education — Work with the youngest children who need extra help.

8The Real Talk

What's Great:

• You get paid to play, sing, and read out loud
• You see a child go from scribbles to writing their own name
• You can start working in months, not years
• Hugs, jokes, and honesty all day — four-year-olds do not fake it
• Jobs are open in almost every ND town right now
• What you teach a child at four shows up for the rest of their life

What's Hard:

• Pay starts low — the bottom tenth in ND is about $12.50 an hour
• You are on the floor or crouched down all day; your knees and back feel it
• Biting, hitting, screaming, and toilet accidents are part of the job
• Center hours are year-round with no summer break
• You get sick a lot, especially the first two winters
• Good teachers keep leaving for better pay, so your team keeps changing

Be Honest: Can you be down on the floor at a child’s level for eight hours? Can you stay calm and kind with a four-year-old who just bit another child, and then talk to both sets of parents about it? Can you accept low starting pay while you get a credential? Can you say the same song and the same story again, cheerfully, for the fortieth time?

9Part 1: What Attracts You?

10Part 2: Are You Ready?

11Part 3: Your Next Move

Your Preschool Teacher Assessment Results