Early educators, including center directors, make far less than other Colorado professionals with similar degrees, says a report by Qualistar Colorado and the Women’s Foundation of Colorado.
Most early-childhood teachers in that state earn between $20,800 and $31,200 per year, according to survey results summarized in the report, which was released last month. That means salaries only meet the standards for a self-sufficient wage in one Colorado county. Average salaries are higher when school leaders are included, but still below the bar for self-sufficiency, the report notes.
The early education workforce in Colorado is 97 percent female and 86 percent white. About 40 percent of early educators hold a bachelor’s degree, but more than half of those degrees are in an unrelated field.
