The people who choose this work aren't chasing a paycheck. They do this work because they see firsthand the impact it has on the development of the children in their care and the families in their communities. They do it because this profession is a calling.
That calling deserves to be met with compensation that says: your work is essential and valuable.
The typical early educator takes home about $615 a week—before taxes. A tank of gas, groceries for the week, and one utility bill can consume most, if not all, of that before the next paycheck.
May Is the Moment
May gives us a calendar full of reasons to say thank you. But gratitude without compensation is just words. Each moment this month is a different way into the same conversation: the people showing up every day for children and families are doing some of the most important work there is, and the pay has never reflected that. Let's change that together.
Worthy Wage Day | May 1
While there have been strides in understanding the importance of high-quality early childhood education, policymakers have not done enough to move the needle on compensation that recognizes the value of the profession. In NAEYC's centennial year, we carry forward with evidence and more urgency than ever.
Teacher Appreciation Week & Provider Appreciation Day | May 4-8
This week exists because what early childhood educators do matters. Educators and providers show up with skill, purpose, and genuine love for the children in their care. Appreciation means more when it comes with compensation that reflects the complexity and significance of the work.
Mother’s Day | May 10
As we celebrate Mother’s Day, we are reminded of the support early educators provide for families and communities. Families depend on stable, quality, trustworthy care for their children, but the educators who provide that care are often the same ones who cannot afford to stay in the job. Supporting families means also supporting the educators who care for their children.
Mental Health Awareness Month
You can't pour from an empty cup. Early educators carry an enormous emotional weight, and without the compensation and support to sustain it, burnout isn't a surprise, it's inevitable. Fair pay and benefits aren’t just an economic necessity but a mental health one. It's how we retain quality educators in the field.
This Is the Reality for Educators Across the Country
"We do this job because we love students. But having to choose between our students and food for our family should not be a factor in our lives, but it is."
"I absolutely love what I do, and I would do it forever, but I need to be able to afford life's expenses."
"Knowing I could make more at a gas station than I do as a teacher with worse benefits makes me question if I can sustain this career. I love working with children, but the reality is I don't know if I can afford to keep being a teacher."
Compensation Advocacy Resources
As NAEYC advocates to expand equitable access to high quality early childhood education opportunities to all young children and families, we must center the value of the educators who provide that critical support and community.
- "A Year of Tough Choices”: The Child Care Affordability Crisis is Destabilizing Educators and Families: Your experience is part of the evidence. Explore data from NAEYC’s latest ECE workforce survey that includes testimonies from the field.
- ECE Workforce Survey State-Specific Briefs: State-by-state data on the child care affordability crisis and how it’s affecting educators and families
- State Fact Sheets: Key data points to help you share what the early childhood landscape looks like in your state.
- Compensation Means More Than Wages: Increasing Early Childhood Educators’ Access To Benefits: Overview of benefits and supports within compensation, with key data, examples, and recommendations.