SOC 25-2011 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education — Auburn
Auburn-Opelika, AL · 10 metro areas compared
At $28,490, this is one of the lower medians recorded for Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education, 25.3% beneath the national figure of $38,140.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to grow about as fast as average
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- +4.1%
- Openings per year
- 65,500
- Typical entry-level education
- Associate's degree
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Auburn-Opelika, AL.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
At $28,490, this is one of the lower medians recorded for Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education, 25.3% beneath the national figure of $38,140. Pay ranges from under $21,650 at the tenth percentile to more than $37,870 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $22,370 to $28,940.
The area has 500 jobs in this occupation, giving a location quotient of 2.25 — a measure of how concentrated the occupation is here relative to the country as a whole. Within the state, Mobile records the highest median at $29,090. Of the 260 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 239th.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $21,650 | −43.2% |
| 25th | $22,370 | −41.3% |
| Median (50th) | $28,490 | −25.3% |
| 75th | $28,940 | −24.1% |
| 90th | $37,870 | −0.7% |
| Mean | $29,060 | −23.8% |
Other metro areas in Alabama
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mobile | $29,090 | 990 | |
| 2 | Huntsville | $28,760 | — | |
| 3 | Tuscaloosa | $28,630 | 330 | |
| 4 | Birmingham | $28,540 | 2,070 | |
| 5 | Montgomery | $28,540 | 640 | |
| 6 | Daphne | $28,480 | 360 | |
| 7 | Anniston | $27,780 | 150 | |
| 8 | Dothan | $27,700 | 240 | |
| 9 | Florence | $27,660 | — | |
| 10 | Gadsden | $25,290 | 110 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Auburn run 12.1% below the national average, so the median of $28,490 goes as far as $32,412 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 15.0% below the national median in real terms.
Published median
$28,490as reported by BLSLocal price level
87.9US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$32,412US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $28,490 a year, 25.3% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $21,650 to $37,870 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 500 jobs in this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Mobile, at $29,090.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education in Auburn, AL?
The median annual wage is $28,490, or $13.70 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $38,140, so pay in Auburn, AL is 25.3% lower. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in Auburn, AL earns more than $37,870 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $21,650 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Mobile, at $29,090 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 500 jobs in this occupation in Auburn, AL. Self-employed workers are not included.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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