Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education Salary
In Trenton-Princeton, NJ, kindergarten teachers, except special educations earn $78,620 at the median. The range runs from $60K at the entry level to $103K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 103.18), that's roughly $76,197 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,950/month, about 38% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $79K actually covers in Trenton-Princeton, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Trenton-Princeton’s Regional Price Parity (103.18). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About kindergarten teachers, except special educations
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What this looks like in Trenton-Princeton
Trenton-Princeton sits well above the national pay line for kindergarten teachers, except special education, local pay runs about 25% higher than the U.S. median of $63K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,950/month, which is 38.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 103.18) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for kindergarten teachers, except special educations in metros near Trenton-Princeton, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Atlantic City-Hammonton | $75K | $76K |
| Vineland | $71K | $74K |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City | $77K | $69K |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $64K | $63K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Trenton-Princeton, NJ
Entry-level kindergarten teachers, except special educations (10th percentile) start around $60K. Mid-career wages sit at $79K. Top earners bring in $103K or more, a $43K spread from bottom to top.
Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $100K | +59% | 5,270 |
| Connecticut | $90K | +44% | 1,420 |
| Rhode Island | $85K | +36% | 360 |
| Massachusetts | $84K | +34% | 1,980 |
| California | $83K | +32% | 7,430 |
| District of Columbia | $82K | +30% | 180 |
| New York | $78K | +24% | 6,950 |
| Maryland | $76K | +21% | 1,560 |
| Minnesota | $76K | +20% | 2,840 |
| New Mexico | $74K | +19% | 950 |
| New Jersey | $74K | +18% | 5,370 |
| Delaware | $74K | +18% | 70 |
| Ohio | $73K | +16% | 3,290 |
| Oregon | $69K | +9% | 1,330 |
| Georgia | $66K | +5% | 4,530 |
| Nevada | $65K | +4% | 1,400 |
| Pennsylvania | $64K | +3% | 2,510 |
| Illinois | $64K | +2% | 4,660 |
| Virginia | $64K | +2% | 3,740 |
| Texas | $64K | +2% | 3,820 |
| Michigan | $63K | +1% | 1,890 |
| Vermont | $63K | +1% | 250 |
| Utah | $63K | +1% | 530 |
| Colorado | $63K | +0% | 3,260 |
| Idaho | $62K | -1% | 460 |
| Nebraska | $62K | -1% | 1,120 |
| Wyoming | $61K | -3% | 360 |
| South Carolina | $61K | -3% | 1,540 |
| Kentucky | $60K | -4% | 2,450 |
| New Hampshire | $60K | -4% | 520 |
| North Dakota | $59K | -5% | 600 |
| Wisconsin | $59K | -5% | 1,510 |
| West Virginia | $59K | -6% | 730 |
| Iowa | $58K | -7% | 1,160 |
| Indiana | $58K | -7% | 2,120 |
| Florida | $58K | -7% | 8,810 |
| Tennessee | $58K | -7% | 2,740 |
| Kansas | $57K | -10% | 1,300 |
| Missouri | $57K | -10% | 2,300 |
| North Carolina | $53K | -15% | 2,250 |
| Hawaii | $53K | -15% | 90 |
| Louisiana | $53K | -15% | 3,730 |
| Arizona | $53K | -16% | 3,020 |
| Maine | $53K | -16% | 570 |
| Arkansas | $52K | -17% | 1,490 |
| Alabama | $51K | -19% | 310 |
| South Dakota | $49K | -21% | 610 |
| Mississippi | $49K | -22% | 1,350 |
| Oklahoma | $48K | -24% | 1,690 |
| Montana | $48K | -24% | 400 |
Showing 1–10 of 50 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track kindergarten teachers, except special education salary changes
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a kindergarten teachers, except special education afford a 2BR apartment alone in Trenton-Princeton?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $79K, rent takes 38.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,950/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,500/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for kindergarten teachers, except special educations in Trenton-Princeton?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new kindergarten teachers, except special educations typically earn — is $60K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,008/month. At HUD’s $1,950/month FMR, rent would take 49% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is kindergarten teachers, except special education a high-paying job in Trenton-Princeton?
Local pay is 25% above the national median — $79K here vs. $63K nationally.
How does Trenton-Princeton compare to the national average for kindergarten teachers, except special educations?
Trenton-Princeton pays $79K median vs. the U.S. average of $63K — that’s +25%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 103.18), the purchasing-power equivalent is $76K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do kindergarten teachers, except special educations make in Trenton-Princeton, NJ?
The median is $78,620 a year. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $59,560, and experienced kindergarten teachers, except special educations can clear $102,770. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $79K enough to live in Trenton-Princeton?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,068/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,950/month, which eats 38.5% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a kindergarten teachers, except special education salary go in Trenton-Princeton?
Trenton-Princeton has a Regional Price Parity of 103.18 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median kindergarten teachers, except special education salary is worth about $76,197 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do kindergarten teachers, except special educations get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.