Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education Salary
The median pay for a preschool teachers, except special education in St. Louis, MO-IL is $37,020/year ($17.8/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $30K at the entry level to $54K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 95.09), that's roughly $38,932 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,218/month, about 48.2% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $37K get you in St. Louis?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by St. Louis’s Regional Price Parity (95.09). 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 preschool teachers, except special educations
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What this looks like in St. Louis
Preschool teachers, except special education pay in St. Louis tracks closely to the national median, $37K locally vs. $38K nationwide, a 3% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,218/month, which is 47.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 95.09) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for preschool teachers, except special educations in metros near St. Louis, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Kansas City | $37K | $40K |
| Columbia | $34K | $38K |
| Springfield | $30K | $34K |
| Joplin | $31K | $37K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, St. Louis, MO-IL
Entry-level preschool teachers, except special educations (10th percentile) start around $30K. Mid-career wages sit at $37K. Top earners bring in $54K or more, a $24K spread from bottom to top.
Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $62K | +63% | 2,350 |
| Vermont | $50K | +30% | 940 |
| Hawaii | $49K | +28% | 1,410 |
| New Jersey | $48K | +26% | 16,190 |
| Kansas | $48K | +25% | 1,330 |
| California | $47K | +24% | 55,700 |
| Nebraska | $47K | +23% | 1,630 |
| New York | $47K | +22% | 23,870 |
| Alaska | $46K | +21% | 520 |
| Massachusetts | $46K | +20% | 18,710 |
| Connecticut | $46K | +20% | 5,230 |
| Washington | $46K | +20% | 13,210 |
| Colorado | $46K | +19% | 5,210 |
| Oregon | $45K | +18% | 6,300 |
| Maryland | $45K | +17% | 8,020 |
| South Dakota | $45K | +17% | 1,470 |
| New Mexico | $44K | +16% | 2,490 |
| Georgia | $44K | +15% | 16,850 |
| Maine | $44K | +15% | 1,110 |
| Minnesota | $43K | +14% | 10,320 |
| Illinois | $41K | +7% | 22,420 |
| North Dakota | $40K | +4% | 540 |
| New Hampshire | $39K | +3% | 2,220 |
| Nevada | $39K | +2% | 2,360 |
| Louisiana | $38K | -0% | 3,570 |
| Virginia | $37K | -3% | 13,570 |
| Michigan | $37K | -3% | 10,950 |
| Rhode Island | $37K | -3% | 1,890 |
| Indiana | $37K | -4% | 7,110 |
| Montana | $37K | -4% | 960 |
| Delaware | $36K | -5% | 2,000 |
| Arizona | $36K | -5% | 9,400 |
| Mississippi | $36K | -5% | 3,600 |
| Wisconsin | $36K | -5% | 11,330 |
| Missouri | $36K | -5% | 5,580 |
| Pennsylvania | $36K | -5% | 22,760 |
| Florida | $36K | -6% | 35,740 |
| North Carolina | $36K | -6% | 18,370 |
| Ohio | $35K | -8% | 19,840 |
| Utah | $35K | -8% | 3,670 |
| South Carolina | $35K | -10% | 4,550 |
| Tennessee | $34K | -10% | 5,420 |
| Arkansas | $34K | -10% | 3,270 |
| Texas | $34K | -11% | 41,200 |
| Iowa | $34K | -11% | 5,910 |
| Idaho | $33K | -14% | 1,010 |
| West Virginia | $32K | -15% | 2,190 |
| Oklahoma | $32K | -17% | 7,010 |
| Wyoming | $30K | -22% | 1,040 |
| Kentucky | $30K | -22% | 8,520 |
| Alabama | $28K | -26% | 7,910 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track preschool teachers, except special education salary changes
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Frequently asked questions
Can a preschool teachers, except special education afford a 2BR apartment alone in St. Louis?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $37K, rent takes 47.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,218/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $800/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for preschool teachers, except special educations in St. Louis?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new preschool teachers, except special educations typically earn — is $30K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,799/month. At HUD’s $1,218/month FMR, rent would take 68% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is preschool teachers, except special education a high-paying job in St. Louis?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $37K locally vs. $38K nationally, a 3% difference.
How does St. Louis compare to the national average for preschool teachers, except special educations?
St. Louis pays $37K median vs. the U.S. average of $38K — that’s -3%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 95.09), the purchasing-power equivalent is $39K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do preschool teachers, except special educations make in St. Louis, MO-IL?
The median is $37,020 a year, that works out to about $18 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $29,990, and experienced preschool teachers, except special educations can clear $54,010. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $37K enough to live in St. Louis?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,568/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,218/month, which eats 47.4% 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 preschool teachers, except special education salary go in St. Louis?
St. Louis has a Regional Price Parity of 95.09 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median preschool teachers, except special education salary is worth about $38,932 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do preschool 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.