We surveyed 7,418 preschool teachers to better understand the work environment and required skills of a typical preschool teacher. Here are the results.

How much intelligence is required as a preschool teacher?

Low

High

Working as a preschool teacher typically doesn’t require the use of high levels of intelligence in daily tasks.

Can I learn to become a preschool teacher?

Intrinsic Talent

Acquired Talent

A career as a preschool teacher typically depends predominantly on qualities you can gain through experience, with a small aspect of skills you are born with.

Is it easy to get a job as a preschool teacher?

Easy

Hard

It’s typically difficult to find a job as a preschool teacher. If you’re curious about the numbers, check out the job market for preschool teachers.

Info

Do preschool teachers work full-time or part-time?

63% of preschool teachers work in full-time roles while 37% work part-time.

Is being a preschool teacher stressful?

Low

High

Stress is very commonplace for preschool teachers, contributing negatively towards career satisfaction.

Is being organized important as a preschool teacher?

Low

High

Organization is considered a very important trait for preschool teachers, and is critical to success in the field.

How competitive is the workplace for preschool teachers?

Low

High

Competition at work is not common for preschool teachers.

Does being a preschool teacher require frequent time pressure to complete tasks?

Low

High

Time pressure tends not to be a major contributor of stress for preschool teachers.

Are preschool teachers allowed to express themselves creatively?

Low

High

Creativity is intrinsic to being a preschool teacher, and a highly valuable part of the career.

Do preschool teachers have control over the direction of their work?

Low

High

While sometimes the direction is set, occasionally preschool teachers will have some flexibility over the direction of their work.

Is being a preschool teacher physically demanding?

Low

High

Being a preschool teacher requires significant physical work, and is not a career for those unable to perform continuous and/or strenuous physical activity.

Are preschool teachers exposed to a wide variety of work?

Low

High

The workload of a preschool teacher changes frequently, with their day-to-day rarely being the same.

Does being a preschool teacher require attention to detail?

Low

High

As in many careers, attention to detail is quite helpful for preschool teachers.

Does being a good preschool teacher require compassion and empathy?

Low

High

Strong compassion and empathy are critical to success as a preschool teacher.