Career possibilities in the early childhood field.

1. By: Lynzi Harris

2. Potential Careers
 Daycare Director  Preschool Teacher
 Elementary School  School Social Worker
Teacher (K-3)
 School Psychologist  Own a daycare/preschool
 School Counselor  Teacher’s Aide

3. Daycare Director
Responsibilities:
 Administrative
 Processing enrollments, keeping records, ordering supplies, and keeping
files up to date is part of the director’s job.
 Managing
 Hiring, training, supervising, making work schedule, following ratio
guidelines, and conducting evaluations is part of the director’s job.
 Instructional
 Overseeing the curriculum, reviewing teachers lesson plans, and filling in for
absent teachers is part of the director’s job.
 Communication
 Handling concerns and questions, discussing incidents, and collecting
payment is part of the director’s job.
 Compliance
 Updating licensing paperwork, and ensuring records are in compliance is
part of the director’s job.

4. Daycare Director (continued)
Salary
 Requirements:
 Earn a degree $90,000 $85,110
 Some states require a college degree. $80,000
 Gain Experience $70,000
 The amount of required experience $60,630
varies by state. $60,000
 Work at a Licensed Facility $50,000 $42,960
 This helps you gain experience to $40,000 $33,340
prepare for credentials required.
$30,000 $27,210
 Acquire Appropriate Credentials
 Most states require a CDA to become a
$20,000
director. $10,000
 Continue Education $0
 Staying up to date with continuing
education is usually a requirement.
10% 25% 50% 75% 90%

5. Public School Teacher
 Responsibilities:
 Instructing a class on several subjects is part of the job.
 Fostering all aspects of development is part of the job.
 Creating and implementing lesson plans is part of the
job.

6. Public School Teacher (continued)
Salary
 Requirements: $90,000
$80,140
$80,000
 A bachelor’s degree from
a teacher education $70,000 $64,890
program is required. $60,000 $51,660
 All states require a license $50,000 $41,750
in teaching. $40,000 $34,390
$30,000
•Job Outlook: $20,000
$10,000
Employment in this field is $0
expected to grow by 13% between
2008-2018. 10% 25% 50% 75% 90%

7. School Psychologist
 Responsibilities:
 Creating a safe, healthy, and supportive learning
environment is part of the job.
 Addressing students learning and behavior problems is
part of the job.
 Evaluating the effectiveness of an academic program is
part of the job.

8. School Psychologist (continued)
$120,000 $108,67
0
 Requirements: $100,000
 A specialist degree is $86,250
required in most states $80,000
$66,810
-This includes education
and psychology $60,000
$50,360
coursework. $39,010
$40,000
$20,000
$0
10% 25% 50% 75% 90%
Salary

9. Elementary School Counselor
 Responsibilities:
 Providing guidance services to students is part of the
job.
 Evaluating strengths, problems, or special needs is part
of the job.
 Helping students deal with social, behavioral, and
personal problems before they get worse is part of the
job.
Note: Elementary school counselors do less vocational and
academic counseling than high school counselors.

10. Elementary School Counselor
(continued)
 Requirements:
 Usually a master’s degree
is required to become
licensed.
$100,000
$86,250
$80,000 $68,620
$60,000 $53,380
$40,750
$40,000 $31,630 Salary
$20,000
$0
10% 25% 50% 75% 90%

11. Preschool Teacher
 Responsibilities:
 Nurturing, teaching, and caring for children who have
not entered kindergarten is part of the job.
 Planning and implementing a curriculum is part of the
job.
 Introducing children to all subject areas is part of the
job.
 Helping children with development in all areas is part of
the job.

12. Preschool Teacher (continued)
$50,000 $46,830
$45,000
 Requirements: $40,000
 The requirements vary $35,000
$34,420
for each state. $30,000
$25,700
 A minimum of a high $25,000
school diploma to a $20,080
$20,000 $17,200
college degree is usually
$15,000
required.
$10,000
 Trainings are usually
required. $5,000
$0
10% 25% 50% 75% 90%
Salary

13. Social Worker
 Responsibilities:
 Aiming to improve social and psychological functioning
of children and their families is part of the job.
 Requirements:
 Some states require a license.
 A bachelor’s degree is a minimum requirement.
 Salary
 Average salary= $54,000

14. Daycare Owner
 Responsibilities:
 Hiring the director is part of the job.
 Advertising for the business is part of the job.
 Overseeing all operations is part of the job.
 Obtaining a license and the required certifications is
part of the job.

15. Daycare Owner (continued)
 Requirements
 Owner must meet licensing
requirements. Average Salary=
 Education requirements vary
$37,000
by state.
 Meeting the needs of children
is a requirement.
 Obtaining certifications is a
requirement.

16. Comparing Degrees…
 Associate’s Degree:  Bachelor’s Degree:
 Pre-school Teacher  Public School (K-Third)
 Teacher’s Aide  School Social Worker
 School Psychologist

17. My Goals
Short Term Goals Long Term Goals
 I have a goal to graduate  I have a goal to graduate
from Ivy Tech from Ball State
Community College in University in 2014.
May this year.  I have a goal of becoming
 I want to find an an elementary school
assistant job in the early teacher.
childhood field this
summer.

18. References
 Occupational Outlook Handbook. (2010). Retrieved
January 29, 2012, from Bureau of Labor Statistics :
http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos067.htm

19. *THE END*