Quick answer: The Los Angeles metro employs about 1,570 kindergarten teachers (BLS OEWS, May 2025), and licensing is set at the state level, through your state educator licensure board for school positions, or your state early learning agency for child care settings.
Licensing is a state matter, not a city one. Two systems govern this field. Public school classrooms require a bachelor’s from a state-approved program, student teaching and the state teaching license. Child care and preschool settings run through the state early learning agency, where training hours, the CDA credential and degree tiers step up with each quality rating level.
See the California licensing and pay overview for the statewide picture, and confirm current requirements with your state educator licensure board for school positions, or your state early learning agency for child care settings.
Schools in our database near this area, ranked by BOC Score. The list favors schools with a related program on record, but program availability and delivery format change, so confirm directly with any school that it currently offers the program you want.
This page lists 10 schools within 54 miles, nearest first in 25-mile distance bands, then by BOC Score inside each band with the highest at the top. 10 of them carry a score.
Scores come from IPEDS (2024) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Earnings are for all graduates of a school, not one program, so treat them as a signal about the institution rather than about this subject. Sponsored listings are paid placements and are labelled as such; they are separate from this ranking and never change it. Read the full methodology.
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education in the Los Angeles area earn a median $78,400 per year, above the national median of $62,680 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
| Metric | Los Angeles metro | California | National |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual wage | $78,400 | $82,550 | $62,680 |
| 10th percentile | $46,590 | $53,210 | $46,990 |
| 25th percentile | $61,660 | $64,100 | $52,180 |
| 75th percentile | $122,560 | $107,340 | $79,910 |
| 90th percentile | $130,300 | $124,400 | $101,830 |
| Employment | 1,570 | 7,430 | 108,870 |
| Location quotient | 0.36 | - | 1.00 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Metro figures cover the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metropolitan statistical area.
The Los Angeles median of $78,400 is above the national median of $62,680, and below the California statewide median of $82,550 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
The metro’s location quotient of 0.36 means kindergarten teachers are less concentrated here than in the average U.S. labor market (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Higher concentration generally means more employers competing for the same people, and an easier job change later.
Early childhood employment tracks families: districts, Head Start grantees and licensed centers hire everywhere, with density following population.
| Metro area | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Riverside | $82,550 | 750 |
| Sacramento | $106,000 | 740 |
| San Francisco | $74,600 | 640 |
| San Diego | $71,690 | 470 |
| Bakersfield | $78,330 | 440 |
| San Jose | $84,620 | 430 |
| Santa Maria | $102,450 | 290 |
| Visalia | $96,380 | 240 |
Figures: BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Wage and employment figures describe the occupation as measured by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, not the graduates of any particular program, and individual outcomes may vary. Licensing rules change; confirm current requirements with the responsible state board before enrolling.
The median annual wage for kindergarten teachers in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area is $78,400, above the national median of $62,680 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
The Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area employs about 1,570 kindergarten teachers (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Licensing is handled at state level rather than by city. Two systems govern this field. Public school classrooms require a bachelor's from a state-approved program, student teaching and the state teaching license. Child care and preschool settings run through the state early learning agency, where training hours, the CDA credential and degree tiers step up with each quality rating level. Confirm current requirements with your state educator licensure board for school positions, or your state early learning agency for child care settings.
The academic portion of these programs is widely available online for working adults, while labs, clinical hours or supervised field work are completed in person. Check that the program's accreditation satisfies your state educator licensure board for school positions, or your state early learning agency for child care settings.
The Los Angeles metro median is $78,400 against a statewide median of $82,550 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Compare that gap with the difference in living costs before treating it as a raise.
About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.
