Nature of Work
Preschool teachers and child-care workers nurture and teach preschool children, age 5 or younger, in centers designed for childcare. They instruct children in activities designed to promote social, physical, and intellectual growth. They plan individual and group activities for children such as learning to listen to instructions, playing with others, and using play equipment and structured play activities to instill concepts of respect and concern for others. They confer with parents as well.

Jobs
Preschool teachers and child care workers.

Employers
Private homes, schools, religious institutions, work places where employers provide care for employees' children, private buildings, and daycare centers.

Outlook
Employment of preschool teachers and child-care workers is projected to increase faster than the average for all occupations through the year 2006. High turnover, combined with rapid growth, is expected to create many openings. Qualified persons who are interested in this work should have little or no trouble finding and keeping a job. Although the number of children under age 5 years of age is expected to decline slightly through the year 2006, the proportion of youngsters in child care and preschool should increase, keeping demand high for workers.

Earnings
Pay depends on the employer and educational attainment of the worker. Median weekly earnings of full-time. salaried child-care workers are $250. The middle 50% of child-care workers earned between $190 and $310. Preschool teachers in public schools who have State teacher certification generally have salaries comparable to kindergarten and elementary school teachers. In Illinois, the median hourly wage was $9.50 in 1997.

Tech Prep
Early Childhood/Day Care Option is currently designed for Tech Prep. Students in High School should contact their High School Counselor.

Earnings vary greatly according to location, experience, and individual.