TECPDS Career Pathway Study

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About This Study​

TECPDS, with support from the Texas Workforce Commission, conducted this study to deepen understanding of the characteristics, roles, and professional experiences of individuals working across the early childhood sector.​

This study included roles across multiple sectors that support the development and health of young children, including education, healthcare, social services, and early intervention. By examining a wide range of positions, we aim to understand the career pathways and trajectories available within this interconnected field. ​

Our goal is to support individuals with an interest or expertise in supporting young children to identify related career opportunities that allow them to contribute to the field. This understanding can also inform system-level and employer-driven strategies that promote workforce stability, support professional growth, and strengthen long-term impact across sectors serving young children.​

A wide range of professionals participated in the survey. The findings presented here are based on our full sample of 2,612 respondents. In addition, 176 participants took part in in-depth interviews to provide richer, qualitative insights
into their career trajectories and workplace experiences.​

This page includes the results from the study. These data will inform the development of new resources designed to help
users explore career pathways and support workforce development efforts across the state.

In This Report

Participant Data  |  Education  |  Wages  |  Benefits  |  Employment Characteristics  |  Motivations & Perceptions  |  Retention & Attrition

Participant Data

This study engaged early childhood professionals across Texas, including both school-based and non-school-based roles. For school-based roles, we intentionally recruited a diverse and representative sample based on geographic region (using Texas’s 12 economic regions) and early learning program type (such as private child care, public schools, and Early/Head Start
programs). We contacted early learning programs directly (using state databases) and indirectly (e.g., through interventionists) through email campaigns, postcard mailings, booths at regional conferences, and phone calls. For non-school-based roles, we partnered with a diverse network of stakeholders (e.g., non-profit leaders, interventionists) who helped disseminate the survey across their communities and professional networks. Participants were provided gift cards for completing the survey and participating in follow-up interviews.​

Occupational Categories

Respondents self-identified in one of the following occupational categories, adapting the national Power to the Profession’s framework:​

Educators
Those who provide direct service to children in child care, Head Start, public schools, or similar contexts from birth through age 8 (lead teachers, assistant teachers, substitute teachers, etc.)​

Pedagogical and Instructional Administrators
Those who guide the practice of early childhood educators (directors, principals, mentors, trainers, etc.). ​

Business and Operations Administrators
Those who manage the business or operations of an early learning program but do not provide instructional or pedagogical oversight (early learning program owners, enrollment specialists, operations managers, etc.)​

Family and Child Health and Well-Being Professionals
Members of professions and occupations that focus on health and well-being who often work closely with early childhood educators (home visitors, psychologists, speech-language pathologists, child life specialists, etc.)​/su_spoiler]

Other Roles in Early Childhood
Roles that may be within schools or private/for-profit organizations (university faculty, advocates, product and curriculum developers, fundraisers, etc.)​

Please note that, for some research questions, we looked more deeply at the roles that serve as school leaders—early learning program owners, directors, and principals. ​

The following section provides a detailed breakdown of survey respondents' roles and demographics, offering insight into the workforce composition.​

A pie chart titled, “What was the breakdown of respondents across occupational categories?" showing the distribution of 2,612 survey respondents. The largest group is Early Childhood Educators at 45.02% (1,176 respondents), followed by Pedagogical and Instructional Administrators at 27.22% (711). Business or Operations Administrators make up 10.6% (277), Former ECE professionals 10% (209), Family and Child Health and Well-Being professionals 5.9% (154), and Other/Unknown 1.91% (50).The largest group that responded to the survey was EC (45.02%) educators and PNI (27.22%).
Two pie charts titled "In what early learning settings did school-based respondents work?" compare settings for School Leaders and Educators. Four work types are represented: Child Care (purple), Early/Head Start (blue with cross-hatch), Public School (green with dots), and Home-Based Child Care (Lime Green with dashes)Among 523 School Leaders, 92.73%, work in Child Care, 4.02% in Early/Head Start, 7.84% for Home-based child care, and 3.06% in Public School. Among 1,121 Educators, 71.01% work in Child Care, 19.18% in Public School, 8.65% of home-based child care and 9.1%in Early/Head Start.Most of our respondents worked in child care early learning settings.
A pie chart titled, “Within the early childhood educator category, what job roles did respondents have?" showing the distribution of 1,175 survey respondents. Lead Teachers represent the largest group at 59.57%, followed by Assistant Teachers at 12.51%, and Teachers/Educational Aides at 11.06%. Other roles include Other/Unknown (6.13%), Special Education Teachers (3.15%), Substitute Teachers (2.55%), Family, Friend, and Neighbor Caregivers (1.96%), Afterschool and Out-of-School Time Staff (1.28%), Nanny/Babysitter/Au Pair (1.02%), and Elective/Specials Teachers (0.77%).Most of the respondents were a Lead Teachers (59.57%)
A pie chart titled “Within the pedagogical and instructional administrator category, what job roles did respondents have?” displays the distribution of 711 respondents by job role. The largest segment is Director/Principal at 59.78%, followed by Coach/Mentor at 20.54%. Smaller segments include Specialists (3.65%), Education Managers (3.09%), Other/Unknown (2.67%), Trainers (1.69%), and Consultants (0.98%).Within PNI directors/principals were the largest group of respondents (59.78%)
Within the business and operations administrator category, what job roles did respondents have?” shows the distribution of 276 respondents by job role. Early Learning Program Owners represent the largest segment at 40.22%, followed by Operations Managers at 33.33%, Enrollment/Admissions Specialists at 14.13%, Other roles at 7.97%, and Compliance Managers at 4.35%.
A pie chart titled “Within the family and child health and well-being category, what job roles did respondents have?” presents data from 153 respondents. The largest segments are Other and Mental Health Professional, each at 19.61%, followed by Home Visitor at 14.38%, Nurse at 13.07%, School Counselor at 12.42%, Children's Librarian at 11.76%, Child Life Specialist at 9.8%, Occupational/Physical/Speech Therapist and Pediatrician each at 6.54%, and Reading Specialist at 3.27%.
: A pie chart titled “Within the other roles in early childhood category, what job roles did respondents have?” presents data from 120 respondents. Leadership roles make up the largest segment at 37.5%, followed by Higher Education/Faculty Instructors at 25.84%, Analyst/Data Collector/Researcher at 17.5%, Advocate at 7.5%, Product and Curriculum Development at 8.33%, and Fundraiser/Development Staff at 4.08%. The data source is the TECPDS Career Trajectory Study 2025.
Two pie charts compare funding sources for two occupational categories based on respondent data. The left chart shows that among 709 Pedagogical and Instructional Administrators, 50.49% are funded by For-Profit organizations, 25.11% by Non-Profits, 17.21% by Government/Public sources, 4.37% by Multiple Funding sources, and 2.82% by Other. The right chart shows that among 275 Business or Operations Administrators, 67.64% are funded by For-Profit organizations, 16.73% by Non-Profits, 7.64% by Multiple Funding sources, 5.45% by Government/Public sources, and 2.55% by Other.
Two pie charts compare funding sources for occupational categories based on respondent data. The left chart, titled "Family and Child Health and Well-Being," shows that among 154 respondents, 29.87% are funded by Non-Profit organizations, 35.06% by For-Profit, 17.53% by Government/Public sources, 16.23% by Multiple Funding sources, and 1.73% by Other. The right chart, titled "Other Roles in the Early Childhood Field," shows that among 203 respondents, 29..06% are funded by For-Profit organizations, 22.66% by Non-Profit, 28.08% by Government/Public sources, 11.33% by Multiple Funding sources, and 8.8% by Other.
A vertical bar chart titled “What was the race/ethnicity breakdown across occupational categories?” displays data from 2,513 respondents. The X-axis lists racial and ethnic groups, and the Y-axis shows percentage values from 0% to 40%. The largest group is White at 39.24%, followed by Hispanic or Latino at 32.47%, Black or African American at 21.81%, Asian at 2.43%, Multiple Races at 1.19%, American Indian or Alaska Native at 1.03%, Some Other Race at 0.36%, and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander at 0.16%. Source: TECDS Career Trajectory Study 2025.
: A map of Texas divided into economic regions shows where respondents live, based on data from the TECDDS Career Trajectory Study 2025. The Gulf Coast region has the highest percentage of respondents at 27.73%, followed by the Metroplex at 21.82%, Alamo at 13.02%, Capital at 10.21%, and South Texas at 9.39%. Other regions include Upper East (4.90%), Central Texas (3.26%), High Plains (2.65%), Northwest (2.53%), Southeast (1.41%), Upper Rio Grande (1.85%), and West Texas (1.25%).

Education, Credentials, and Experience

Educational attainment, credentials awarded, and years of experience may be key determinants of career mobility and opportunity within the early childhood workforce. This section includes the highest degrees earned by respondents, the percentage of respondents who have a non-degree credential that is specific to early childhood, and length of experience in the field. ​

This heatmap-style table shows respondents’ years of experience by occupational category. The X‑axis lists five roles—Early Childhood Educators, Pedagogical and Instructional Administrators, Business/Operations Administrators, Family and Child Health and Well‑Being, and Other Roles—while the Y‑axis shows experience ranges from less than 1 year to 30+ years. Across most roles, the largest share of respondents falls between 5–10 years of experience, peaking at about 28–43%, with Family and Child Health and Well‑Being highest in this range. Pedagogical and Instructional Administrators skew more experienced, with the highest proportion in 10–20 years (about 28%) and a substantial share in 20–30 years (about 28%). Early Childhood Educators and Business/Operations Administrators show similar mid‑career concentrations around 5–10 and 10–20 years. Very small percentages report less than 1 year of experience across all categories, and 30+ years is relatively uncommon, especially absent in Family and Child Health and Well‑Being.
A vertical bar chart titled “How many of the early childhood educator respondents earned an early childhood credential (e.g., CDA or similar)?” displays credential attainment across four categories. The X-axis lists: Child Care (purple), Early/Head Start (blue with cross-hatch), Public School (green with dots), and Home-Based Child Care (Lime Green with dashes), while the Y-axis shows percentages from 0% to 100%. Three educator types are represented: Child Care (purple), Early/Head Start (blue with cross-hatch), Public School (green with dots), and Home-Based Child Care (Lime Green with dashes). Among respondents, 67.24% in Child Care, 76.47% in Early/Head Start, 88.37% in Public School, and 60.82% for Home-based child care reported earning a credential. Source: TECPDS Career Trajectory Study 2025.
A vertical bar chart titled “How many of the school leader respondents earned an early childhood credential (e.g., CDA or similar)?” displays credential attainment across four categories. The X-axis lists: Child Care (purple), Early/Head Start (blue with cross-hatch), Public School (green with dots), and Home-Based Child Care (Lime Green with dashes), while the Y-axis shows percentages from 0% to 80%. Among school leaders, 60.81% in Child Care, 76.19% in Early/Head Start, 60.98% in home-based child care and 68.75% in Public School reported earning a credential. Source: TECPDS Career Trajectory Study 2025.
A vertical bar chart titled “What were the early childhood educator respondents’ highest levels of education?” compares educational attainment across four categories. Educator types represented: Child Care (purple), Early/Head Start (blue with cross-hatch), Public School (green with dots), and Home-Based Child Care (Lime Green with dashes). The X-axis lists education levels from GED to Doctoral Degree, and the Y-axis shows percentages from 0% to 60%. Public School educators most commonly hold Bachelor's (57.21%) and Master's degrees (25.58%). Early/Head Start educators show a broader distribution, with 25.49% having Some College and 21.57% holding a High School Diploma. Child Care educators also show varied levels, with 31.95% having Some College and 23.78% holding a High School Diploma. Home-Based Child Care educators also showed career levels of high school diploma, some college, associate’s degree, and bachelor’s degree, all having similar percentages ranging from 16.49% to 26.8% Source: TECPDS Career Trajectory Study 2025.
 A vertical bar chart titled “What were the school leader respondents’ highest levels of education?” compares educational attainment in four categories. Educator types represented: Child Care (purple), Early/Head Start (blue with cross-hatch), Public School (green with dots), and Home-Based Child Care (Lime Green with dashes). The X-axis lists education levels from GED to Doctoral Degree, and the Y-axis shows percentages from 0% to 60%. Public School leaders most commonly hold Master's degrees (56.25%) and Bachelor's degrees (31.25%). Early/Head Start leaders show a broader distribution, with 23.81% holding Master's degrees and 28.57% Bachelor's degrees. Child Care leaders have more varied backgrounds, with 30.41% reporting Some College, 23.42% Bachelor's degrees, and 17.57% Associate's degrees. Home-based child care shows the largest percentage with associate’s degrees (36.59%), foillowed by Bachelor’s degree Source: TECPDS Career Trajectory Study 2025.
The chart shows the percentage of respondents in five occupational categories—Early Childhood Educators, Pedagogical and Instructional Administrators, Business/Operations Administrators, Family and Child Health and Well‑Being, and Other Roles—across seven ranges of years of experience on the Y‑axis, from less than 1 year to 30+ years. Across most categories, the highest percentages fall within the 3 to 5 years and 5 to 10 years ranges. Family and Child Health and Well‑Being has its largest share in the 5 to 10 years category at about 43%, while Other Roles peaks at 1 to 3 years with 32%. Early Childhood Educators and Pedagogical Administrators show the highest concentrations between 3 and 10 years, generally ranging from 19% to 26%. Business/Operations Administrators peak at 5 to 10 years with 27%. The smallest percentages across categories occur in the 30+ years range, generally below 8%, and in the less‑than‑1‑year group, mostly under 6%.
: A vertical bar chart titled “Across all categories, what were the respondents' highest levels of education?” displays percentages of educational attainment across five occupational categories. For Early Childhood Educators, the most common levels are Bachelor's (26.21%) and Some College (25.02%). Pedagogical and Instructional Administrators most frequently hold Bachelor's (28.31%) and Master's degrees (20.99%). Business/Operations Administrators show similar trends to Early Childhood Educators. Family and Child Health and Well-Being respondents most commonly hold Bachelor’s (34.42%) and Master's degrees (38.31%), with 13.64% holding Doctorates. Among Other Roles, Bachelor's degrees are most common at 45.32%, followed by Master’s (29.06%) and Some College (6.90%). The chart includes categories from Doctoral degrees to "None of the Above" on the X-axis, with percentage values on the Y-axis. Source: TECPDS Career Trajectory Study 2025.
A grouped vertical bar chart titled “How many years of experience did early childhood educator respondents have in their current role?” displays data from the TECPDS Career Trajectory Study 2025. The X-axis shows experience categories from “Less than 1 year” to “30+ years,” and the Y-axis represents the percentage of respondents, ranging from 0% to 35%. Four categoires are represented: Child Care (purple), Early/Head Start (blue with cross-hatch), Public School (green with dots), and Home-Based Child Care (Lime Green with dashes). The highest percentages are in the 5–10 years category: Public School (31.67%), Early/Head Start (31%), and Child Care (23.50%). Other notable values include Home based Child care at 23.71% for 20-30 years, Early/Head Start at 28.84% for 3–5 years, and Child Care at 20.77% for 1–3 years. Public School educators show the lowest percentage in the 30+ years category at 0.47%.
 A grouped vertical bar chart titled “How many years of experience did school leader respondents have in their current role?” displays data from the TECPDS Career Trajectory Study 2025. Four categories are represented: Child Care (purple), Early/Head Start (blue with cross-hatch), Public School (green with dots), and Home-Based Child Care (Lime Green with dashes). The X-axis shows experience categories from “Less than 1 year” to “30+ years,” and the Y-axis represents the percentage of respondents, ranging from 0% to 50%. Among Child Care leaders, the highest percentage is in the 5–10 years category (21.04%). Early/Head Start leaders most commonly have 1–3 years of experience (33.33%). Public School leaders show the highest percentage in the 5–10 years category (46.67%). Home-based child care averages between 10-30 years.
A grouped vertical bar chart titled “How many years of experience did school leader respondents working in different settings have in the ECE field? ” displays data from the TECPDS Career Trajectory Study 2025. Four categoires are represented: Child Care (purple), Early/Head Start (blue with cross-hatch), Public School (green with dots), and Home-Based Child Care (Lime Green with dashes). The X-axis shows experience categories from “Less than 1 year” to “30+ years,” and the Y-axis represents the percentage of respondents, ranging from 0% to 45%. Among Child Care, Early/Head Start, and Public School leaders, the highest percentage is in the 5–10 year category (25.82%, 31% and 39.53% respectively). Among Home-Base Child care most have served over 20 years.
A grouped vertical bar chart titled “How many years of experience did school leader respondents working in different settings have in the ECE field? ” displays data from the TECPDS Career Trajectory Study 2025. Four categoires are represented: Child Care (purple), Early/Head Start (blue with cross-hatch), Public School (green with dots), and Home-Based Child Care (Lime Green with dashes). The X-axis shows experience categories from “Less than 1 year” to “30+ years,” and the Y-axis represents the percentage of respondents, ranging from 0% to 60%. Among Child Care leaders, the highest percentage is in the 10–20 and 20–30 years categories (29.41%). Early/Head Start leaders most commonly have 20–30 years of experience (52.38%). Public School leaders show the highest percentage in the 10–20 and 20–30 years categories (26.67%). Among Home-based child care the highest percentages of respondents serced 20-30 years (31.71%) and 30+ years (26.83%).

Annual Wages

This section presents the annual wage data for each occupational category, as well as comparisons of annual wages between early learning settings (for educators and school leaders) and economic regions. ​

A horizontal bar chart titled “What did the pedagogical and instructional administrator respondents earn yearly?” displays data from the TECDS Career Trajectory Study 2025. The Y-axis lists income ranges from “Less than $10,000/yr” to “More than $100,000/yr,” and the X-axis shows the percentage of respondents. The most common income ranges are $40,001–$50,000/yr (18.35) and $50,001–$60,000/yr (18.5%). Other notable ranges include $30,001–$40,000/yr (15.61%), $60,001–$70,000/yr (15.17%), and $20,001–$30,000/yr and $70,001–$80,000/yr (each around 9%). Smaller percentages fall into higher income brackets, with only 2.75% earning more than $100,000/yr.
Horizontal bar chart titled "What did the business or operations administrator respondents earn yearly?" The Y-axis lists income ranges from "Less than $10,000/yr" to "More than $100,000/yr." The X-axis shows the percentage of respondents. The most common income ranges are $30,001–$40,000 and $40,001–$50,000, with 15.36% of respondents each. Mid-range incomes like $20,001–$30,000 and $60,001–$70,000 each account for 10.11% and 10.49 respectively. Higher income brackets, such as $80,001–$90,000 and over $100,000, show lower percentages at 9.36% and 8.61%, respectively. The lowest income ranges, under $10,000 and $10,001–$20,000, each represent less than 5% of respondents. Data source: TECPDS Career Trajectory Study 2025.
A picture of a quote saying, “When describing her time as an early learning program owner, one interviewee said, ‘If you're looking for a job where you're going to make tons of money, this is not the field for you.’”
Horizontal bar chart titled "What did the family child health and well-being respondents earn yearly?" The Y-axis lists income ranges from "Less than $10,000/yr" to "More than $100,000/yr." The X-axis shows the percentage of respondents, ranging from 0% to 20%. The highest percentage of respondents, 18.83%, earn between $50,001 and $60,000 annually. Other notable income brackets include $70,001–$80,000 at 15.58%, $40,001–$50,000 at 10.39%, and over $100,000 at 10.39%. Lower percentages are seen in the $10,001–$20,000 and under $10,000 ranges, at 1.3%. Data source: TECPDS Career Trajectory Study 2025.
Bar chart titled "What did the other roles in early childhood respondents earn yearly?" The chart displays income ranges on the Y-axis from "Less than $10,000/yr" to "More than $100,000/yr," and the X-axis shows the percentage of respondents. The most common income bracket is $60,001–$70,000, representing 25.87% of respondents, followed by $50,001–$60,000 at 18.91%, and $40,001–$50,000 and $70,001–$80,000 at 13.43%. Lower percentages are seen in the highest and lowest income ranges, with 4.48% earning over $100,000 and 1.49% earning less than $10,000. Data source: TECPDS Career Trajectory Study 2025.
Bar chart titled "What were the yearly wages of the early childhood educator respondents across early learning settings?" The X-axis shows income ranges from "Less than $10,000/yr" to "More than $100,000/yr," and the Y-axis represents the percentage of respondents. The chart compares four categoires: Child Care (purple), Early/Head Start (blue with cross-hatch), Public School (green with dots), and Home-Based Child Care (Lime Green with dashes). Child Care respondents are most concentrated in the $20,001–$30,000 range (27.41%), while Early/Head Start respondents peak at the same range (29.17%). Public School respondents are most represented in the $60,001–$70,000 range (16.74%). Home-based childcare peaks between $20,000 to 60,000, all being between 10-16% of respondents in each four monetary brackets. Higher income brackets show greater representation among Public School educators, with over 24% earning $80,000 or more. Lower income brackets are more common among Child Care educators, with 17.69% earning $10,001–$20,000 and 7.5% earning under $10,000. Data source: TECPDS Career Trajectory Study 2025.
Bar chart titled "What were the yearly wages of the school leader respondents across early learning settings?" The X-axis shows income ranges from "Less than $10,000/yr" to "More than $100,000/yr," and the Y-axis represents the percentage of respondents. The chart compares four categories: Child Care (purple), Early/Head Start (blue with cross-hatch), Public School (green with dots), and Home-Based Child Care (Lime Green with dashes). Public School leaders are most represented in the $70,001–$80,000 range (33.33%) and $80,001–$100,000 (46.67%). Early/Head Start leaders peak at $30,001–$40,000 (30%), while Child Care leaders are most concentrated in the $40,001–$50,000 range (20.89%). Home-based childcare peaks at 30% with the $30,000 to 40,000. Lower income brackets are more common among Child Care, home-based child care, and Early/Head Start leaders, with up to 12.5% or less earning $20,001–$30,000. Very few respondents in any category earn less than $10,000. Data source: TECPDS Career Trajectory Study 2025.
Map of Texas divided into 12 labeled economic regions, each showing the average yearly wage for early childhood educator respondents. Wage ranges vary by region: Capital reports the highest average at $50K–$60K, followed by Gulf Coast, West Texas, Southeast, and Metroplex and Upper Rio Grande at $40K–$50K. Alamo and Upper East show $30K–$40K averages. Northwest, Central Texas and South Texas show the lowest range at $20K–$30K. Title reads "What is the average yearly wage for the early childhood educator respondents across regions of Texas?" Source: TECPDS Career Trajectory Study 2025.
Map of Texas divided into 12 economic regions, each labeled with the average yearly wage range for school leader respondents. Wage ranges vary by region: Capital region shows the highest average at $60K–$70K; Central Rio Grande and Upper Rio Grande are the lowest at $30K–$40K. Most other regions fall between $40K–$60K. The data source is the TECPDS Career Trajectory Study 2025. The map visually compares regional wage differences across the state. Source: TECPDS Career Trajectory Study 2025.

Benefits

This section includes data for respondents who reported receiving paid time off, various types of insurance, and other financial benefits. We present this data by occupational category, and then break it out by early learning setting for educators and school leaders. ​

Bar chart titled "What percentage of respondents across all categories received paid time off across early learning settings?" The chart compares five respondent categories: Early Childhood Educators (pink), Business or Operations Administrators (Orange stripes), Other Roles in Early Childhood (grey checkered pattern), Pedagogical and Instructional Administrators (green brick pattern), and Family and Child Health and Well-Being(purple polka dots). For Paid Time Off, percentages range from 62.25% (Family and Child Health and Well-Being) to 89.47% (Other Roles in the ECE field). Paid Holiday benefits range from 43.05% (Family and Child Health and Well-Being) to 79.48% (Other Roles in the ECE field). , and Paid Release for Training is the lowest across all categories, ranging from 21.58% (Business or Operations Administrators ) to 36.31% (Pedagogical and Instructional Administrators) . Data source: TECPDS Career Trajectory Study 2025.
Bar chart titled "What percentage of respondents across categories received insurance benefits in early learning settings?" The chart compares five respondent categories: Early Childhood Educators (pink), Business or Operations Administrators (Orange stripes), Other Roles in Early Childhood (grey checkered pattern), Pedagogical and Instructional Administrators (green brick pattern), and Family and Child Health and Well-Being (purple polka dots)—across three types of insurance: Dental, Health, and Vision. Health Insurance has the highest overall coverage at 81.58% (Other Roles in the EC field), with Early Childhood Educators respondents receiving the most (48.04%). Dental Insurance coverage is highest at 66.32% (Other Roles in the EC field) to 28.63% (Business or Operations Administrator). Vision Insurance is the least common, ranging from 23.84% (Family and Child Health and Well-Being) to 63.16% (Other Roles in the EC field). Data source: TECPDS Career Trajectory Study 2025.
Bar chart titled "What percentage of respondents across categories received financial support in early learning settings?" The chart compares five respondent categories: Early Childhood Educators (pink), Business or Operations Administrators (Orange stripes), Other Roles in Early Childhood (grey checkered pattern), Pedagogical and Instructional Administrators (green brick pattern), and Family and Child Health and Well-Being (purple polka dots)—across four types of financial support: Retirement Plan, College Tuition Support, Training/Conference Fee Support, and Discounted Child Care Tuition. Training Fee Support is the are most across all categories. Retirement Plans are the highest among Other Roles (68.42%) and Family and Child Health and Well-Being (46.36%). College Tuition Support is lowest overall, ranging from 14.05% to 20.53%. Discounted Child Care Tuition is most common among Pedagogical and Instructional Administrators (34.82%). Data source: TECPDS Career Trajectory Study 2025.
Bar chart titled "What percentage of early childhood educator respondents received paid time off across early learning settings?" The chart compares four categories: Child Care (purple), Early/Head Start (blue with cross-hatch), Public School (green with dots), and Home-Based Child Care (Lime Green with dashes) across three benefit types: Paid Holidays, Paid Time Off, and Paid Release Time for Training. Early/Head Start shows the highest percentage for Paid Holidays (82.98%) and Paid Time Off (30.85%). Public School has the lowest percentage for Paid Holidays (43.6%) and Paid Time Off (25.59%). Paid Release Time for Training is high across all settings, except home-based child care (17.54%). Data source: TECPDS Career Trajectory Study 2025.
Bar chart titled "What percentage of early childhood educator respondents received insurance across early learning settings?" The chart compares four categories: Child Care (purple), Early/Head Start (blue with cross-hatch), Public School (green with dots), and Home-Based Child Care (Lime Green with dashes) across three types of insurance: Dental, Health, and Vision. Health Insurance is the most provided benefit, with Public School at 72.04%, Early Head Start/Head Start at 62.77%, and Child Care at 38.90%. Dental Insurance coverage is highest in Early Head Start/Head Start (54.26%), while Vision Insurance is least common overall, ranging from 22.54% in Child Care to 43.62% in Early Head Start/Head Start. Home-based child care shows low responses in health/dental insurance (below 15%), but shows some of the highest in vision insurance, next to Early Head Start at 40.3%. Data source: TECPDS Career Trajectory Study 2025.
Bar chart titled "What percentage of early childhood educator respondents received financial supports across early learning settings?" The chart compares four categories: Child Care (purple), Early/Head Start (blue with cross-hatch), Public School (green with dots), and Home-Based Child Care (Lime Green with dashes) across four types of financial support: Retirement Plan, Discounted Child Care Tuition, College Tuition Support, and Training/Conference Fee Support. Retirement Plans are most common in Early Head Start/Head Start (42.55%) and Public School (37.91%). Child Care respondents most frequently receive discounted child care tuition (33.06%), while College Tuition Support is highest in Early Head Start/Head Start (30.85%). Training/Conference Fee Support is relatively consistent across all settings, ranging from 32.25% to 36.23%. Home-based child care respondents were low across all categories (10% and under). Data source: TECPDS Career Trajectory Study 2025.
Bar chart titled "What percentage of school leader respondents received paid time off across early learning settings The chart compares four categories: Child Care (purple), Early/Head Start (blue with cross-hatch), Public School (green with dots), and Home-Based Child Care (Lime Green with dashes) across three benefit types: Paid Holidays, Paid Time Off, and Paid Release Time for Training. Paid Time Off is the most widely received benefit, with Public School leaders at 81.25%, Early/Head Start at 85.71%, and Child Care at 82.45%. Paid Holidays are most common in Child Care (80.94%) and least common in Public School (50%). Paid Release Time for Training is lowest overall, ranging from 0% to 38.1%. Data source: TECPDS Career Trajectory Study 2025.Note that public school employment contracts often indicate the specific days to be worked for the salary/wage provided, and the academic calendar excludes public holidays. Because of the unique structure of these contracts, it is possible that public school employees do not perceive holidays as paid leave. This may explain the lower percentage for this group under "Paid Holidays.“
Bar chart titled "What percentage of the school leader respondents received insurance across early learning settings?" The chart compares four categories: Child Care (purple), Early/Head Start (blue with cross-hatch), Public School (green with dots), and Home-Based Child Care (Lime Green with dashes) across three types of insurance: Dental, Health, and Vision. Health Insurance is the most widely provided benefit, with Public School at 62.5%, Early Head Start/Head Start at 57.14%, and Child Care at 35.64%, except for home-based child care at 10.71%. Dental and Vision Insurance are also most common in Public School, home-based child care, and Early Head Start/Head Start, with Child Care showing the lowest across dental and vision insurance. Data source: TECPDS Career Trajectory Study 2025.
Bar chart titled "What percentage of school leader respondents received financial supports across early learning settings?" The chart compares four categories: Child Care (purple), Early/Head Start (blue with cross-hatch), Public School (green with dots), and Home-Based Child Care (Lime Green with dashes) across four types of financial support: Retirement Plan, Discounted Child Care Tuition, College Tuition Support, and Training/Conference Fee Support. Retirement Plans are most common in Public School (56.25%), followed by Early/Head Start (42.86%). Discounted Child Care Tuition is the highest in Child Care (46.53%). College Tuition Support is relatively low across all settings, ranging from 14.11% to 31.25%. Training/Conference Fee Support is consistently provided across all settings, ranging from 37.5% to 46.53%. Home-based child care showed low responses across all categories ranging from 3.57% to 14.29%. Data source: TECPDS Career Trajectory Study 2025.
A picture of a quote saying, “One interviewee described her experience with the pay and benefits as an assistant teacher and lead teacher in a Head Start program: ‘When I was a teacher, first as an assistant teacher, the pay was hard to live off... I was promoted to lead teacher and... it was still hard to live off... They had paid time off, sick pay, health insurance, holiday pay, so they had quite a few benefits that... offset the pay being low. That kind of helped me stick it out.’”

Employment Characteristics

To better understand respondents’ work life, we asked them to report on the average number of hours they worked per week and number of months worked per year. We also asked if they regularly work more than one job. Data is presented by occupational category and then by early learning setting for educators. ​

The chart shows the percentage of respondents in five occupational categories—Early Childhood Educators, Pedagogical and Instructional Administrators, Business/Operations Administrators, Family and Child Health and Well‑Being, and Other Roles—who worked different weekly hour ranges. The Y‑axis lists hour ranges from 0–8 up to 40+ hours, and the X‑axis lists the occupational categories. Across all groups, the highest proportions are in the 33–40 and 40+ hour ranges. Pedagogical and Instructional Administrators report the largest share working 40+ hours at about 70%, followed by Business/Operations Administrators at 57% and Other Roles at 54%. Early Childhood Educators are divided mainly between 33–40 hours (39%) and 40+ hours (40%). Family and Child Health and Well‑Being roles peak at 33–40 hours (38%). Lower hour ranges (0–32 hours) show smaller percentages across all categories, with most values below 22%.
Bar chart titled "How many respondents worked 12 months out of the year across all occupational categories?" The chart displays the percentage of respondents in five occupational categories who reported working year-round. Pedagogical and Instructional Administrators have the highest percentage at 83.35%, followed by Other Roles in Early Childhood at 79.8%, Business/Operations Administrators at 72.92%, Early Childhood Educators at 65.91%, and Family and Child Health and Well-Being at 47.4%. Data source: TECPDS Career Trajectory Study 2025.
A picture of a quote saying, “One interviewee described their transition from public school teacher to principal, ‘The pay is great… The downfall is... you work a lot more in the summer.’”
Bar chart titled "Percentage of early childhood educator respondents who worked different hours per week across early learning settings." The chart compares four categories: Child Care (purple), Early/Head Start (blue with cross-hatch), Public School (green with dots), and Home-Based Child Care (Lime Green with dashes) across six weekly hour ranges: 0–8, 9–16, 17–24, 25–32, 33–40, and 40+ hours. In all settings, most respondents work 33–40 or 40+ hours per week. Public School educators most commonly work 33–40 hours (43.58%), while Child Care and Early/Head Start educators are more evenly split between 33–40 and 40+ hours, and home-based childcare reports working over 40 hours each week at 71.3%. Very few respondents work fewer than 24 hours weekly. Data source: TECPDS Career Trajectory Study 2025.
Bar chart titled "Percentage of early childhood educator respondents who worked different numbers of months per year."The chart compares four categories: Child Care (purple), Early/Head Start (blue with cross-hatch), Public School (green with dots), and Home-Based Child Care (Lime Green with dashes) across five time ranges: 0–3, 4–6, 7–9, 10–11, and 12 months. Most Child Care and Early / Head Start respondents (78.08% and 57.84%, respectively) worked year-round, while Public School at 10–11 months (50.23%). Home-based child care had the highest percentage at 86.4% for working 12 months out of the year. Public School also had the second highest percentage in the 7–9 month range (29.77%), while shorter work durations (0–6 months) were rare across all settings. Data source: TECPDS Career Trajectory Study 2025.
Bar chart titled "Percentage of respondents in each occupational category who reported working more than one job." The chart displays five categories: Other Roles in Early Childhood (20.41%), Family and Child Health and Well-Being (15.58%), Business/Operations Administrators (13.92%), Early Childhood Educators (9.04%), and Pedagogical and Instructional Administrators (7.48%). The X-axis represents the percentage of respondents with two or more jobs. Data source: TECPDS Career Trajectory Study 2025.
Bar chart showing the percentage of early childhood educators working more than one job, based on data from the TECDS Career Trajectory Study 2025. The X-axis represents four categories: Child Care (purple), Early/Head Start (blue with cross-hatch), Public School (green with dots), and Home-Based Child Care (Lime Green with dashes)The Y-axis shows percentages from 0% to 16%. Public School educators reported the highest rate at 13.49%, followed by Early/Head Start at 10.78%, and Child Care at 6.74%.
Bar chart titled "How many school leader respondents in our sample reported working more than one job?" The chart compares four categories: Child Care (purple), Early/Head Start (blue with cross-hatch), Public School (green with dots), and Home-Based Child Care (Lime Green with dashes). The X-axis shows percentages from 0% to 25%. Home-based child care reported 5.13%, Public School leaders reported 0%, Child Care leaders 5.9 and Early/Head Start leaders 19.05% working multiple jobs. Source: TECDS Career Trajectory Study 2025.

Motivations & Perceptions

Personal experiences and individual characteristics can play a role in shaping motivation to enter and remain in early childhood careers. We asked respondents to tell us their key motivations for choosing their careers. We also asked how they perceive both the rewarding and challenging aspects of their positions, as well as the barriers and supports that influenced their career trajectories. Data is presented across occupational categories. ​

Survey items were adapted from:​

Watt, H. M., & Richardson, P. W. (2007). Motivational factors influencing teaching as a career choice: Development and validation of the FIT- Choice scale. The Journal of experimental education, 75(3), 167-202.​

Bar chart titled "What were the top five factors that respondents reported as influencing their ECE career choice?" The Y-axis lists five reasons, and the X-axis shows motivation levels from 1 (low) to 7 (high). Top motivations include shaping the next generation (6.11), aligning with skills (6.09), wanting to work with children (6.07), making a social contribution (5.92), and having role models (5.71). Source: TECPDS Career Trajectory Study 2025. Note: Adapted from Watt, H. M., & Richardson, P. W. (2007). Motivational factors influencing teaching as a career choice: Development and validation of the FIT-Choice scale. The Journal of experimental education, 75(3), 167-202.Note: Adapted from Watt, H. M., & Richardson, P. W. (2007). Motivational factors influencing teaching as a career choice: Development and validation of the FIT-Choice scale. The Journal of experimental education, 75(3), 167-202.
A picture of two quotes. The first quote says, “One interviewee described her motivation to join the field: ‘Part of my initial idea of working with children was to contribute to society and do something meaningful.’” The second quote says, “Another described her motivation: ‘It was just natural. I've always been good with kids. I've always enjoyed teaching.’”
A picture of a quote saying, “One early childhood mentor we interviewed stated, ‘I had an advisor I always looked up to... I want to go out and help teachers just like she helped me.’”
Bar chart titled "Across all occupational categories, how do the respondents perceive their careers?" The X-axis lists four career perception statements, and the Y-axis shows agreement levels from 1 (not at all agree) to 7 (extremely agree). Respondents rated emotional demands highest (5.73), followed by expert knowledge (5.62), social status (4.38), and salary lowest (3.48). Source: TECDS Career Trajectory Study 2025.Adapted from Watt, H. M., & Richardson, P. W. (2007). Motivational factors influencing teaching as a career choice: Development and validation of the FIT-Choice scale. The Journal of experimental education, 75(3), 167-202.
Bar chart titled "What percentage of respondents (across all categories) reported having specific career supports?" The X-axis lists five types of career supports, and the Y-axis shows percentages from 85% to 95%. Top supports include participating in trainings (92.57%), supervisor encouragement (91.04%), family or friend motivation (89.75%), new job responsibilities (89.58%), and learning through professional networks (88.77%). Source: TECDPS Career Trajectory Study 2025.Note: this is only the top five supports reported from respondents.
A picture of a quote saying, “One interviewee reflected on the importance of knowledge-building opportunities for her career development: ‘I felt like I had opportunities to learn more when a conference came up or when there was a special training going on. I had the opportunity to go and learn the material so that I could bring it back to the team.’”
A picture of a quote saying, “One interviewee explained the importance of mentorship in supporting their career: ’I think the biggest thing is that as [an] assistant teacher, a teacher, assistant director, director, and even now as a mentor... I had many different mentors who have helped guide me and show me just how valuable I am in the field... There were many times when I felt like walking away because I didn't feel like I was making a difference... It was those individuals throughout my life that... have said... you have made a difference... It's not the degrees, it's not the benefits... or the experience... It's just those people have been that driving force and helped me to see... I am good at my job.’”
Bar chart titled "What percentage of respondents perceived the following barriers across all occupational categories?" The X-axis lists five types of career barriers, and the Y-axis shows percentages from 0% to 90%. Top barriers include needing additional training (79.95%), supervisor support (75.76%), financial aid (73.41%), mentor support (69.98%), and opportunities for new responsibilities (68.99%). Source: TECDS Career Trajectory Study 2025.Note: this is only the top five barriers reported from respondents.
A picture of two quotes. The first one says, “Some interviewees described a lack of financial aid as a barrier in their careers: ‘One reason that I think I ended up and stayed in... licensed child care rather than like going to teach public pre-K or something is... it was going to cost me... to get my teacher certificate.’” The second one says, “Some interviewees described a lack of financial aid as a barrier in their careers: ‘I did go back to school...but I was paying out of pocket, and so, I was taking like one class at a time. It just became a lot.’”

Retention & Attrition

Retention and attrition are critical indicators of workforce stability in early childhood education. We asked respondents to report on how likely they were to stay in their current roles for the next two years, pursue a new role within the early childhood field, or pursue a role outside of the field. Data is presented by occupational category and then by early learning setting, for educators and school leaders specifically. ​

Bar chart titled "How likely were respondents across all categories to stay in their current job for the next two years?“ Roles include: Early Childhood Educators (pink), Business or Operations Administrators (Orange stripes), Other Roles in Early Childhood (grey checkered pattern), Pedagogical and Instructional Administrators (green brick pattern), and Family and Child Health and Well-Being(purple polka dots). The X-axis shows four likelihood categories: Very unlikely, Somewhat unlikely, Somewhat likely, and Very likely. The Y-axis shows percentages from 0% to 60%. Across all roles, most respondents fall into the "Very likely" (40.26%–50\.85%) and "Somewhat likely" (29.24%–38.61%) categories, with fewer in the "Somewhat unlikely" (9.9%–21.45%) and "Very unlikely" (7.79%–14.08%) categories. Source: TECDS Career Trajectory Study 2025.
Bar chart titled "How likely were the early childhood educators to stay in their current jobs for the next two years?" Settings include: Child Care (purple), Early/Head Start (blue with cross-hatch), Public School (green with dots), and Home-Based Child Care (Lime Green with dashes). The X-axis shows four likelihood categories: Very unlikely, Somewhat unlikely, Somewhat likely, and Very likely. The Y-axis shows the percentage of respondents from 0% to 45%. Child Care educators were most likely to stay (42.84% very likely), followed by Early/Head Start (39.22% somewhat likely), Public School (34.42% somewhat likely), and home-based child care (67.01% very likely). Source: TECDS Career Trajectory Study 2025.
Bar chart titled "How likely were school leaders to stay in their current jobs for the next two years?" ?" Settings include: Child Care (purple), Early/Head Start (blue with cross-hatch), Public School (green with dots), and Home-Based Child Care (Lime Green with dashes). The X-axis shows four likelihood categories: Very unlikely, Somewhat unlikely, Somewhat likely, and Very likely. The Y-axis shows percentages from 0% to 60%. Most respondents in all categories—Child Care (54.73% very likely), Early/Head Start (61.90%, very likely), Public School (43.75%, somewhat likely), and home-based child care (46.34%, very likely)—reported being very likely to stay. Very few reported being very unlikely. Source: TECDS Career Trajectory Study 2025.
A picture of a quote saying, “One interviewee who has been a lead teacher at the same early learning program for nearly 10 years pointed to a positive work culture: ‘I have not ventured outside of the daycare that I'm at currently... I love the daycare I'm at. I'm, you know, comfortable there. I like my coworkers.’”
Bar chart titled "How likely were respondents across all categories to seek a new opportunity within the ECE field in the next two years?" Roles include: Early Childhood Educators (pink), Business or Operations Administrators (Orange stripes), Other Roles in Early Childhood (grey checkered pattern), Pedagogical and Instructional Administrators (green brick pattern), and Family and Child Health and Well-Being(purple polka dots). The X-axis shows four likelihood categories: Very unlikely, Somewhat unlikely, Somewhat likely, and Very likely. The Y-axis shows the percentage of respondents. Most respondents across all roles were "Somewhat likely" to seek new opportunities, especially in Family and Child Health and Well-Being (45.45%). "Very unlikely" responses were highest among Pedagogical and Instructional Administrators (36.34%). Source: TECDS Career Trajectory Study 2025.
Bar chart titled "How likely were early childhood educators to seek a new opportunity within the ECE field in the next two years?" Settings include: Child Care (purple), Early/Head Start (blue with cross-hatch), Public School (green with dots), and Home-Based Child Care (Lime Green with dashes). The X-axis shows four likelihood categories: Very unlikely, Somewhat unlikely, Somewhat likely, and Very likely. The Y-axis shows the percentage of respondents. Early/Head Start, and Public School were “Very likely" to seek new opportunities, with Public School having the highest at 28.37% compared to 26.73% for Early/Head Start. Child Care and home-based child care were very unlikely to seek new opportunities at 30.09% and 46.39% respectively. Source: TECDS Career Trajectory Study 2025.
Bar chart titled "How likely were school leaders to seek a new opportunity within the ECE field in the next two years?" Settings include: Child Care (purple), Early/Head Start (blue with cross-hatch), Public School (green with dots), and Home-Based Child Care (Lime Green with dashes). The X-axis shows four likelihood categories, and the Y-axis shows the percentage of respondents from 0% to 60%. Child Care, Early/Head Start, and home-based child care leaders were very unlikely to seek a new opportunity at 46.5% , 52.38% , and 39.02%respectively. Public School leaders were almost evenly split across categories, suggesting greater balance in numbers among those seeking a new opportunity. Source: TECDS Career Trajectory Study 2025.
A picture of a quote saying, “One interviewee told us: ‘I was a lead teacher for a few years and kind of started noticing that there really wasn't any anywhere for me to grow up the ladder. So I kind of had to leave.’”
Bar chart titled "Why did respondents leave lead teacher roles?" ?" Settings include: Child Care (purple), Early/Head Start (blue with cross-hatch), Public School (green with dots), and Home-Based Child Care (Lime Green with dashes). The X-axis lists reasons for leaving: salary increase, better benefits, flexible schedule, higher degree, moved, personal reasons, and retirement. The Y-axis shows percentages from 0% to 70%. Top reasons include salary increase (53.57% Early/Head Start, 61.7% Public School, 47.03% Child Care, 50% home-based child care), seeking better benefits (39.29% Early/Head Start, 29.76% Public School, 22.37% Child Care), and personal reasons (32.14% Early/Head Start, home-based child care 12.5%). Source: TECDS Career Trajectory Study 2025.
A picture of a quote saying, “Reflecting on their career, one teacher stated: ‘One of the main reasons I left is because I earned my CDA... but the district wasn't willing to offer me any more money or any type of incentive for earning the CDA... so at the time, I chose to move.’"
Bar chart titled "How likely were respondents across all categories to seek a new opportunity outside the ECE field in the next two years?" ?" Roles include: Early Childhood Educators (pink), Business or Operations Administrators (Orange stripes), Other Roles in Early Childhood (grey checkered pattern), Pedagogical and Instructional Administrators (green brick pattern), and Family and Child Health and Well-Being(purple polka dots). The X-axis shows four likelihood categories: Very unlikely, Somewhat unlikely, Somewhat likely, and Very likely. The Y-axis shows the percentage of respondents. Most respondents across all roles were "Very unlikely" to leave ECE, ranging from 51.3% to 61.69% (Pedagogical and Instructional Administrators). Source: TECDS Career Trajectory Study 2025.
Bar chart titled "How likely were early childhood educators to seek a new opportunity outside of the ECE field in the next two years?" Settings include: Child Care (purple), Early/Head Start (blue with cross-hatch), Public School (green with dots), and Home-Based Child Care (Lime Green with dashes). The X-axis shows four likelihood categories: Very unlikely, Somewhat unlikely, Somewhat likely, and Very likely. The Y-axis shows the percentage of respondents. Most educators in all categories reported being "Very unlikely" to leave the field, with Home-Based Child Care with the highest at 67.01%. Public School had the highest "Somewhat likely" (31.25%) response. Source: TECDS Career Trajectory Study 2025.
Bar chart titled "How likely were school leaders to seek a new opportunity outside of the ECE field in the next two years?" Settings include: Child Care (purple), Early/Head Start (blue with cross-hatch), Public School (green with dots), and Home-Based Child Care (Lime Green with dashes). The X-axis shows four likelihood categories: Very unlikely, Somewhat unlikely, Somewhat likely, and Very likely. The Y-axis shows the percentage of respondents. Most school leaders across Child Care, Early/Head Start, home-based child care, and Public School reported being "Very unlikely" to leave ECE, with percentages ranging 42.16% to 58.54%. Home- Source: TECDS Career Trajectory Study 2025.