Average and Median Salaries of Early Childhood Educators

Assoc Prof Daniel Goh Pei Siong asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) whether the Ministry tracks the average and median salaries of early childhood educators according to their educational attainment; and (b) if so, what are the current average and median salaries of early childhood educators according to their educational attainment and how do these compare to five years ago.

Speaker, the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) monitors the salary trends of early childhood educators in a few ways. First, ECDA commissions surveys from time to time on salary and other job-related issues in the preschool sector. The last survey was conducted two years ago, 2016, and it covered the 79 operators employing close to two-thirds of the educators in the sector. Second, the polytechnics collect data on the starting salaries of polytechnic graduates, including those from the early childhood Diploma courses, through their annual Graduate Employment Surveys.

Based on ECDA's survey which they conducted in 2016, basic salaries for educarers with a professional certificate range from about $1,800 to $2,100 per month, salaries for teachers with a professional teaching Diploma range from $2,200 to $3,000, and salaries for principals with a professional leadership Diploma range from $3,100 to $6,000. These salaries have increased by about 15% since the previous survey in 2013, outpacing that of the general market for similar job sizes which grew by about 8% over the same period. Also, based on the 2017 Polytechnic Graduate Employment Survey, the starting salaries of full-time early childhood Diploma fresh graduates have increased by about 20% to $2,300 since 2013.

Going forward, ECDA expects salary growth for early childhood educators to continue to outpace that of the general market. Apart from the continued expansion of the sector, which will require 20,000 early childhood educators by 2020, from about 17,000 today, ECDA is working closely with anchor as well as partner operators to ensure salary and career progression for their teachers, commensurate with their contributions and professional skills.