A preschool teacher (educadora de párvulos) in Chile earns between $0.9 million and $1.2 million pesos gross a month in the fourth year after graduation, depending on the university, according to the Employability and Income Search Tool of Mi Futuro. In nurseries funded by the National Board of Kindergartens (JUNJI), the pay benchmark for a preschool teacher ranges from $1,451,598 in the central zone to $2,062,741 in Aysén, according to Finance Ministry Decree 657 published on September 14, 2026.
A preschool teacher's pay depends on where she works: a JUNJI or Integra Foundation nursery, a nursery funded through transfers (VTF) and run by a municipality, a subsidized school with pre-kindergarten levels, or a private school. This guide gathers the official figures for each case, from the minimum pay for teachers to income by university and region.
How much a preschool teacher earns in Chile by university
| Gross income bracket in the 4th year | Universities | How many |
|---|---|---|
| $1.1 to $1.2 million | Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and Universidad de Antofagasta | 2 |
| $1.0 to $1.1 million | Bolivariana, Católica de la Santísima Concepción, Católica de Temuco, Católica del Maule, Concepción, del Desarrollo, Diego Portales, UMCE and SEK | 9 |
| $0.9 to $1.0 million | PUC de Valparaíso, Andrés Bello, Autónoma, Silva Henríquez, de las Américas, Los Lagos, Viña del Mar and Bío-Bío | 8 |
| No information | Including Alberto Hurtado, La Serena, los Andes, Playa Ancha, Talca and Valparaíso | 11 |
Source: Mi Futuro, Early Childhood Education teaching program (30 programs, 19 with income data), consulted November 5, 2026. According to the search tool's methodology, income is the average gross monthly pay of 2018, 2019 and 2020 graduates in their fourth year after graduation, calculated with Internal Revenue Service (SII) data and expressed in September 2025 pesos. Employability is the share of graduates earning at least the minimum wage in their first or second year. Programs with few cases show "no information" (n/a).
The average floor of the 19 programs with data is $0.97 million, and the difference between universities is only $200,000. You can search for your university in this table:
| Universidad de Antofagasta | 1.1 | 84.6% | 93.3% |
| Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile | 1.1 | 79.3% | 85.3% |
| Universidad SEK | 1.0 | 86.1% | 91.1% |
| Universidad Bolivariana | 1.0 | 84.3% | 88.3% |
| Universidad del Desarrollo | 1.0 | 83.2% | 89.2% |
| Universidad Diego Portales | 1.0 | 81.0% | 80.4% |
| Universidad Metropolitana de Ciencias de la Educación | 1.0 | 74.5% | 83.1% |
| Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción | 1.0 | 63.9% | 65.1% |
| Universidad Católica del Maule | 1.0 | 63.8% | 83.0% |
| Universidad de Concepción | 1.0 | 61.5% | 72.2% |
| Universidad Católica de Temuco | 1.0 | 55.7% | 74.2% |
| Universidad Andrés Bello | 0.9 | 75.0% | 75.6% |
| Universidad Católica Cardenal Raúl Silva Henríquez | 0.9 | 69.3% | 79.0% |
| Universidad de Viña del Mar | 0.9 | 66.2% | 76.5% |
| Universidad de las Américas | 0.9 | 61.6% | 75.8% |
| Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso | 0.9 | 58.0% | 66.2% |
| Universidad Autónoma de Chile | 0.9 | 57.1% | 68.4% |
| Universidad del Bío-Bío | 0.9 | 48.2% | 58.6% |
| Universidad de Los Lagos | 0.9 | 44.4% | 62.9% |
| Universidad Mayor | No data | 86.8% | 93.3% |
| Universidad de los Andes | No data | 85.9% | 85.2% |
| Universidad de Atacama | No data | 84.5% | 79.7% |
| Universidad de O'Higgins | No data | 78.3% | No data |
| Universidad Alberto Hurtado | No data | 71.4% | No data |
| Universidad de Talca | No data | 69.7% | No data |
| Universidad Arturo Prat | No data | 66.9% | 72.7% |
| Universidad de Valparaíso | No data | 65.4% | 68.7% |
| Universidad de Playa Ancha de Ciencias de la Educación | No data | 64.6% | 71.7% |
| Universidad de Tarapacá | No data | 52.8% | 62.3% |
| Universidad de La Serena | No data | 49.2% | 63.9% |
How much a preschool teacher earns in a JUNJI nursery, by region
Law 20,905 created an allowance so that teachers in nurseries funded by JUNJI but run by third parties, such as municipalities, come closer to what JUNJI itself pays in the nurseries it runs directly. Each year, a Finance Ministry decree sets that "pay benchmark" by region. For July 2026 to June 2027, the allowance covers 100% of the difference between the benchmark and the teacher's gross pay, according to Decree 657.
View the data as a table
| Aysén | $2.06 M · $2,062,741 |
| Magallanes | $1.91 M · $1,912,493 |
| Arica y Parinacota | $1.73 M · $1,732,223 |
| Tarapacá | $1.73 M · $1,732,223 |
| Antofagasta | $1.69 M · $1,689,295 |
| Atacama | $1.56 M · $1,558,918 |
| Ñuble | $1.52 M · $1,515,991 |
| Biobío | $1.52 M · $1,515,991 |
| La Araucanía | $1.52 M · $1,515,991 |
| Los Ríos | $1.52 M · $1,515,991 |
| Los Lagos | $1.52 M · $1,515,991 |
| Coquimbo | $1.49 M · $1,494,526 |
| Valparaíso | $1.45 M · $1,451,598 |
| Metropolitana | $1.45 M · $1,451,598 |
| O'Higgins | $1.45 M · $1,451,598 |
| Maule | $1.45 M · $1,451,598 |
| Region | Preschool teacher | Technician | Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arica y Parinacota and Tarapacá | $1,732,223 | $1,073,825 | $2,168,479 |
| Antofagasta | $1,689,295 | $1,045,221 | $2,118,411 |
| Atacama | $1,558,918 | $922,006 | $1,984,464 |
| Coquimbo | $1,494,526 | $879,100 | $1,909,361 |
| Valparaíso, Metropolitan, O'Higgins and Maule | $1,451,598 | $850,496 | $1,859,293 |
| Ñuble, Biobío, La Araucanía, Los Ríos and Los Lagos | $1,515,991 | $893,402 | $1,934,396 |
| Aysén | $2,062,741 | $1,311,236 | $2,545,408 |
| Magallanes | $1,912,493 | $1,211,122 | $2,370,169 |
Source: Finance Ministry Decree 657 of 2026, signed by President José Antonio Kast and ministers Jorge Quiroz and María Paz Arzola. Amounts are gross and correspond to the regular working day defined in Education Decree 230 of 2016. Note: the benchmark is the reference set by the State, not a salary survey; what each teacher receives depends on her contract and how the allowance is applied.
The same decree shows the gap between roles in a nursery: in the central zone, the benchmark for an early childhood education technician is $850,496, 59% of the teacher's ($1,451,598), and a director's reaches $1,859,293. The highest amounts are in the remote regions: in Aysén, a preschool teacher starts at $2,062,741, 42% more than in the Metropolitan Region.
Minimum pay for a preschool teacher in schools
Preschool teachers who work in municipal, local public service or subsidized private schools, for example in pre-kindergarten and kindergarten, are education professionals and are entitled to the minimum total pay for teachers. For 2026, Education Decree 117 set it at $969,365 for a 44-hour weekly contract, up 3.5% from $936,585 in 2025, in line with inflation.
View the data as a table
| 44 hours a week | $969,365 |
| 40 hours a week | $881,241 |
| 30 hours a week | $660,931 |
| 22 hours a week | $484,683 |
| Weekly hours | Minimum total pay 2026 |
|---|---|
| 44 | $969,365 |
| 40 | $881,241 |
| 35 | $771,086 |
| 30 | $660,931 |
| 22 | $484,683 |
Source: Decree 117 of 2026. It is a floor: on top of it come the tier allowance of the teaching career system (Law 20,903), which since 2020 includes preschool teachers in State-funded establishments, according to the Education Ministry, plus seniority bonuses and zone allowances.
Employability of preschool teachers
| Indicator (Early Childhood Education) | Range across universities | Simple average |
|---|---|---|
| First-year employability | 44.4% (Los Lagos) to 86.8% (Mayor) | 69.1% |
| Second-year employability | 58.6% (Bío-Bío) to 93.3% (Mayor and Antofagasta) | 76.5% |
| Actual length of the program | 8.4 to 12.1 semesters | 10.1 semesters |
| First-year retention | 68.0% to 96.1% | 86.6% |
Source: Mi Futuro, our own calculation of simple averages. Preschool teachers compared with other education careers:
| Program | Average floor of 4th-year income bracket | Average first-year employability |
|---|---|---|
| Special Education teaching | $1.11 million | 91.1% |
| Primary Education teaching | $1.10 million | 90.0% |
| Physical Education teaching | $1.00 million | 57.1% |
| Early Childhood Education | $0.97 million | 69.1% |
| Early Childhood Education technician | $0.62 million | 34.7% |
Source: Mi Futuro, consulted November 5, 2026. To compare, see how much a social worker earns and how much a psychologist earns in Chile.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a preschool teacher earn at JUNJI?
The 2026-2027 pay benchmark for a preschool teacher ranges from $1,451,598 gross in Valparaíso, the Metropolitan Region, O'Higgins and Maule to $2,062,741 in Aysén, according to Finance Decree 657. It is the reference for the regular working day.
What is the minimum pay for a preschool teacher?
In subsidized and public schools, the 2026 minimum total pay is $969,365 for 44 hours a week, according to Education Decree 117.
How much does a preschool teacher earn four years after graduating?
Between $0.9 million and $1.2 million gross depending on the university, with an average floor of $0.97 million, according to Mi Futuro.
Which university has the best-paid preschool teachers?
Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and Universidad de Antofagasta, with $1.1 to $1.2 million in the fourth year, according to Mi Futuro.
