Montessori is a teacher-training program that emphasizes individual learning. Most Montessori-trained teachers work in private Montessori schools. There are three basic types of Montessori training: Assistants to Infancy, which focuses on the education of infants and toddlers; primary, for teachers working with students ages 3 to 6, and elementary, for teachers of students between 6 and 12. The expected salary for Montessori teachers depends on a number of factors.
By Type of Training
According to a 2011 salary survey conducted by Association Montessori International, Montessori teachers trained in the Assistants to Infancy (A to I) program earned an average of $36,839 per year. Teachers trained in the primary education training program earned a bit more, averaging $41,683 per year. The highest-paid Montessori teachers were those trained in the elementary education training program, who earned an average salary of $47,450 per year as of 2011.
Non-Profits, Charters Make More
Pay for Montessori teachers varies according to the type of private school at which they work. As of 2011, Montessori teachers working for non-profit earned the highest average pay, ranging from $39,592 for A to I teachers to $48,427 for elementary teachers. Charter schools paid teachers average salaries ranging from $37,500 for A to I to $48,750 for elementary teachers. For-profit private schools paid Montessori teachers notably less, ranging from an average of $33,176 for A-to-I teachers to $41,591 for elementary teachers.
Pay by Region
In general, Montessori teachers tend to make more in the Northeast. There, average salaries range from $42,500 to $55,100. The Midwest was the second-highest paying region, with average salaries ranging from $38,571 to $47,000. In the West, salaries ranged from $35,781 to $47,898. Montessori teachers working in the Southeast reported significantly lower salaries than those in any other region, with average pay ranging between $32,222 and $43,409 per year.
Benefits
In addition to annual salaries, many Montessori teachers receive benefits through their employers. For example, Association Montessori International reports that 90 percent of full-time teachers and 36 percent of part-time teachers received some form of medical insurance in 2011. Just over half of full-time teachers received dental benefits, as did 23 percent of part-time teachers. Other benefits received by some Montessori teachers included life insurance, disability coverage and 401(k) plans.
