The topic of this paper is „Motivation of educators for professional development“. Proffesional development of preschool educators is an important factor that affects on educational practice quality. In order to be able to respond to all the demands of the practice, his new role is characterized by continuous learning. At the same time, the intrinsic and extrinsic motivation that the preschool educator possesses in this process is crucial. In the theoretical part of the paper, the types of motivation that can encourage the preschool educator to achieve the goal are described, and professional development is presented as a form of the preschool educator's lifelong education. Also, the manner in which professional development is conducted in the Republic of Croatia is presented, and a survey was conducted on a sample of 206 respondents from the Republic of Croatia. It is evident from the research that preschool educators are motivated to participate in professional development and that they consider it positive for their work. Intrinsic motivation is more important for preschool educators, and their needs, desires and interests motivate them to participate in professional development.