Teacher Salary: What Teachers Earn by Grade Level and State

Edited by Salpy Baharian, M.Ed, Last Updated: September 10, 2026

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Where you teach changes your pay more than what you teach. A high school teacher in Washington earns about twice what one in Oklahoma does, with the same credential and the same job description. This guide lays out what the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported for May 2025, by grade band and by state, along with the things that actually move your number once you're in a classroom.

Pay has been a live political issue since 2018, when West Virginia teachers shut every school in the state over funding and salaries. Walkouts followed in Oklahoma, Arizona, Kentucky, North Carolina and Colorado, and in Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles and Oakland. Arizona's statewide strike ended with a legislated 20% raise. Other states saw far less.

If you're weighing whether the money works before you commit to a program, start here, then read up on becoming a teacher in your own state.

How Much Do Teachers Get Paid?

Salaries are fairly close across elementary and middle school, then step up at the high school level. These are national median annual wages from the Bureau of Labor Statistics for May 2025. The median is the middle of the distribution, so half of all teachers in each group earned more and half earned less.

The 75th and 90th percentile columns are worth reading carefully, because that's where most teachers end up eventually. An elementary teacher at the 90th percentile earned $104,340, which is more than 60% above the median for the same job. That spread is mostly years of service, geography, and a graduate-level teaching degree.

What you don't see is much variation by subject. A middle school physical education teacher and a high school history teacher with the same degree and the same years in will land at close to the same place, because public school pay is set by schedule, not by negotiation.

Most districts use a step-and-lane schedule. Steps are years of teaching experience, and lanes are education level, so moving from a bachelor's lane to a master's lane raises your pay at every step above it. You can usually find your district's schedule published online, and it's worth looking at before you accept an offer: the schedule tells you what year eight pays, not just year one.

Around 17 states set a statewide minimum salary schedule rather than leaving compensation entirely to districts, and most of those also account for both education and experience. Some layer on extra pay for National Board Certification.

Merit pay is rare in public K-12. The main exceptions to the schedule are incentives aimed at hard-to-staff jobs, and they usually arrive as a signing bonus, an annual stipend, or student loan repayment rather than a permanent bump, because the schedule itself is pre-approved. Each state reports its teacher shortage areas to the U.S. Department of Education every year, and those lists are a decent map of where the stipends are.

Three states require a graduate degree to keep a teaching license: Connecticut, Maryland, and New York. Several others offer an optional advanced license that carries a salary increase instead. Renewal rules change, so check your own state's before you assume a master's is optional.

Starting Salaries for Teachers

Here's the honest answer: the BLS doesn't publish a starting-salary series, so anyone quoting you a precise national first-year figure is estimating. What we can say is that starting pay is set by your district's schedule at step one, in the lane matching your degree, and that the range across states is wide.

One thing works in your favor. Most teacher credential programs put you in a classroom while you're still finishing coursework, so you're earning during the program rather than after it. By the time you finish, you've often already moved up a step or crossed into a higher lane.

Teachers' Salary in Each State

State is the single biggest factor in what you'll earn. As of May 2025, these states posted the highest median annual wages:

Elementary School Teachers

• Washington: $102,350
• California: $99,650
• District of Columbia: $96,580
• Massachusetts: $94,000
• Rhode Island: $90,930

Middle School Teachers

• Washington: $102,140
• California: $98,950
• New York: $94,840
• Connecticut: $93,610
• Rhode Island: $92,760

High School Teachers

• Washington: $102,670
• California: $101,370
• New York: $97,070
• Massachusetts: $95,260
• Rhode Island: $92,610

A word of caution on reading those lists. High-median states are mostly high cost-of-living states, so a $102,000 salary in Seattle and a $60,000 salary in a small midwestern district are not as far apart as the numbers suggest. Compare the figure against local rent before you decide a move is worth it.

The tables below give the full picture for every state and D.C., at the median, the 75th percentile, and the 90th percentile.

Elementary School Teacher Salaries by State

Middle School Teacher Salaries by State

Secondary School Teacher Salaries by State

Job Growth for Teachers

This is the part most salary guides skip, and it's the part worth reading twice. Employment in core K-12 classroom teaching is projected to shrink slightly over the next decade, not grow. Projections Central puts elementary school teaching down about 2.0% between 2024 and 2034, middle school down about 2.0%, and high school down about 1.6%.

That sounds worse than it is. The same projections show around 91,000 elementary teaching positions opening every year, 40,500 in middle school and 66,200 in high school. Those openings are replacement demand, not expansion: teachers retiring, changing districts, or leaving the profession. If you want a teaching job, there will be one. What's not coming is a wave of new positions that bids salaries up.

Preschool is the exception, projected to grow 4.1%, largely on the back of expanding state- and federally funded programs.

Preschool Teacher Salary

Preschool pay sits well below the rest of the grade bands. The BLS reported a median annual wage of $38,140 for preschool teachers as of May 2025, against $63,970 for elementary. At the 90th percentile, preschool teachers earned $61,390, which is roughly what a mid-career elementary teacher makes.

The gap is a funding story. Preschool teachers work across public and private PreK-12 schools, private daycare centers, federally funded programs, and church- and community-based programs, and those settings are financed very differently. Kindergarten, which sits inside the public school system, pays a median of $62,680.

As of May 2025, preschool teachers earned the highest median wages in these states:

• District of Columbia: $62,150
• Vermont: $49,730
• Hawaii: $48,780
• New Jersey: $48,220
• Kansas: $47,750

Preschool Teacher Salaries by State

Learn more about how to become a preschool teacher.

How Will Education Affect a Preschool Teacher's Pay?

Early childhood credentials have tightened considerably. In a 2020 analysis of 2018 survey data, the National Institute for Early Education Research found that 78% of state-funded preschool programs serving children in public schools required every teacher to hold at least a bachelor's degree, compared with 56% of the programs serving children in private settings. In 75% of the programs covering both, the requirement was the same either way. A bachelor's degree in early childhood education is the usual route.

That shift followed a body of research, including work from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, on the long-term effects of quality early childhood education. Master's degrees in early childhood education are increasingly common, particularly among teachers in public systems and those moving toward leadership roles.

How Will Experience Affect a Preschool Teacher's Annual Pay?

Preschool teachers working in public school settings are usually paid on the district's K-12 schedule, which means experience moves them up steps the same way it does for everyone else. Outside the public system, that structure often isn't there, which is a large part of why the preschool range is so wide.

Elementary School Teacher Salary

Elementary teachers typically cover kindergarten through fifth grade, and in most schools they teach every subject to one class of students all day. Some buildings extend that to sixth grade or run a PreK program alongside.

The BLS reported a median annual wage of $63,970 for elementary school teachers as of May 2025, with 1,388,390 people employed in the occupation. The 75th percentile was $81,450 and the 90th percentile $104,340.

Learn more about how to become an elementary school teacher.

How Will Education Affect an Elementary School Teacher's Pay?

To teach elementary school in a public system, you need a bachelor's degree earned through a state-approved teacher preparation program, which is what qualifies you for state licensure. Most private schools require a bachelor's degree to teach as well.

A master's degree isn't required to hold the job, but it moves you into a higher lane on the salary schedule and opens up roles that a bachelor's alone doesn't reach. That's the practical reason so many elementary teachers pursue one a few years in rather than up front.

How Will Experience Affect an Elementary Teacher Salary?

Experience is the strongest driver of pay in this job, and it's the most predictable one. Almost every district pays based on years of relevant service, and unlike a lane change, a step increase requires nothing from you except staying.

Middle School Teacher Salary

Middle school teachers usually work with grades five through eight, teaching one subject to several different classes a day. Certification is subject-specific: English, science, social studies, math, a world language, music, physical education.

The BLS reported a median annual wage of $64,370 for middle school teachers as of May 2025, across 620,090 jobs. The 75th percentile was $80,490 and the 90th percentile $102,540, which puts the occupation within a few hundred dollars of elementary at every point in the distribution.

Learn more about how to become a middle school teacher.

How Will Education Affect a Middle School Teacher's Pay?

A bachelor's degree through an approved teacher preparation program is the minimum for state licensure, in public and private settings alike. A master's degree or higher usually means a lane change on the schedule, and in some districts an annual stipend on top.

How Will Experience Affect a Middle School Teacher Salary?

Same mechanism as every other grade band. Years of service move you up the steps, and the difference between a first-year teacher and a 20-year veteran in the same building can be tens of thousands of dollars a year.

High School Teacher Salary

High school teachers most often teach a single subject to several classes across the day, sometimes at one grade level and sometimes mixed, depending on how the school builds its schedule.

This is the best-paid of the general classroom grade bands. The BLS reported a median annual wage of $72,040 for high school teachers as of May 2025, across 1,065,210 jobs. The 75th percentile was $92,570 and the 90th percentile $107,600. That's about $8,000 above the elementary median at the midpoint and roughly $11,000 above it at the 75th percentile.

Learn more about how to become a high school teacher.

How Will Education Affect a High School Teacher's Annual Income?

A bachelor's degree in secondary education is the minimum, and it's the most common route in. Graduate degrees are widespread at this level, partly for the lane change and partly because subject-area depth matters more here than in earlier grades.

How Will Experience Affect a High School Teacher's Yearly Income?

Nearly every salary schedule is built on steps for years of service, so experience remains the biggest single factor. In many districts, the gap between an early-career teacher and a veteran runs $30,000 to $40,000 a year.

Special Education Teacher Salary

Special education teachers work with students who have physical, emotional, behavioral, or cognitive disabilities, and in some districts with gifted and talented students as well. The work carries heavier documentation and caseload demands than general education, and the pay reflects that at some levels.

As of May 2025, the BLS reported these median annual wages:

• Special education teachers, all levels: $67,170
• Preschool: $64,830
• Kindergarten and elementary school: $65,120
• Middle school: $66,810
• Secondary school: $74,260

Two things stand out. Special education pays above general education at every grade band, and the preschool premium is enormous: $64,830 against $38,140 for a general preschool teacher, a difference of more than $26,000 for the same age group. That's because special education preschool positions sit almost entirely inside public school systems and are paid on the district schedule.

Salaries by State - Special Education Teachers, Preschool

BLS did not publish a reliable estimate for special education preschool teachers in Alabama, the District of Columbia, Montana, Nevada, South Dakota or West Virginia, so those states have no row above. Employment in the occupation is small enough that BLS suppresses several states each year. The national median for the occupation was $64,830.

Salaries by State - Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School

Salaries by State - Special Education Teachers, Middle School

Salaries by State - Special Education Teachers, Secondary School

Learn more about how to become a special education teacher.

How Will Education Affect a Special Education Teacher's Pay?

The minimum is the same as general education: a bachelor's degree through an approved teacher preparation program. Where special education differs is endorsements. Many teachers pursue a master's degree to add a specialization, which can mean both a lane change and a credential that qualifies you for jobs districts struggle to fill:

• Blind and visually impaired
• Deaf and hard of hearing
• Speech, language and communication
• Autism
• Adaptive special education
• Emotional disabilities
• Behavioral disorders
• Orthopedic and physical disabilities

How Will Experience Affect a Special Education Teacher's Annual Income?

Special education teachers are paid on the same schedules as their general education colleagues, so years of service drive the increases. Some districts recognize advanced degrees on top of that, and shortage-area stipends are more common in special education than in most other assignments.

Teacher Assistant Job Outlook and Pay Structure

Teacher assistants work alongside classroom teachers in public, private and religious schools, and in settings like daycare centers, providing instructional support and one-on-one attention. A large share of the work is with special education students in mainstream classrooms.

Projections Central puts teaching assistant employment down about 1.5% between 2024 and 2034, from 1,422,800 jobs to 1,401,700. Even so, the occupation turns over heavily enough to generate roughly 170,400 openings a year, more than elementary and middle school teaching combined. If you're looking for a way into a school building while you finish a credential, this is the most available door in K-12.

Learn more about how to become a teaching assistant.

How Will Experience Affect a Teacher Assistant's Pay?

Districts generally run a separate salary schedule for support professionals, built the same way as the teacher schedule, with increments for years of service. It starts lower and rises more slowly, but the structure is familiar.

What Can Teachers Do to Earn More Money?

Within the schedule, the two reliable levers are the ones already covered: put in years, and move lanes with a graduate degree. Outside it, teachers have more options than the schedule suggests.

The most direct is extra assignments through your own district. Summer school, after-school tutoring, coaching, and club or activity sponsorship all carry stipends, and they're the easiest additional income to arrange because the paperwork already exists.

Taking on responsibility is the next step up. Department head, curriculum committee work, instructional coaching, and eventually administration all pay more, and they build the kind of record that matters if you ever want to move out of the classroom.

Freelance work has gotten considerably easier with remote work. Private tutoring outside school hours, writing curriculum materials for publishers, developing and selling lesson plans, and teaching online courses are all common. English teachers in particular tend to find writing and editing work.

Certifications are the slower play. Adding an endorsement in special education, English as a second language, or a shortage subject can qualify you for stipends and for jobs that are harder to fill, and National Board Certification carries a pay bump in many districts and states.

Benefits Associated with a Teacher's Annual Income

The salary figure understates teacher compensation, and by a wider margin than in most private-sector jobs. Most teaching positions come with employer-subsidized health insurance, a defined-benefit pension, paid leave, and life insurance. The pension is the piece worth understanding early: it pays a set monthly amount in retirement based on your final salary and years of service, rather than depending on how your investments performed.

Many districts also offer student loan repayment for qualified teachers, and a number of states run grants and loan-repayment programs for people earning a first teaching degree or adding a graduate credential.

Collective bargaining is a large part of why those packages exist. The National Council on Teacher Quality reported that bargaining was legal for teachers in 34 states, permitted at local option in another ten, and illegal in seven. Where teachers bargain collectively, they negotiate the schedule and the benefits together.

Still deciding whether any of this is for you? Work through whether becoming a teacher is right for you before you compare programs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a master's degree actually raise your teacher salary?

In most districts, yes, because the salary schedule has a separate lane for it and that lane pays more at every step. The size of the increase varies by district, and a few schools don't distinguish between degrees at all. A master's also qualifies you for administrative and specialist roles that pay above any classroom lane. Check your district's published schedule before you enroll, so you know what the degree is worth where you actually work.

Do teachers get annual raises?

Generally yes, but the mechanism isn't performance. Step increases on the salary schedule come with years of service, and lane changes come with additional education. Performance-based raises are rare in public K-12. Some districts add bonuses or stipends for shortage-area assignments, high-need schools, or extra duties like coaching.

Are all teachers paid on a step schedule?

No. Step schedules are the norm in public districts, but they're not universal, and private schools frequently negotiate individually instead. Read the compensation structure in any offer carefully, and ask what year five and year ten pay rather than only year one.

Which grade level pays teachers the most?

High school. As of May 2025, the BLS reported a median annual wage of $72,040 for high school teachers against $64,370 for middle school and $63,970 for elementary. Special education pays above general education at every level, topping out at $74,260 for secondary special education teachers.

Is teaching a growing field?

Not in terms of headcount. Projections Central expects core K-12 classroom teaching to decline between 1.6% and 2.0% from 2024 to 2034. Openings are a different question: roughly 91,000 elementary, 40,500 middle school, and 66,200 high school positions open every year as teachers retire or leave. Preschool is the one grade band projected to add jobs, at 4.1%.

What are other ways teachers can make extra money?

District stipends for summer school, tutoring, coaching, and activity sponsorship are the most accessible. Beyond that, teachers commonly take on private tutoring, curriculum writing for publishers, lesson-plan sales, and online instruction. Some eventually move into consulting or educational publishing full-time. Our guide to education careers covers the roles that pay above a classroom schedule.

• High school pays the most - a median of $72,040 as of May 2025, against $64,370 for middle school and $63,970 for elementary.
• State matters more than subject - Washington medians clear $102,000 across all three grade bands while Oklahoma's sit near $48,000, and a PE teacher and a history teacher on the same schedule earn the same.
• The schedule, not negotiation, sets your pay - steps are years of service and lanes are education level, so a graduate degree raises your pay at every step above it.
• Employment is shrinking, but openings are not - core K-12 teaching is projected to decline 1.6% to 2.0% through 2034, with roughly 91,000 elementary positions opening annually from retirement and turnover.
• Special education pays a premium at every level - most dramatically in preschool, where $64,830 compares with $38,140 for a general preschool teacher.

Salpy Baharian, M.Ed

Salpy Baharian knew she wanted to become an educator from early on. After being inspired by her sixth grade Social Studies teacher, she knew she wanted to do the same. Salpy has a Clear Multiple Subject Teaching Credential as well as a Master's Degree in Education, with a specialization in Curriculum and Instruction. As an educator, Salpy strives to create authentic learning experiences for her students in order to motivate them to excel at their highest potential. She hopes to give students the opportunity to develop into critical thinkers who are creative and conscious members of society. She hopes the information provided on this website will help passionate individuals begin careers in education.

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2025 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary figures for Kindergarten and Elementary School Teachers, Middle School Teachers, and High School Teachers, with additional figures for Preschool Teachers, Special Education Teachers, and Teacher Assistants. Job growth projections (2024-2034) are from the US Department of Labor-sponsored resource, Projections Central. Figures reflect state and national data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed September 2026.

Featured Programs:

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Liberty University

Featured Program: Bachelor of Science in Special Education – Interdisciplinary Studies, Master of Arts in Teaching – Elementary Education

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Arizona State University - Online

Featured Program: Learning happens everywhere and at all ages. The educational studies degree prepares you to meet the unique needs of child and adult learners throughout your community. Through professional experiences and internships, you’ll learn how to facilitate learning experiences and become an effective educator.

Request Info

Walden University

Featured Program: BS in Early Childhood Studies - Tempo Learning® - General (Non-Licensure); Master of Arts in Teaching – Elementary Education (Licensure); MS in Early Childhood Studies; EdS in Special Education; Doctor of Education (EdD) – Special Education; Graduate Certificate in Adult Learning

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Purdue Global

Featured Program: Associate of Applied Science in Early Childhood Development, Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Administration, Master of Science in Education

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Campbellsville University

Featured Program: AS in Education; Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education; MA in Special Education - Initial Certification; Gifted and Talented Education Endorsement(P-12)

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Grand Canyon University

Featured Program: B.S. in Educational Studies (NITL), Master of Arts in Curriculum and Instruction, Education Specialist in Teaching and Learning

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University of West Alabama

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