Pay for elementary school teachers in every state, what it comes to after tax, and how far it goes after local prices and rent.
Elementary school teachers earn a median of $63,970 a year, 25.5% more than the $50,980 median for all jobs. Pay is highest in Washington ($102,350) and lowest in Oklahoma ($48,200). The Bureau of Labor Statistics counts them as “Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education” (occupation code 25-2021).
Half of the 1,388,390 elementary school teachers in the survey earn between $57,710 and $81,450. The bottom tenth earn under $47,960, the figure the Bureau itself uses as a rough guide to starting pay, and the top tenth more than $104,340. The average is $72,650; it sits above the median because the top earners pull it up.
| Nationally | Per year |
|---|---|
| Bottom 10% earn less than | $47,960 |
| Bottom quarter earn less than | $57,710 |
| Median | $63,970 |
| Top quarter earn more than | $81,450 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $104,340 |
The survey publishes no hourly pay for elementary school teachers, because the job is not usually worked as a full, year-round 2,080 hours; the yearly figures are what they are paid. Convert any salary.
The highest state medians are in Washington ($102,350), California ($99,650), District of Columbia ($96,580), Massachusetts ($94,000) and Rhode Island ($90,930). The lowest are in Oklahoma ($48,200), Mississippi ($49,790), South Dakota ($50,130), Missouri ($50,910) and Arkansas ($52,700).
Higher pay often comes with higher prices. Adjusted for each state's price level, pay goes furthest in Washington ($95,643 at national prices), California ($90,002), Rhode Island ($88,903), Massachusetts ($88,883) and District of Columbia ($87,879).
The most elementary school teachers work in California (155,160), Texas (116,260) and New York (101,410). Relative to all jobs, the work is most common in Vermont (11.9 per 1,000 jobs), Maine (11.7) and Louisiana (11.4).
On the national median of $63,970, a single filer in a state with no income tax takes home about $53,580 a year after federal tax, Social Security and Medicare, or $2,061 every two weeks. On each state's own median and taxes, take-home ranges from $38,954 in Oklahoma to $80,833 in Washington. Work out your own paycheck.
The typical rent in each state's median county takes a median 29.5% of an elementary school teacher's gross pay, and stays under the usual 30% guideline in 30 of the 50 states and DC. With 10% down at a 7.03% mortgage rate, a single elementary school teacher earning the state median could afford the typical home in its median county in 4 of the 50 states and DC, under the 28% guideline. On the national median alone, that guideline stretches to about $180,489. Try it with your own numbers, or see where this pay covers the typical rent.
| Alabama | $61,380 | — | −4.0% | $69,104 | $48,470 | 26.8% | 22,030 |
| Alaska | $79,260 | — | +23.9% | $77,433 | $64,589 | 27.7% | 3,500 |
| Arizona | $56,590 | — | −11.5% | $56,209 | $46,235 | 35.4% | 24,240 |
| Arkansas | $52,700 | — | −17.6% | $60,619 | $42,942 | 25.0% | 12,590 |
| California | $99,650 | — | +55.8% | $90,002 | $73,228 | 29.5% | 155,160 |
| Colorado | $63,410 | — | −0.9% | $61,532 | $50,340 | 38.2% | 24,860 |
| Connecticut | $80,600 | — | +26.0% | $77,792 | $61,849 | 29.7% | 16,330 |
| Delaware | $75,920 | — | +18.7% | $76,066 | $58,246 | 29.9% | 2,900 |
| District of Columbia | $96,580 | — | +51.0% | $87,879 | $70,165 | 31.4% | 3,750 |
| Florida | $58,930 | — | −7.9% | $56,985 | $49,530 | 38.9% | 79,090 |
| Georgia | $72,290 | — | +13.0% | $75,073 | $56,079 | 27.8% | 43,820 |
| Hawaii | $71,410 | — | +11.6% | $64,947 | $54,749 | 53.2% | 6,040 |
| Idaho | $61,600 | — | −3.7% | $64,507 | $48,411 | 30.1% | 6,850 |
| Illinois | $75,320 | — | +17.7% | $75,352 | $58,089 | 19.2% | 61,520 |
| Indiana | $59,700 | — | −6.7% | $63,967 | $48,388 | 23.8% | 27,720 |
| Iowa | $60,580 | — | −5.3% | $69,028 | $48,554 | 20.5% | 17,300 |
| Kansas | $56,450 | — | −11.8% | $62,675 | $44,475 | 26.9% | 14,350 |
| Kentucky | $60,610 | — | −5.3% | $67,226 | $48,759 | 24.9% | 19,080 |
| Louisiana | $58,770 | — | −8.1% | $66,627 | $47,639 | 27.2% | 22,060 |
| Maine | $62,390 | — | −2.5% | $64,286 | $48,359 | 31.9% | 7,490 |
| Maryland | $77,680 | — | +21.4% | $74,010 | $59,841 | 30.0% | 29,610 |
| Massachusetts | $94,000 | — | +46.9% | $88,883 | $70,259 | 31.2% | 29,930 |
| Michigan | $65,110 | — | +1.8% | $67,670 | $51,729 | 24.7% | 40,910 |
| Minnesota | $76,350 | — | +19.4% | $77,418 | $57,833 | 20.2% | 26,640 |
| Mississippi | $49,790 | — | −22.2% | $57,261 | $40,595 | 34.8% | 11,060 |
| Missouri | $50,910 | — | −20.4% | $56,058 | $40,874 | 30.3% | 33,180 |
| Montana | $57,530 | — | −10.1% | $60,785 | $45,606 | 31.8% | 4,960 |
| Nebraska | $62,380 | — | −2.5% | $69,232 | $49,765 | 24.9% | 8,710 |
| Nevada | $65,040 | — | +1.7% | $65,054 | $54,440 | 33.5% | 9,550 |
| New Hampshire | $72,410 | — | +13.2% | $69,515 | $59,770 | 34.4% | 5,190 |
| New Jersey | $78,200 | — | +22.2% | $71,872 | $60,989 | 35.2% | 40,300 |
| New Mexico | $74,550 | — | +16.5% | $80,846 | $58,165 | 23.7% | 6,210 |
| New York | $85,760 | — | +34.1% | $79,466 | $64,671 | 21.7% | 101,410 |
| North Carolina | $54,930 | — | −14.1% | $58,234 | $44,125 | 35.3% | 42,410 |
| North Dakota | $60,030 | — | −6.2% | $67,481 | $50,189 | 24.2% | 4,430 |
| Ohio | $77,370 | — | +20.9% | $83,396 | $61,848 | 20.1% | 47,870 |
| Oklahoma | $48,200 | — | −24.7% | $54,871 | $38,954 | 31.6% | 18,500 |
| Oregon | $77,130 | — | +20.6% | $74,622 | $56,661 | 26.6% | 12,600 |
| Pennsylvania | $77,060 | — | +20.5% | $78,978 | $60,676 | 20.4% | 48,370 |
| Rhode Island | $90,930 | — | +42.1% | $88,903 | $69,301 | 32.5% | 3,830 |
| South Carolina | $60,820 | — | −4.9% | $64,875 | $48,846 | 30.0% | 25,030 |
| South Dakota | $50,130 | — | −21.6% | $56,589 | $42,459 | 31.0% | 4,290 |
| Tennessee | $59,980 | — | −6.2% | $65,288 | $50,374 | 29.8% | 28,240 |
| Texas | $62,760 | — | −1.9% | $64,663 | $52,608 | 28.2% | 116,260 |
| Utah | $74,810 | — | +16.9% | $75,670 | $58,130 | 27.9% | 14,820 |
| Vermont | $63,070 | — | −1.4% | $64,385 | $50,251 | 33.6% | 3,610 |
| Virginia | $65,550 | — | +2.5% | $64,834 | $51,338 | 33.6% | 37,880 |
| Washington | $102,350 | — | +60.0% | $95,643 | $80,833 | 21.4% | 28,980 |
| West Virginia | $55,630 | — | −13.0% | $62,159 | $45,113 | 23.8% | 5,420 |
| Wisconsin | $61,210 | — | −4.3% | $65,051 | $48,722 | 23.8% | 24,920 |
| Wyoming | $61,150 | — | −4.4% | $65,972 | $51,314 | 26.2% | 2,600 |
Click a column to sort it. “After local prices” divides the median by the state's price level (national average = 100). Take-home is for a single filer on the state median with no retirement or health deductions. Rent share is a year of the typical rent in the state's median county against the median pay. A dash means the survey publishes no figure.
Teaching Assistant $36,780 · High School Teacher $72,040 · Middle School Teacher $64,370 · Substitute Teacher $41,670 · Preschool Teacher $38,140 · Special Education Teacher $65,120