How much do teachers get paid in the ?

Refreshed annually
Teachers made about $65,100 per year in 2025. That’s the annual median wage for pre-K-12 teachers across the United States, based on estimates from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The median marks the middle point—half of teachers earn more and half earn less. The lowest-paid 10% earned $48,200 or less, while the highest-paid 10% earned $104,300 or more.
For comparison, the median wage across all occupations was $51,000, or about 21.7% lower than the median for teachers.

$65.1K

median annual wage for pre-K-12 teachers (all US, 2025)

$104K

annual wage for the highest-paid 10% of pre-K-12 teachers (all US, 2025)
Among teachers working in elementary, middle, and high schools, annual pay varies by the grade level taught. In 2025, preschool teachers made the least, earning around $56,800 annually. High school teachers made the most at around $72,300 per year. In other words, teachers of the oldest students earned about 27.5% more than those teaching the youngest.

High school teachers earn $72,300 annually, more than any other teachers

Median annual salary of elementary and secondary school teachers, excluding teachers of students with disabilities and technical teachers (All US, 2025)

Do public or private schools pay teachers more?

Teacher salaries also differ between public and private schools. In 2025, teachers in public schools earned a median wage of $66,400 per year, while teachers in private schools earned $59,700. These differences may reflect how the two types of schools are funded and managed. Public schools receive funding from federal, state, and local governments and are often required to meet state certification and pay standards for teachers. Private schools rely more on tuition and other private sources of funding and may have different certification requirements for their teachers.

Teachers in public schools made a higher wage than those in private schools at every level

Median annual salary of elementary and secondary school teachers, excluding teachers of students with disabilities and technical teachers (All US, 2025)

How much do special education teachers make? What about technical education teachers?

Pay also varies by specialization. Teachers of students with disabilities (collected in the data as “special education”), earn more than general education teachers at every grade level in the United States. In 2025, the median wages for teachers of students with disabilities ranged from 2% to 16% higher than those of other teachers at the same grade level.

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The largest difference for teachers of students with disabilities was at the preschool level, where they earned $65,700 per year compared to $56,800 for other preschool teachers, a 16% difference.
Some schools, primarily middle and high schools, also employ technical teachers. These teachers provide vocational and technical training in fields such as automotive repair, culinary arts, cosmetology, and information technology, to help students develop career skills. In 2025, their median wages were $65,100 at the middle school level and $66,300 at the high school level.

Teachers of students with disabilities tend to earn a higher median wage than other teachers at every grade level

Median annual salary of elementary and secondary school teachers (All US, 2025)

Which states pay teachers the most and least?

Teacher pay varies across states, reflecting differences in local policies, funding, and labor markets. The figures here show the median annual salary for general education teachers, excluding special education and technical teachers.
  • Among states, preschool teachers earn the highest median salary in Alaska at $77,000 and the lowest in Alabama at $34,100. Washington, DC had higher salaries than any state at $97,400.
  • Kindergarten teachers earn the highest median salary in Washington at $100,200 and the lowest in Montana at $47,700.
  • Elementary school teachers earn the highest median salary in Washington at $102,400 and the lowest in Oklahoma at $48,200.
  • Middle school teachers earn the highest median salary in Washington at $102,200 and the lowest in Oklahoma at $48,400.
  • High school teachers earn the highest median salary in Washington at $102,700 and the lowest in Oklahoma at $48,700.

Preschool teachers earn the most in District of Columbia; Washington state leads for all other grades

Median annual salary of elementary and secondary school teachers, excluding teachers of students with disabilities and technical teachers (2025)

Teacher salaries don’t always tell the full story when comparing across states. A higher wage in one state might not stretch as far as a lower wage in another, depending on local prices. Adjusting for cost of living provides a clearer sense of purchasing power—how far a teacher’s wages go in each state. The figures below reflect these adjustments, using regional price parities from the Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Preschool teachers earn the highest adjusted pay in District of Columbia; Washington state leads adjusted pay for all other grades

Median annual salary of elementary and secondary school teachers, excluding teachers of students with disabilities and technical teachers, adjusted for cost of living (2025)

Teacher median annual salaries, by grade level and by state (2025)

Teacher median annual salaries, by grade level and by state (2025)
1.

Alaska 

$77,000
2.

Massachusetts 

$72,900
3.

Colorado 

$66,900
4.

New Jersey

$65,800
5.

Washington state

$65,100
6.

Virginia 

$64,300
7.

New Mexico

$63,600
8.

New York

$63,100
9.

Maryland 

$63,000
10.

Georgia 

$62,700

Teacher median annual salaries, by grade level and by state, adjusted for cost of living (2025)

Teacher median annual salaries, by grade level and by state, adjusted for cost of living (2025)
1.

Alaska 

$75,300
2.

Massachusetts 

$70,900
3.

Colorado 

$67,200
4.

Nebraska 

$65,800
5.

New Mexico

$64,500
6.

Georgia 

$64,400
7.

Virginia 

$64,200
8.

New Jersey

$63,500
9.

Texas 

$63,500
10.

Washington state

$62,600

How does the government help low-income students?

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Methodology

USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.

Page sources

USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.