Between $57,600 and $98,700 per year in 2024, depending on the role. These figures represent the annual median wage for California pre-K–12 teachers. Preschool teachers tend to be at the lower end of the range, while high school teachers tend to be at the higher end, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates. The median wage is the midpoint — half of teachers in each role earn more, and half earn less.
For comparison, in California, the median wage across all occupations was $56,900 in 2024 — about 1% lower than the median preschool teacher wage.
$57.6K
median annual wage for preschool teachers in California (2024)
$96.8K
median annual wage for middle school teachers in California (2024)
Among teachers working in elementary, middle, and high schools, annual pay varied by the grade level taught. In California in 2024, preschool teachers earned the least, earning around $57,600 annually. High school teachers made the most at around $98,700 per year. In other words, high school teachers earned about 71% more than preschool teachers.
High school teachers earn $98,700 annually, more than any other CA teachers
Median annual salary of elementary and secondary school teachers, excluding teachers of students with disabilities and technical teachers (CA, 2024)
Teacher salaries vary nationwide. In 2024, California teachers earned more than the national median for every grade level reported. The largest percentage difference was among elementary school teachers, who earned 58% more than the national median. High school teachers in California were the highest-paid, earning 53% more than the national median. Preschool teachers — typically the lowest-paid group — earned about 32% more than their counterparts nationwide.
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California teachers earn more than the national average at every level
Median annual salary of elementary and secondary school teachers, excluding teachers of students with disabilities and technical teachers (CA, 2024)
Pay also varies by specialization. Teachers of students with disabilities (collected in the data as “special education”), earn about the more than general education teachers at 4 of 5 levels in California. In 2024, the median wages for teachers of students with disabilities ranged from 8% lower to 6% higher than those of other teachers at the same grade level.
The largest difference for teachers of students with disabilities was at the elementary school level, where they earned $90,300 per year compared to $98,200 for other elementary teachers, an 8% 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 California, their median wages were $60,800 at the middle school level and $81,900 at the high school level in 2024, 37% lower and 17% lower, respectively, than those of general education teachers at the same levels.
In California, teachers of students with disabilities out-earned other teachers only at the Kindergarten level.
Median annual salary of elementary and secondary school teachers (CA, 2024)
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.
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.
