Between $63,500 and $80,400 per year in 2024, depending on the role. These figures represent the annual median wage for New Jersey 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 New Jersey, the median wage across all occupations was $57,200 in 2024 — about 10% lower than the median preschool teacher wage.
$63.5K
median annual wage for preschool teachers in New Jersey (2024)
$77.6K
median annual wage for middle school teachers in New Jersey (2024)
Among teachers working in elementary, middle, and high schools, annual pay varied by the grade level taught. In New Jersey in 2024, preschool teachers earned the least, earning around $63,500 annually. High school teachers made the most at around $80,400 per year. In other words, high school teachers earned about 27% more than preschool teachers.
High school teachers earn $80,400 annually, more than any other NJ teachers
Median annual salary of elementary and secondary school teachers, excluding teachers of students with disabilities and technical teachers (NJ, 2024)
Teacher salaries vary nationwide. In 2024, New Jersey teachers earned more than the national median for every grade level reported. The largest percentage difference was among high school teachers, who earned 24% more than the national median. Preschool teachers — typically the lowest-paid group — earned about 20% more than their counterparts nationwide.
New Jersey 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 (NJ, 2024)
Pay also varies by specialization. Teachers of students with disabilities (collected in the data as “special education”), earn about the same or less than general education teachers at 3 of 5 levels in New Jersey. In 2024, the median wages for teachers of students with disabilities ranged from 2% lower to 15% higher than those of other teachers at the same grade level.
The largest difference for teachers of students with disabilities was at the Preschool level, where they earned $72,800 per year compared to $63,500 for other Preschool teachers, a 15% 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 New Jersey, their median wages were $54,100 at the middle school level and $80,900 at the high school level in 2024, 30% lower and 1% higher, respectively, than those of general education teachers at the same levels.
In New Jersey, teachers of students with disabilities earned more than other teachers at several grade levels.
Median annual salary of elementary and secondary school teachers (NJ, 2024)
Keep exploring
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.
