How much do teachers get paid in District of Columbia?
Refreshed annually
Teachers made between $79,900 and $100,300 per year in 2025, depending on the role. These figures represent the annual median wage for Washington, DC pre-K–12 teachers. Middle school 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 Washington, DC, the median wage across all occupations was $91,500 in 2025 — about 15% higher than the median middle school teacher wage.
$97.4K
median annual wage for preschool teachers in District of Columbia (2025)
$79.9K
median annual wage for middle school teachers in District of Columbia (2025)
Among teachers working in elementary, middle, and high schools, annual pay varied by the grade level taught. In Washington, DC in 2025, middle school teachers earned the least, earning around $79,900 annually. High school teachers made the most at around $100,290 per year. In other words, high school teachers earned about 26% more than middle school teachers.
High school teachers earn $100,300 annually, more than any other DC teachers
Median annual salary of elementary and secondary school teachers, excluding teachers of students with disabilities and technical teachers (DC, 2025)
Do Washington, DC teachers make more or less than the US average?
Teacher salaries vary nationwide. In 2025, Washington, DC teachers earned more than the national median for every grade level reported. The largest percentage difference was among preschool teachers, who earned 72% more than the national median. High school teachers — typically the highest-paid group — earned about 39% more than their counterparts nationwide.
District of Columbia 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 (DC, 2025)
How much do special education teachers make in Washington, DC? What about technical education teachers?
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 all levels except preschool in Washington, DC. In 2025, the median wages for teachers of students with disabilities ranged from 1% lower to 20% higher than those of other teachers at the same grade level.
Get weekly insights
Subscribe for data-driven insights. No spin, just the facts.
The largest difference for teachers of students with disabilities was at the kindergarten level, where they earned $98,100 per year compared to $81,500 for other kindergarten teachers, a 20% 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 Washington, DC, their median wages were $96,700 at the high school level in 2025, 3% higher than those of general education teachers at the same level.
In District of Columbia, teachers of students with disabilities earned more than other teachers at several grade levels.
Median annual salary of elementary and secondary school teachers (DC, 2025)
How does the government help low-income students?
Keep exploring
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.
