Between $55,100 and $99,600 per year in 2024, depending on the role. These figures represent the annual median wage for Washington state 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 Washington state, the median wage across all occupations was $61,600 in 2024 — about 12% higher than the median preschool teacher wage.
$55.1K
median annual wage for preschool teachers in Washington (2024)
$99.2K
median annual wage for middle school teachers in Washington (2024)
Among teachers working in elementary, middle, and high schools, annual pay varied by the grade level taught. In Washington state in 2024, preschool teachers earned the least, earning around $55,100 annually. High school teachers made the most at around $99,600 per year. In other words, high school teachers earned about 81% more than preschool teachers.
High school teachers earn $99,600 annually, more than any other WA teachers
Median annual salary of elementary and secondary school teachers, excluding teachers of students with disabilities and technical teachers (WA, 2024)
Teacher salaries vary nationwide. In 2024, Washington state teachers earned more than the national median for every grade level reported. The largest percentage difference was among elementary school teachers, who earned 59% more than the national median. High school teachers — typically the highest-paid group — earned about 54% more than their counterparts nationwide.
Our government is complex. Our data doesn’t have to be.
Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get data-backed answers to today’s most debated issues
Washington 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 (WA, 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 all levels except preschool in Washington state. In 2024, the median wages for teachers of students with disabilities ranged from 14% lower to 63% 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 $89,800 per year compared to $55,100 for other Preschool teachers, a 63% 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 state, their median wages were $101,300 at the middle school level and $98,600 at the high school level in 2024, 2% higher and 1% lower, respectively, than those of general education teachers at the same levels.
In Washington, teachers of students with disabilities out-earned other teachers only at the Preschool level.
Median annual salary of elementary and secondary school teachers (WA, 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.
