Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for elementary school teachers, except special educations across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
National mean salary $72,650 ≈ $35/hr
National median salary $63,970
Total employment 1,388,390 nationwide
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Projected growth -2%
Decline
Annual openings 91,000 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 1,422,700 → 1,394,800 (-27,900)
Typical entry education Bachelor's degree
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- Washington$97,970
- California$95,670
- District of Columbia$93,910
- New York$93,400
- Massachusetts$88,720
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Mississippi$52,300
- Oklahoma$52,320
- South Dakota$52,680
- North Carolina$54,070
- West Virginia$54,890
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $97,970 | $102,350 | $47 | +34.9% | 28,980 |
| 2 | California | $95,670 | $99,650 | $46 | +31.7% | 155,160 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $93,910 | $96,580 | $45 | +29.3% | 3,750 |
| 4 | New York | $93,400 | $85,760 | $45 | +28.6% | 101,410 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $88,720 | $94,000 | $43 | +22.1% | 29,930 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $83,380 | $80,600 | $40 | +14.8% | 16,330 |
| 7 | New Jersey | $82,120 | $78,200 | $39 | +13% | 40,300 |
| 8 | Maryland | $80,090 | $77,680 | $39 | +10.2% | 29,610 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $79,660 | $90,930 | $38 | +9.6% | 3,830 |
| 10 | Alaska | $78,580 | $79,260 | $38 | +8.2% | 3,500 |
| 11 | Pennsylvania | $75,780 | $77,060 | $36 | +4.3% | 48,370 |
| 12 | Minnesota | $74,790 | $76,350 | $36 | +2.9% | 26,640 |
| 13 | Illinois | $74,630 | $75,320 | $36 | +2.7% | 61,520 |
| 14 | Oregon | $74,370 | $77,130 | $36 | +2.4% | 12,600 |
| 15 | Utah | $73,630 | $74,810 | $35 | +1.3% | 14,820 |
| 16 | Delaware | $73,230 | $75,920 | $35 | +0.8% | 2,900 |
| 17 | Ohio | $72,740 | $77,370 | $35 | +0.1% | 47,870 |
| 18 | New Mexico | $72,170 | $74,550 | $35 | -0.7% | 6,210 |
| 19 | Virginia | $71,540 | $65,550 | $34 | -1.5% | 37,880 |
| 20 | Georgia | $70,720 | $72,290 | $34 | -2.7% | 43,820 |
| 21 | Hawaii | $70,670 | $71,410 | $34 | -2.7% | 6,040 |
| 22 | Colorado | $70,110 | $63,410 | $34 | -3.5% | 24,860 |
| 23 | New Hampshire | $69,930 | $72,410 | $34 | -3.7% | 5,190 |
| 24 | Michigan | $69,000 | $65,110 | $33 | -5% | 40,910 |
| 25 | Vermont | $68,410 | $63,070 | $33 | -5.8% | 3,610 |
| 26 | Wisconsin | $65,960 | $61,210 | $32 | -9.2% | 24,920 |
| 27 | Maine | $65,930 | $62,390 | $32 | -9.2% | 7,490 |
| 28 | Nevada | $65,840 | $65,040 | $32 | -9.4% | 9,550 |
| 29 | Nebraska | $63,730 | $62,380 | $31 | -12.3% | 8,710 |
| 30 | Wyoming | $63,630 | $61,150 | $31 | -12.4% | 2,600 |
| 31 | South Carolina | $62,210 | $60,820 | $30 | -14.4% | 25,030 |
| 32 | Texas | $61,890 | $62,760 | $30 | -14.8% | 116,260 |
| 33 | Idaho | $60,940 | $61,600 | $29 | -16.1% | 6,850 |
| 34 | Indiana | $60,850 | $59,700 | $29 | -16.2% | 27,720 |
| 35 | Kentucky | $59,870 | $60,610 | $29 | -17.6% | 19,080 |
| 36 | Tennessee | $59,850 | $59,980 | $29 | -17.6% | 28,240 |
| 37 | Alabama | $59,590 | $61,380 | $29 | -18% | 22,030 |
| 38 | Florida | $59,530 | $58,930 | $29 | -18.1% | 79,090 |
| 39 | North Dakota | $59,140 | $60,030 | $28 | -18.6% | 4,430 |
| 40 | Iowa | $59,110 | $60,580 | $28 | -18.6% | 17,300 |
| 41 | Arizona | $58,920 | $56,590 | $28 | -18.9% | 24,240 |
| 42 | Louisiana | $58,170 | $58,770 | $28 | -19.9% | 22,060 |
| 43 | Montana | $58,150 | $57,530 | $28 | -20% | 4,960 |
| 44 | Kansas | $56,730 | $56,450 | $27 | -21.9% | 14,350 |
| 45 | Missouri | $56,730 | $50,910 | $27 | -21.9% | 33,180 |
| 46 | Arkansas | $56,210 | $52,700 | $27 | -22.6% | 12,590 |
| 47 | West Virginia | $54,890 | $55,630 | $26 | -24.4% | 5,420 |
| 48 | North Carolina | $54,070 | $54,930 | $26 | -25.6% | 42,410 |
| 49 | South Dakota | $52,680 | $50,130 | $25 | -27.5% | 4,290 |
| 50 | Oklahoma | $52,320 | $48,200 | $25 | -28% | 18,500 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $52,300 | $49,790 | $25 | -28% | 11,060 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 511 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | $104,650 | $93,820 | 950 |
| 2 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $103,390 | $93,930 | 10,480 |
| 3 | Walla Walla, WA | $102,980 | $91,550 | 220 |
| 4 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $102,920 | $102,290 | 14,560 |
| 5 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $102,860 | $102,340 | 7,810 |
| 6 | Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $102,650 | $101,210 | 900 |
| 7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $101,860 | $98,150 | 44,790 |
| 8 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $101,860 | $98,510 | 17,860 |
| 9 | Modesto, CA | $101,640 | $99,430 | 2,450 |
| 10 | Bellingham, WA | $101,230 | $98,520 | 790 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing elementary school teachers, except special educations (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elementary and Secondary Schools, State Government Owned | $74,690 | $78,910 | 9,030 |
| 2 | State Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $74,680 | $79,370 | 9,500 |
| 3 | Educational Services, State Government Owned | $74,660 | $78,510 | 9,340 |
| 4 | Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS | $72,990 | $85,010 | 540 |
| 5 | Sector 99 - Federal, State, and Local Government, excl. State & Local Schools & Hospitals & USPS | $72,990 | $85,010 | 540 |
| 6 | Other Schools and Instruction | $66,320 | $65,990 | 450 |
| 7 | Other Schools and Instruction, Privately Owned | $66,320 | $66,000 | 450 |
| 8 | Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS | $65,310 | $74,450 | 1,223,170 |
| 9 | Elementary and Secondary Schools, Local Government Owned | $65,260 | $74,410 | 1,213,230 |
| 10 | Educational Services, Local Government Owned | $65,250 | $74,410 | 1,213,290 |
| 11 | Local Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $65,250 | $74,410 | 1,213,680 |
| 12 | Educational Support Services, Local Government Owned | $64,910 | $73,990 | 40 |
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do elementary school teachers, except special education make in the U.S.?
The median elementary school teachers, except special education salary in the United States is $63,970 per year (mean $72,650), and about 80% earn between $47,960 and $104,340.
How much do elementary school teachers, except special education make per hour?
Roughly $35 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $72,650 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays elementary school teachers, except special education the most?
Washington has the highest average pay for elementary school teachers, except special education at $97,970 per year (median $102,350).
What is the job outlook for elementary school teachers, except special education?
Employment is projected to change -2% from 2024 to 2034 (Decline), with about 91,000 openings per year.
What People Search
Common U.S. search queries related to this occupation.
average elementary school teacher salary by stateaverage grade school teacher salary by stateelementary school teacher salary albertaelementary school teacher salary averageelementary school teacher salary bcelementary school teacher salary by stateelementary school teacher salary californiaelementary school teacher salary floridaelementary school teacher salary georgiaelementary school teacher salary nycelementary school teacher salary per stateelementary school teacher salary state college paelementary school teacher salary texaselementary school teacher salary united stateselementary school teacher salary washington stateelementary school teacher salary with master's degree