Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for middle school teachers, except special and career/technical 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 $72,030 ≈ $35/hr
National median salary $64,370
Total employment 620,090 nationwide
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Projected growth -2%
Decline
Annual openings 40,500 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 633,700 → 621,300 (-12,400)
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$99,330
- New York$95,960
- California$94,680
- Massachusetts$87,300
- Connecticut$86,920
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Mississippi$52,930
- South Dakota$53,290
- North Carolina$53,350
- Oklahoma$53,920
- West Virginia$56,210
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $99,330 | $102,140 | $48 | +37.9% | 10,510 |
| 2 | New York | $95,960 | $94,840 | $46 | +33.2% | 38,670 |
| 3 | California | $94,680 | $98,950 | $46 | +31.4% | 37,300 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $87,300 | $89,450 | $42 | +21.2% | 16,570 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $86,920 | $93,610 | $42 | +20.7% | 7,920 |
| 6 | District of Columbia | $84,060 | $79,900 | $40 | +16.7% | 1,540 |
| 7 | Maryland | $83,070 | $78,510 | $40 | +15.3% | 14,530 |
| 8 | New Jersey | $81,690 | $78,770 | $39 | +13.4% | 23,650 |
| 9 | Alaska | $81,140 | $78,940 | $39 | +12.6% | 1,150 |
| 10 | Rhode Island | $80,970 | $92,760 | $39 | +12.4% | 2,370 |
| 11 | Utah | $80,660 | $79,180 | $39 | +12% | 5,960 |
| 12 | Oregon | $77,690 | $78,350 | $37 | +7.9% | 6,940 |
| 13 | Pennsylvania | $77,630 | $77,930 | $37 | +7.8% | 22,720 |
| 14 | Illinois | $75,870 | $76,110 | $36 | +5.3% | 24,770 |
| 15 | Ohio | $73,280 | $77,090 | $35 | +1.7% | 30,450 |
| 16 | New Mexico | $73,110 | $75,240 | $35 | +1.5% | 4,260 |
| 17 | Vermont | $72,710 | $73,940 | $35 | +0.9% | 1,620 |
| 18 | Hawaii | $71,870 | $69,230 | $35 | -0.2% | 2,480 |
| 19 | Delaware | $71,270 | $67,780 | $34 | -1.1% | 2,350 |
| 20 | Colorado | $70,440 | $63,760 | $34 | -2.2% | 13,280 |
| 21 | Minnesota | $70,420 | $62,640 | $34 | -2.2% | 8,890 |
| 22 | Virginia | $69,870 | $63,520 | $34 | -3% | 18,290 |
| 23 | Georgia | $69,780 | $64,780 | $34 | -3.1% | 23,610 |
| 24 | New Hampshire | $69,030 | $71,140 | $33 | -4.2% | 3,120 |
| 25 | Nevada | $68,810 | $66,300 | $33 | -4.5% | 3,910 |
| 26 | Michigan | $68,160 | $63,790 | $33 | -5.4% | 15,420 |
| 27 | Maine | $66,830 | $63,590 | $32 | -7.2% | 2,780 |
| 28 | Wyoming | $65,560 | $62,480 | $32 | -9% | 1,290 |
| 29 | Wisconsin | $65,220 | $61,960 | $31 | -9.5% | 14,460 |
| 30 | Texas | $64,480 | $63,390 | $31 | -10.5% | 80,160 |
| 31 | Nebraska | $63,630 | $62,510 | $31 | -11.7% | 4,150 |
| 32 | Indiana | $63,170 | $60,700 | $30 | -12.3% | 11,700 |
| 33 | Idaho | $62,940 | $60,930 | $30 | -12.6% | 2,360 |
| 34 | South Carolina | $62,580 | $60,810 | $30 | -13.1% | 9,750 |
| 35 | Arizona | $62,000 | $59,710 | $30 | -13.9% | 9,020 |
| 36 | Missouri | $61,510 | $59,310 | $30 | -14.6% | 11,330 |
| 37 | Montana | $61,240 | $61,550 | $29 | -15% | 1,980 |
| 38 | Tennessee | $61,030 | $60,690 | $29 | -15.3% | 13,060 |
| 39 | North Dakota | $60,780 | $60,100 | $29 | -15.6% | 1,400 |
| 40 | Alabama | $60,320 | $61,770 | $29 | -16.3% | 10,000 |
| 41 | Kentucky | $60,150 | $61,120 | $29 | -16.5% | 8,040 |
| 42 | Iowa | $60,080 | $60,450 | $29 | -16.6% | 6,270 |
| 43 | Florida | $60,040 | $58,940 | $29 | -16.6% | 31,370 |
| 44 | Kansas | $59,840 | $60,580 | $29 | -16.9% | 6,230 |
| 45 | Louisiana | $59,040 | $58,760 | $28 | -18% | 5,560 |
| 46 | Arkansas | $58,830 | $59,570 | $28 | -18.3% | 6,140 |
| 47 | West Virginia | $56,210 | $57,210 | $27 | -22% | 4,090 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | $53,920 | $48,440 | $26 | -25.1% | 7,620 |
| 49 | North Carolina | $53,350 | $52,010 | $26 | -25.9% | 20,650 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $53,290 | $50,980 | $26 | -26% | 2,130 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $52,930 | $50,790 | $25 | -26.5% | 6,260 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 483 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | $106,920 | $106,790 | 160 |
| 2 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $105,030 | $109,140 | 3,330 |
| 3 | Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | $104,410 | $96,680 | 420 |
| 4 | Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $104,320 | $102,020 | 300 |
| 5 | Fresno, CA | $104,250 | $92,720 | 850 |
| 6 | El Centro, CA | $104,140 | $117,020 | 250 |
| 7 | Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $103,880 | $94,810 | 530 |
| 8 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $102,560 | $103,680 | 5,230 |
| 9 | Merced, CA | $101,770 | $94,430 | 180 |
| 10 | Walla Walla, WA | $101,540 | $88,430 | 80 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing middle school teachers, except special and career/technical educations (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Educational Support Services, Local Government Owned | $81,290 | $75,930 | 90 |
| 2 | Educational Support Services | $79,490 | $69,300 | 140 |
| 3 | Elementary and Secondary Schools, State Government Owned | $73,690 | $73,390 | 2,930 |
| 4 | Educational Services, State Government Owned | $73,670 | $73,220 | 2,970 |
| 5 | State Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $73,670 | $73,220 | 2,970 |
| 6 | Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS | $65,300 | $73,280 | 548,550 |
| 7 | Educational Services, Local Government Owned | $65,290 | $73,280 | 545,530 |
| 8 | Elementary and Secondary Schools, Local Government Owned | $65,290 | $73,280 | 545,430 |
| 9 | Local Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $65,290 | $73,280 | 545,580 |
| 10 | Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS | $65,240 | $70,530 | — |
| 11 | Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $65,240 | $70,530 | — |
| 12 | Sector 99 - Federal, State, and Local Government, excl. State & Local Schools & Hospitals & USPS | $65,240 | $70,530 | — |
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education make in the U.S.?
The median middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education salary in the United States is $64,370 per year (mean $72,030), and about 80% earn between $48,080 and $102,540.
How much do middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education make per hour?
Roughly $35 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $72,030 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education the most?
Washington has the highest average pay for middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education at $99,330 per year (median $102,140).
What is the job outlook for middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education?
Employment is projected to change -2% from 2024 to 2034 (Decline), with about 40,500 openings per year.
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