What are the main factors that influence a Teacher's salary?

The primary factors are: 1) Experience Level, 2) Geographic Location, 3) Education/Skills, 4) Company Size & Industry

How does experience change A Teacher's salary?

A Teacher's salary grows with experience: starting around $50,780 for beginners, reaching about $53,945 at mid-level, and approach $56,978 for experts.

What are the highest paying states for a Teacher?

Teacher salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Teacher roles are District of Columbia $59,728, California $59,502, Massachusetts $58,709. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Teacher roles make?

Salaries for Teacher level roles vary by specialization: Theatre Teacher: $64,501; Teacher Elementary School: $60,793; Teacher and Teacher Assistant: $55,486; Teacher Secondary School: $54,798; Teacher Kindergarten: $54,287.

How do different companies affect a Teacher's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Teacher roles. Large, established industry leaders like Kpmg Us LLP ($114,295) and Warner Bros Discovery ($114,096) offer base salaries 35-40% above the national average. In contrast, smaller firms or startups may offer closer to $88,138.

Teacher Salary in the United States

How much does a Teacher make in the United States?

As of May 01, 2026, the average salary for a Teacher in the United States is $53,945 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $26.

However, a Teacher's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

Top Earners (90th percentile): $67,077
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $46,065 to $60,819
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $38,890

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Teacher Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$60,819	$5,068	$1,170	$29
Average	$53,945	$4,495	$1,037	$26
25th Percentile	$46,065	$3,839	$886	$22

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Key Factors That Influence Teacher Salaries

A Teacher's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Teacher Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Teacher's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $50,780
Early Career (1-2 years): $51,022
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $53,945
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $56,776
Expert (over 8 years): $56,978

Levels	Salary
Entry Level Teacher	$50,780
Intermediate Level Teacher	$51,022
Senior Level Teacher	$53,945
Specialist Level Teacher	$56,776
Expert Level Teacher	$56,978

View as Graph

What Am I Worth?

How Do Teacher Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Teachers. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $59,728.
California: $59,502.
Massachusetts: $58,709.

District of Columbia $59,728 California $59,502 Massachusetts $58,709 Washington $58,493 New Jersey $58,471 Alaska $58,396 Connecticut $57,651 New York $57,349

Hawaii $56,384 Rhode Island $55,930 Maryland $55,623 Minnesota $55,202 Colorado $55,040 Illinois $54,986 Oregon $54,781 Delaware $54,630

New Hampshire $54,535 Virginia $54,323 Pennsylvania $53,703 Nevada $53,390 North Dakota $53,287 Michigan $53,125 Wisconsin $53,066 Vermont $52,947

Texas $52,618 Maine $52,597 Arizona $52,564 Ohio $52,527 Georgia $52,030 Indiana $51,782 Wyoming $51,734 Utah $51,658

Iowa $51,626 Kansas $51,367 Louisiana $51,291 North Carolina $51,264 Missouri $51,253 Florida $51,043 Montana $50,930 Nebraska $50,822

Kentucky $50,763 South Carolina $50,547 Tennessee $50,412 Idaho $50,358 New Mexico $49,964 Oklahoma $49,878 Alabama $49,560 South Dakota $49,025

Arkansas $48,734 West Virginia $48,578 Mississippi $48,108

Top Paying Cities for Teachers

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

San Jose: $68,041
San Francisco: $67,296
Oakland: $65,878

San Jose, CA $68,041

San Francisco, CA $67,296

Oakland, CA $65,878

New York, NY $62,112

Paramus, NJ $61,357

Queens Village, NY $61,354

Passaic, NJ $61,303

Bergenfield, NJ $61,298

Stamford, CT $61,179

Huntington, NY $61,157

Newark, NJ $60,759

Bridgeport, CT $60,645

Vallejo, CA $60,537

New Brunswick, NJ $60,516

Petaluma, CA $60,483

Middlesex, NJ $60,381

Somerset, NJ $60,343

Santa Cruz, CA $60,273

Boston, MA $59,944

Monterey, CA $59,755

Seattle, WA $59,631

Santa Rosa, CA $59,620

Los Angeles, CA $59,604

Juneau, AK $59,464

Washington, DC $59,405

Orange, CA $59,213

Santa Ana, CA $59,070

Long Beach, CA $59,016

Anaheim, CA $59,005

Anchorage, AK $58,978

Santa Maria, CA $58,817

Everett, WA $58,806

Danbury, CT $58,616

Bremerton, WA $58,541

Tacoma, WA $58,347

New Suffolk, NY $58,346

Sacramento, CA $58,331

Santa Barbara, CA $58,272

Trenton, NJ $58,212

San Diego, CA $58,212

Brockton, MA $58,153

Fairbanks, AK $58,021

Lompoc, CA $57,883

Lowell, MA $57,840

Ventura, CA $57,829

Nashua, NH $57,819

Stockton, CA $57,813

Modesto, CA $57,419

Poughkeepsie, NY $57,301

Olympia, WA $57,198

Kennewick, WA $57,198

New Haven, CT $57,177

Lawrence, MA $56,982

Hartford, CT $56,928

Riverside, CA $56,918

New Bedford, MA $56,864

Richland, WA $56,864

Bakersfield, CA $56,788

San Bernardino, CA $56,767

New Britain, CT $56,761

Atlantic City, NJ $56,761

New London, CT $56,740

Norwich, CT $56,723

Portsmouth, NH $56,713

Boulder, CO $56,598

Portland, OR $56,524

Worcester, MA $56,518

Minneapolis, MN $56,351

Philadelphia, PA $56,276

Honolulu, HI $56,098

Saint Paul, MN $56,072

Vineland, NJ $56,060

Providence, RI $55,904

Chicago, IL $55,747

Bellingham, WA $55,682

Springfield, MA $55,639

Baltimore, MD $55,623

Chico, CA $55,488

Pittsfield, MA $55,342

Manchester, NH $55,240

Spokane, WA $55,003

Denver, CO $54,997

Albany, NY $54,744

Troy, NY $54,722

Nassau, NY $54,664

Schenectady, NY $54,609

Wilmington, DE $54,566

Burlington, VT $54,490

Salem, OR $54,469

Portland, ME $54,301

Yakima, WA $54,247

Rochester, MN $54,080

Reno, NV $54,053

Fresno, CA $54,053

Milwaukee, WI $54,005

Detroit, MI $53,951

Ann Arbor, MI $53,942

Allentown, PA $53,935

Colorado Springs, CO $53,843

Syracuse, NY $53,816

Carson City, NV $53,816

Houston, TX $53,740

Eugene, OR $53,713

Gary, IN $53,649

Springfield, OR $53,605

Bismarck, ND $53,595

Galveston, TX $53,557

Medford, OR $53,476

Fort Collins, CO $53,454

Concord, NH $53,427

Austin, TX $53,411

Mesa, AZ $53,298

Reading, PA $53,293

Phoenix, AZ $53,287

Dallas, TX $53,271

Saint Cloud, MN $53,219

Madison, WI $53,147

Utica, NY $53,001

Rochester, NY $52,915

Des Moines, IA $52,910

Raleigh, NC $52,904

Atlanta, GA $52,823

Battle Creek, MI $52,807

Salt Lake City, UT $52,791

Lancaster, PA $52,710

Harrisburg, PA $52,634

Kansas City, MO $52,580

Champaign, IL $52,570

Kansas City, KS $52,570

Fort Worth, TX $52,564

Columbus, OH $52,555

Boca Raton, FL $52,543

Pittsburgh, PA $52,521

Richmond, VA $52,500

Indianapolis, IN $52,489

Cleveland, OH $52,483

Las Vegas, NV $52,419

Cincinnati, OH $52,419

Petersburg, VA $52,338

Huntsville, AL $52,257

Lansing, MI $52,221

Lebanon, PA $52,214

Pueblo, CO $52,208

Appleton, WI $52,192

Buffalo, NY $52,170

Dayton, OH $52,154

Racine, WI $52,144

Charlotte, NC $52,138

Saint Louis, MO $52,122

York, PA $52,090

Elkhart, IN $52,090

Gastonia, NC $52,079

Billings, MT $52,066

Beaumont, TX $52,052

Lorain, OH $52,041

Benton Harbor, MI $52,030

Toledo, OH $52,019

Binghamton, NY $51,992

Rock Hill, SC $51,987

Rockford, IL $51,960

Springfield, IL $51,939

Elyria, OH $51,933

Fargo, ND $51,933

Flagstaff, AZ $51,895

Fort Lauderdale, FL $51,863

Duluth, MN $51,831

Miami, FL $51,831

Cheyenne, WY $51,793

Grand Forks, ND $51,793

Bangor, ME $51,674

Cedar Rapids, IA $51,615

Durham, NC $51,592

Louisville, KY $51,588

Grand Rapids, MI $51,577

Hialeah, FL $51,572

Casper, WY $51,496

Scranton, PA $51,431

New Orleans, LA $51,415

Virginia Beach, VA $51,410

Akron, OH $51,383

Peoria, IL $51,313

Sarasota, FL $51,302

Nashville, TN $51,264

Omaha, NE $51,264

Green Bay, WI $51,264

Baton Rouge, LA $51,237

Charleston, SC $51,226

Jamestown, NY $51,199

Davenport, IA $51,199

Tucson, AZ $51,173

Saint Petersburg, FL $51,140

Tampa, FL $51,129

Evansville, IN $51,097

Port Arthur, TX $51,097

Bradenton, FL $51,075

Santa Fe, NM $50,978

Orlando, FL $50,881

Clearwater, FL $50,865

Canton, OH $50,752

La Crosse, WI $50,752

Albuquerque, NM $50,719

Newport News, VA $50,714

High Point, NC $50,698

Ogden, UT $50,676

Corpus Christi, TX $50,633

Norfolk, VA $50,601

Laramie, WY $50,601

Rock Island, IL $50,568

Saginaw, MI $50,558

Jacksonville, FL $50,552

Salisbury, NC $50,541

Boise, ID $50,531

Moline, IL $50,504

Fort Myers, FL $50,487

Memphis, TN $50,477

Tulsa, OK $50,450

Waterloo, IA $50,417

Spartanburg, SC $50,363

Lincoln, NE $50,336

Fort Wayne, IN $50,326

Provo, UT $50,320

Cedar Falls, IA $50,255

San Antonio, TX $50,234

Greensboro, NC $50,212

South Bend, IN $50,207

Savannah, GA $50,148

Muskegon, MI $50,126

Birmingham, AL $50,121

Winston Salem, NC $50,094

Lake Charles, LA $49,964

Anderson, IN $49,953

Lexington, KY $49,937

Augusta, GA $49,921

Greenville, SC $49,921

Lima, OH $49,878

Wichita, KS $49,872

Tuscaloosa, AL $49,872

Columbia, SC $49,824

Springfield, OH $49,813

Asheville, NC $49,727

Bloomington, IN $49,689

Knoxville, TN $49,495

Shreveport, LA $49,489

Wilmington, NC $49,419

Roanoke, VA $49,419

Topeka, KS $49,322

Frankfort, KY $49,316

Oklahoma City, OK $49,279

Chillicothe, OH $49,257

Longview, TX $49,252

Melbourne, FL $49,247

Sioux Falls, SD $49,160

Mobile, AL $49,155

Terre Haute, IN $49,133

Altoona, PA $49,101

Amarillo, TX $49,063

Killeen, TX $49,047

Fayetteville, AR $49,004

Chattanooga, TN $48,988

Sioux City, IA $48,939

Idaho Falls, ID $48,928

Lynchburg, VA $48,885

Gainesville, FL $48,815

Portsmouth, OH $48,788

Little Rock, AR $48,777

Lafayette, LA $48,756

Youngstown, OH $48,756

Daytona Beach, FL $48,723

Clarksville, TN $48,718

Pensacola, FL $48,713

Temple, TX $48,709

Hopkinsville, KY $48,551

Erie, PA $48,540

Florence, SC $48,518

Charleston, WV $48,432

Great Falls, MT $48,405

Macon, GA $48,330

Tallahassee, FL $48,324

Fayetteville, NC $48,313

Waco, TX $48,303

Helena, MT $48,265

Pine Bluff, AR $48,244

Vincennes, IN $48,179

Lubbock, TX $48,157

Alamogordo, NM $48,125

Twin Falls, ID $48,076

Rapid City, SD $48,060

Jackson, MS $47,963

Huntington, WV $47,959

Greenville, MS $47,957

Parkersburg, WV $47,902

Montgomery, AL $47,893

Wichita Falls, TX $47,839

Springfield, MO $47,839

Biloxi, MS $47,812

Monroe, LA $47,758

Johnstown, PA $47,720

Sumter, SC $47,698

Columbus, GA $47,693

Pascagoula, MS $47,591

Abilene, TX $47,591

Kingsport, TN $47,450

Albany, GA $47,450

Gulfport, MS $47,434

Alexandria, LA $47,256

Fort Smith, AR $47,121

El Paso, TX $46,976

Las Cruces, NM $46,733

Harlingen, TX $46,596

Pocatello, ID $46,587

Florence, AL $46,517

Brownsville, TX $46,506

Mcallen, TX $46,393

Dothan, AL $46,317

Columbus, MS $45,997

Altus, OK $45,746

Lawton, OK $45,643

Pierre, SD $45,449

What Skills Can Increase a Teacher's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Commitment (Mentioned in 6.13% Job Postings): An agreement or pledge to do something in the future a commitment to improve conditions at the prison especially : an engagement to assume a financial obligation at a future date.
Special Education (Mentioned in 5.55% Job Postings): Special education is the practice of educating students in a way that accommodates their individual differences, disabilities, and special needs.
Physical Education (Mentioned in 2.46% Job Postings): Physical education, often abbreviated to Phys Ed. or P.E., is a subject taught in schools around the world. It is usually taught during primary and secondary education, and encourages psychomotor learning.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Commitment	6.13%
Special Education	5.55%
Physical Education	2.46%

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Teacher's salary.

Accountability: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.
Collaboration: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.
Physical Education: Can increase your salary by up to 3%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Accountability	$57,182	6%
Collaboration	$56,643	5%
Physical Education	$55,564	3%
Analysis	$55,024	2%
Coaching	$55,024	2%
Dedication	$55,024	2%

Get Latest Data

How Education impacts a Teacher's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Teachers enter the field with a Bachelor's Degree degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for a Teacher with a Bachelor's Degree is between $54,827 and $60,665).

Teacher Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Teacher

No Diploma 0.1%

High School 2.6%

Associates 2.2%

Bachelors 45.4%

Masters 46.3%

Doctorate 3.4%

view as table

Degree Level	% of user with this level of education
No Diploma	0.1%
High School	2.6%
Associates	2.2%
Bachelors	45.4%
Masters	46.3%
Doctorate	3.4%

view as graph

Teacher Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Teacher's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on May 01, 2026

$46,065

Average $53,945/year

$60,819

$3,839

Average $4,495/month

$5,068

$886

Average $1,037/week

$1,170

$22

Average $26/hour

$29

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$60,819	$5,068	$1,170	$29
Average	$53,945	$4,495	$1,037	$26
25th Percentile	$46,065	$3,839	$886	$22

Salaries of jobs related to Teacher

Salary Trends for Teacher

Salaries for a Teacher can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $54,449 in 2023 to around $53,250 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Teacher salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Teacher Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$54,449

2024

$53,682

2025

$53,250

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$54,449
2024	$53,682
2025	$53,250
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Teacher

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.

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