Elementary School Teacher Salary by State
How much elementary school teachers earn in each state. SOC code 25-2021 (Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education). Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025.
- National median wage$63,970Half earn more, half less
- National mean wage$72,650Average of all workers
- Hourly wagen/aBLS publishes annual pay only
- U.S. employment1,388,390Wage & salary jobs
- Top-paying stateWashington$97,970 mean
- States with data51 / 51Others not published by BLS
How much do elementary school teachers make?
Nationally, elementary school teachers earn a median of $63,970 a year and a mean of $72,650 (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle half of the occupation earns between $57,710 (25th percentile) and $81,450 (75th percentile); the bottom 10% earn under $47,960 and the top 10% more than $104,340.
That median is 1.3× the median for all U.S. occupations ($50,980).
By state, the mean wage ranges from $97,970 in Washington (highest) to $52,300 in Mississippi (lowest). After adjusting the median for each state’s price level, Washington comes out on top at $95,654 in national-average dollars.
National pay distribution
| Percentile | Annual | Monthly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $47,960 | $3,997 |
| 25th | $57,710 | $4,809 |
| Median | $63,970 | $5,331 |
| 75th | $81,450 | $6,788 |
| 90th | $104,340 | $8,695 |
| Mean | $72,650 | $6,054 |
BLS publishes only annual wages for this occupation because many workers are paid for a school year rather than 2,080 hours.
Elementary School Teacher salary in every state
Click a column heading to sort. Adjusted median = median × 100 ÷ BEA regional price parity (2024).
| State | Mean wage | Median wage | 10th pct | 90th pct | Adjusted median | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $97,970 | $102,350 | $64,610 | $127,570 | $95,654 | 28,980 |
| California | $95,670 | $99,650 | $61,940 | $127,070 | $90,018 | 155,160 |
| District of Columbia | $93,910 | $96,580 | $63,950 | $128,370 | $87,880 | 3,750 |
| New York | $93,400 | $85,760 | $56,760 | $136,260 | $79,481 | 101,410 |
| Massachusetts | $88,720 | $94,000 | $60,620 | $118,190 | $88,847 | 29,930 |
| Connecticut | $83,380 | $80,600 | $58,870 | $105,890 | $77,799 | 16,330 |
| New Jersey | $82,120 | $78,200 | $61,840 | $105,480 | $71,875 | 40,300 |
| Maryland | $80,090 | $77,680 | $56,290 | $107,040 | $73,981 | 29,610 |
| Rhode Island | $79,660 | $90,930 | $45,070 | $99,610 | $88,886 | 3,830 |
| Alaska | $78,580 | $79,260 | $62,140 | $98,610 | $77,402 | 3,500 |
| Pennsylvania | $75,780 | $77,060 | $51,990 | $99,630 | $78,955 | 48,370 |
| Minnesota | $74,790 | $76,350 | $48,870 | $100,880 | $77,434 | 26,640 |
| Illinois | $74,630 | $75,320 | $47,040 | $105,250 | $75,320 | 61,520 |
| Oregon | $74,370 | $77,130 | $48,500 | $103,540 | $74,594 | 12,600 |
| Utah | $73,630 | $74,810 | $49,610 | $100,340 | $75,642 | 14,820 |
| Delaware | $73,230 | $75,920 | $50,330 | $94,100 | $76,072 | 2,900 |
| Ohio | $72,740 | $77,370 | $47,680 | $99,210 | $83,373 | 47,870 |
| New Mexico | $72,170 | $74,550 | $58,120 | $86,560 | $80,857 | 6,210 |
| Virginia | $71,540 | $65,550 | $49,770 | $100,290 | $64,837 | 37,880 |
| Georgia | $70,720 | $72,290 | $49,260 | $98,030 | $75,067 | 43,820 |
| Hawaii | $70,670 | $71,410 | $55,210 | $95,120 | $64,918 | 6,040 |
| Colorado | $70,110 | $63,410 | $48,410 | $98,950 | $61,503 | 24,860 |
| New Hampshire | $69,930 | $72,410 | $48,110 | $92,920 | $69,491 | 5,190 |
| Michigan | $69,000 | $65,110 | $47,670 | $94,680 | $67,682 | 40,910 |
| Vermont | $68,410 | $63,070 | $48,700 | $97,230 | $64,357 | 3,610 |
| Wisconsin | $65,960 | $61,210 | $48,610 | $84,470 | $65,048 | 24,920 |
| Maine | $65,930 | $62,390 | $46,570 | $92,100 | $64,320 | 7,490 |
| Nevada | $65,840 | $65,040 | $49,560 | $82,670 | $65,040 | 9,550 |
| Nebraska | $63,730 | $62,380 | $46,700 | $78,130 | $69,234 | 8,710 |
| Wyoming | $63,630 | $61,150 | $51,630 | $76,860 | $65,965 | 2,600 |
| South Carolina | $62,210 | $60,820 | $48,410 | $77,570 | $64,909 | 25,030 |
| Texas | $61,890 | $62,760 | $48,500 | $73,570 | $64,634 | 116,260 |
| Idaho | $60,940 | $61,600 | $45,940 | $80,710 | $64,503 | 6,850 |
| Indiana | $60,850 | $59,700 | $47,330 | $77,730 | $63,987 | 27,720 |
| Kentucky | $59,870 | $60,610 | $45,600 | $79,740 | $67,195 | 19,080 |
| Tennessee | $59,850 | $59,980 | $48,100 | $76,840 | $65,267 | 28,240 |
| Alabama | $59,590 | $61,380 | $47,750 | $73,950 | $69,122 | 22,030 |
| Florida | $59,530 | $58,930 | $48,680 | $75,780 | $56,992 | 79,090 |
| North Dakota | $59,140 | $60,030 | $46,530 | $75,990 | $67,449 | 4,430 |
| Iowa | $59,110 | $60,580 | $47,260 | $77,400 | $68,998 | 17,300 |
| Arizona | $58,920 | $56,590 | $43,370 | $79,470 | $56,197 | 24,240 |
| Louisiana | $58,170 | $58,770 | $46,680 | $76,380 | $66,633 | 22,060 |
| Montana | $58,150 | $57,530 | $38,160 | $78,450 | $60,814 | 4,960 |
| Kansas | $56,730 | $56,450 | $47,700 | $71,730 | $62,653 | 14,350 |
| Missouri | $56,730 | $50,910 | $39,980 | $78,820 | $56,068 | 33,180 |
| Arkansas | $56,210 | $52,700 | $49,380 | $63,120 | $60,644 | 12,590 |
| West Virginia | $54,890 | $55,630 | $48,080 | $60,790 | $62,156 | 5,420 |
| North Carolina | $54,070 | $54,930 | $45,570 | $62,590 | $58,250 | 42,410 |
| South Dakota | $52,680 | $50,130 | $47,120 | $60,180 | $56,580 | 4,290 |
| Oklahoma | $52,320 | $48,200 | $41,400 | $61,930 | $54,897 | 18,500 |
| Mississippi | $52,300 | $49,790 | $46,020 | $62,990 | $57,230 | 11,060 |
Highest median pay
- Washington — $102,350
- California — $99,650
- District of Columbia — $96,580
- Massachusetts — $94,000
- Rhode Island — $90,930
Lowest median pay
- Oklahoma — $48,200
- Mississippi — $49,790
- South Dakota — $50,130
- Missouri — $50,910
- Arkansas — $52,700
Best pay after cost of living
- Washington — $95,654
- California — $90,018
- Rhode Island — $88,886
- Massachusetts — $88,847
- District of Columbia — $87,880
The most elementary school teachers work in California (155,160 jobs), Texas and New York.
Frequently asked questions
How much does an elementary school teacher make?
The national median wage for elementary school teachers is $63,970 a year and the mean is $72,650, according to BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates.
Which state pays elementary school teachers the most?
Washington has the highest mean wage for elementary school teachers at $97,970.
Which state pays elementary school teachers the least?
Mississippi has the lowest mean wage for elementary school teachers among states with published data, at $52,300.
Where do elementary school teachers earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state’s median wage by its BEA price level, Washington ranks first at $95,654 in national-average dollars, followed by California and Rhode Island.