Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education pay in the U.S.
$72,650avg. a year
Annual salary · 1,388,390 employed
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education in the U.S. earn an average of $72,650 a year and a median of $63,970. Pay is highest in Washington ($97,970) and lowest in Mississippi ($52,300).
$63,970Median pay
$72,650Average yearly
+11%Avg. pay since 2020
1,388,390Jobs in the U.S.
Top-paying states for elementary school teachers, except special education
Average pay by state. Swipe to see the top 10.
128,980 jobs
Washington
$97,970
a year
2155,160 jobs
California
$95,670
a year
33,750 jobs
District of Columbia
$93,910
a year
4101,410 jobs
New York
$93,400
a year
529,930 jobs
Massachusetts
$88,720
a year
616,330 jobs
Connecticut
$83,380
a year
740,300 jobs
New Jersey
$82,120
a year
829,610 jobs
Maryland
$80,090
a year
93,830 jobs
Rhode Island
$79,660
a year
103,500 jobs
Alaska
$78,580
a year
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education pay, charted
Pay over time
United States, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where the jobs are
Employment by state, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · tap a state
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Under $59k$59k–$66k$66k–$75k$75k+
Top-paying metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 (areas with 100+ jobs)
| Metro area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | $106,760 | – |
| El Centro, CA | $105,390 | – |
| Merced, CA | $103,340 | – |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $102,340 | – |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $102,290 | – |
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $101,210 | – |
| Modesto, CA | $99,430 | – |
| Bellingham, WA | $98,520 | – |
Related jobs
- Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$76,320
- Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$72,030
- Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education$43,030
- Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School$72,650
- Special Education Teachers, Secondary School$77,260
- Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School$72,680
Average U.S. pay, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education pay in every state
States without a figure had too few jobs or too little survey data for BLS to publish.
| State | Avg. pay | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $59,590 | $61,380 | 22,030 |
| Alaska | $78,580 | $79,260 | 3,500 |
| Arizona | $58,920 | $56,590 | 24,240 |
| Arkansas | $56,210 | $52,700 | 12,590 |
| California | $95,670 | $99,650 | 155,160 |
| Colorado | $70,110 | $63,410 | 24,860 |
| Connecticut | $83,380 | $80,600 | 16,330 |
| Delaware | $73,230 | $75,920 | 2,900 |
| District of Columbia | $93,910 | $96,580 | 3,750 |
| Florida | $59,530 | $58,930 | 79,090 |
| Georgia | $70,720 | $72,290 | 43,820 |
| Hawaii | $70,670 | $71,410 | 6,040 |
| Idaho | $60,940 | $61,600 | 6,850 |
| Illinois | $74,630 | $75,320 | 61,520 |
| Indiana | $60,850 | $59,700 | 27,720 |
| Iowa | $59,110 | $60,580 | 17,300 |
| Kansas | $56,730 | $56,450 | 14,350 |
| Kentucky | $59,870 | $60,610 | 19,080 |
| Louisiana | $58,170 | $58,770 | 22,060 |
| Maine | $65,930 | $62,390 | 7,490 |
| Maryland | $80,090 | $77,680 | 29,610 |
| Massachusetts | $88,720 | $94,000 | 29,930 |
| Michigan | $69,000 | $65,110 | 40,910 |
| Minnesota | $74,790 | $76,350 | 26,640 |
| Mississippi | $52,300 | $49,790 | 11,060 |
| Missouri | $56,730 | $50,910 | 33,180 |
| Montana | $58,150 | $57,530 | 4,960 |
| Nebraska | $63,730 | $62,380 | 8,710 |
| Nevada | $65,840 | $65,040 | 9,550 |
| New Hampshire | $69,930 | $72,410 | 5,190 |
| New Jersey | $82,120 | $78,200 | 40,300 |
| New Mexico | $72,170 | $74,550 | 6,210 |
| New York | $93,400 | $85,760 | 101,410 |
| North Carolina | $54,070 | $54,930 | 42,410 |
| North Dakota | $59,140 | $60,030 | 4,430 |
| Ohio | $72,740 | $77,370 | 47,870 |
| Oklahoma | $52,320 | $48,200 | 18,500 |
| Oregon | $74,370 | $77,130 | 12,600 |
| Pennsylvania | $75,780 | $77,060 | 48,370 |
| Rhode Island | $79,660 | $90,930 | 3,830 |
| South Carolina | $62,210 | $60,820 | 25,030 |
| South Dakota | $52,680 | $50,130 | 4,290 |
| Tennessee | $59,850 | $59,980 | 28,240 |
| Texas | $61,890 | $62,760 | 116,260 |
| Utah | $73,630 | $74,810 | 14,820 |
| Vermont | $68,410 | $63,070 | 3,610 |
| Virginia | $71,540 | $65,550 | 37,880 |
| Washington | $97,970 | $102,350 | 28,980 |
| West Virginia | $54,890 | $55,630 | 5,420 |
| Wisconsin | $65,960 | $61,210 | 24,920 |
| Wyoming | $63,630 | $61,150 | 2,600 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
$96,400
98,900 jobsChicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$78,800
45,840 jobsLos Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$98,150
44,790 jobsHouston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX$62,840
30,980 jobsWashington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$84,370
30,940 jobsDallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX$65,400
27,350 jobsPhiladelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD$78,650
23,380 jobsAtlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA$73,940
23,370 jobsQuestions and answers
How much do elementary school teachers, except special education make?
The average is $72,650 a year across the U.S. Half earn more than $63,970 and half earn less (the median).
Which state pays elementary school teachers, except special education the most?
Washington, with an average of $97,970 a year. The best-paying metro area is Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA at $106,760.
What is the pay range?
The lowest-paid 10% earn under $47,960 a year, and the top 10% earn over $104,340.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 25-2021. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.