Salary Range & Percentiles
Pay distribution across experience levels
- 10th Percentile — Entry Level$47,960
- 25th Percentile — Junior$57,710
- 50th Percentile — Median$63,970
- 75th Percentile — Senior$81,450
- 90th Percentile — Top Earners$104,340
The top 10% of Elementary School Teachers earn $104,340 or more per year. Entry-level professionals can expect to start around $47,960, with significant growth over the first 5 years.
What Elementary School Teachers Do
Role, training and entry requirements
Elementary school teachers, excluding special education, teach students in kindergarten through fifth grade the basics of reading, writing, math, science, and social studies. They plan lessons, assess progress, manage classrooms, and communicate with parents.
How to become one
Public school teachers need a bachelor's degree and a state-issued teaching license or certification, which involves supervised student teaching and passing licensing exams. Private schools set their own requirements.
Salary by State
Geographic salary comparison
| State | Avg Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | $97,970 | +34.9% |
| California | $95,670 | +31.7% |
| District of Columbia | $93,910 | +29.3% |
| New York | $93,400 | +28.6% |
| Massachusetts | $88,720 | +22.1% |
| Connecticut | $83,380 | +14.8% |
| New Jersey | $82,120 | +13.0% |
| Maryland | $80,090 | +10.2% |
| Rhode Island | $79,660 | +9.6% |
| Alaska | $78,580 | +8.2% |
| Pennsylvania | $75,780 | +4.3% |
| Minnesota | $74,790 | +2.9% |
| Illinois | $74,630 | +2.7% |
| Oregon | $74,370 | +2.4% |
| Utah | $73,630 | +1.3% |
| Delaware | $73,230 | +0.8% |
| Ohio | $72,740 | +0.1% |
| New Mexico | $72,170 | -0.7% |
| Virginia | $71,540 | -1.5% |
| Georgia | $70,720 | -2.7% |
| Hawaii | $70,670 | -2.7% |
| Colorado | $70,110 | -3.5% |
| New Hampshire | $69,930 | -3.7% |
| Michigan | $69,000 | -5.0% |
| Vermont | $68,410 | -5.8% |
| Wisconsin | $65,960 | -9.2% |
| Maine | $65,930 | -9.2% |
| Nevada | $65,840 | -9.4% |
| Nebraska | $63,730 | -12.3% |
| Wyoming | $63,630 | -12.4% |
| South Carolina | $62,210 | -14.4% |
| Texas | $61,890 | -14.8% |
| Idaho | $60,940 | -16.1% |
| Indiana | $60,850 | -16.2% |
| Kentucky | $59,870 | -17.6% |
| Tennessee | $59,850 | -17.6% |
| Alabama | $59,590 | -18.0% |
| Florida | $59,530 | -18.1% |
| North Dakota | $59,140 | -18.6% |
| Iowa | $59,110 | -18.6% |
| Arizona | $58,920 | -18.9% |
| Louisiana | $58,170 | -19.9% |
| Montana | $58,150 | -20.0% |
| Kansas | $56,730 | -21.9% |
| Missouri | $56,730 | -21.9% |
| Arkansas | $56,210 | -22.6% |
| West Virginia | $54,890 | -24.4% |
| North Carolina | $54,070 | -25.6% |
| South Dakota | $52,680 | -27.5% |
| Oklahoma | $52,320 | -28.0% |
| Mississippi | $52,300 | -28.0% |
What Factors Affect Elementary School Teachers Salary?
Key factors affecting compensation
Pay for Elementary School Teachers is influenced by geographic location, years of experience, employer type, and educational background. Location alone is a large factor: Washington pays an average of $97,970, while Mississippi pays $52,300 — a gap of $45,670 per year.
Public school teacher pay follows district salary schedules based on years of experience and education level, so a master's degree and seniority raise pay in predictable steps. State funding and local cost of living explain most of the differences between states, and these annual figures reflect a school-year contract rather than twelve months of work.
These figures are the wages employers report to BLS: base pay plus commissions, production bonuses and tips. They exclude overtime pay, shift differentials, year-end bonuses, benefits and self-employed workers, so total compensation can be higher than the numbers shown.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES) · May 2025
Compare with Similar Jobs
Related career salary benchmarks
- Secondary School Teachers $76,320/yr United States +5.1% vs this role
- Middle School Teachers $72,030/yr United States 0.9% vs this role
- Kindergarten Teachers $69,370/yr United States 4.5% vs this role
- Preschool Teachers $43,030/yr United States 40.8% vs this role
- Special Education Teachers $79,750/yr United States +9.8% vs this role
- Business Professors $114,720/yr United States +57.9% vs this role
- Registered Nurses $101,420/yr United States +39.6% vs this role
- Nurse Practitioners $137,300/yr United States +89.0% vs this role
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this salary
What is the average salary for Elementary School Teachers?
The average salary for Elementary School Teachers in the United States is $72,650 per year, with a median of $63,970.
What is the starting salary for Elementary School Teachers?
Entry-level Elementary School Teachers typically earn between $47,960 and $57,710 per year depending on location and employer.
What state pays Elementary School Teachers the most?
Washington pays Elementary School Teachers the most at $97,970 per year on average, followed by California ($95,670) and District of Columbia ($93,910).
How much do Elementary School Teachers make per hour?
Based on the average annual salary of $72,650, Elementary School Teachers earn approximately $34.93 per hour (based on 2,080 working hours/year).
Is Elementary School Teachers a good career in 2026?
BLS counts 1,388,390 Elementary School Teachers jobs in the United States, with a mean annual wage of $72,650 and a median of $63,970 (OEWS May 2025). This site does not publish job-growth projections; the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook covers the outlook for each occupation.
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