Salary Range & Percentiles
Pay distribution across experience levels
- 10th Percentile — Entry Level$48,780
- 25th Percentile — Junior$59,980
- 50th Percentile — Median$72,040
- 75th Percentile — Senior$92,570
- 90th Percentile — Top Earners$107,600
The top 10% of Secondary School Teachers earn $107,600 or more per year. Entry-level professionals can expect to start around $48,780, with significant growth over the first 5 years.
What Secondary School Teachers Do
Role, training and entry requirements
Secondary school teachers, excluding special and career/technical education, teach students in grades 9 through 12 in subjects such as math, English, science, history, and foreign languages. They prepare lessons, grade work, and help students prepare for college and careers.
How to become one
Public high school teachers need a bachelor's degree, often with a major in the subject they teach, and a state teaching license or certification. Some states require a master's degree within a set number of years.
Salary by State
Geographic salary comparison
| State | Avg Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|
| California | $105,880 | +38.7% |
| Washington | $99,350 | +30.2% |
| New York | $97,220 | +27.4% |
| Massachusetts | $90,270 | +18.3% |
| Illinois | $89,320 | +17.0% |
| District of Columbia | $88,460 | +15.9% |
| New Jersey | $87,100 | +14.1% |
| Connecticut | $84,460 | +10.7% |
| Rhode Island | $84,120 | +10.2% |
| Alaska | $82,460 | +8.0% |
| Minnesota | $80,020 | +4.8% |
| Maryland | $79,820 | +4.6% |
| Oregon | $79,050 | +3.6% |
| Ohio | $78,110 | +2.3% |
| Pennsylvania | $77,650 | +1.7% |
| Utah | $75,460 | -1.1% |
| Virginia | $75,060 | -1.7% |
| Delaware | $74,240 | -2.7% |
| Colorado | $73,330 | -3.9% |
| Hawaii | $73,230 | -4.0% |
| New Mexico | $72,920 | -4.5% |
| Vermont | $72,350 | -5.2% |
| New Hampshire | $72,040 | -5.6% |
| Georgia | $72,000 | -5.7% |
| Michigan | $71,200 | -6.7% |
| Nevada | $68,570 | -10.2% |
| Indiana | $67,640 | -11.4% |
| Wisconsin | $66,880 | -12.4% |
| Maine | $66,820 | -12.4% |
| Idaho | $66,470 | -12.9% |
| Wyoming | $66,020 | -13.5% |
| Texas | $65,740 | -13.9% |
| Nebraska | $65,520 | -14.2% |
| South Carolina | $65,340 | -14.4% |
| Arizona | $64,440 | -15.6% |
| Kentucky | $63,450 | -16.9% |
| Tennessee | $62,950 | -17.5% |
| Alabama | $62,280 | -18.4% |
| Iowa | $61,860 | -18.9% |
| North Dakota | $61,830 | -19.0% |
| Florida | $61,570 | -19.3% |
| Montana | $61,550 | -19.4% |
| Louisiana | $61,170 | -19.9% |
| Missouri | $60,310 | -21.0% |
| Arkansas | $59,710 | -21.8% |
| Kansas | $58,930 | -22.8% |
| West Virginia | $56,630 | -25.8% |
| North Carolina | $55,760 | -26.9% |
| Oklahoma | $54,950 | -28.0% |
| South Dakota | $53,960 | -29.3% |
| Mississippi | $53,690 | -29.7% |
What Factors Affect Secondary School Teachers Salary?
Key factors affecting compensation
Pay for Secondary School Teachers is influenced by geographic location, years of experience, employer type, and educational background. Location alone is a large factor: California pays an average of $105,880, while Mississippi pays $53,690 — a gap of $52,190 per year.
District salary schedules reward years of experience and advanced degrees, and coaching or advising roles can add stipends. State education funding and cost of living drive the large differences between states.
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
- Elementary School Teachers $72,650/yr United States 4.8% vs this role
- Middle School Teachers $72,030/yr United States 5.6% vs this role
- Kindergarten Teachers $69,370/yr United States 9.1% vs this role
- Preschool Teachers $43,030/yr United States 43.6% vs this role
- Special Education Teachers $79,750/yr United States +4.5% vs this role
- Business Professors $114,720/yr United States +50.3% vs this role
- Registered Nurses $101,420/yr United States +32.9% vs this role
- Nurse Practitioners $137,300/yr United States +79.9% vs this role
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this salary
What is the average salary for Secondary School Teachers?
The average salary for Secondary School Teachers in the United States is $76,320 per year, with a median of $72,040.
What is the starting salary for Secondary School Teachers?
Entry-level Secondary School Teachers typically earn between $48,780 and $59,980 per year depending on location and employer.
What state pays Secondary School Teachers the most?
California pays Secondary School Teachers the most at $105,880 per year on average, followed by Washington ($99,350) and New York ($97,220).
How much do Secondary School Teachers make per hour?
Based on the average annual salary of $76,320, Secondary School Teachers earn approximately $36.69 per hour (based on 2,080 working hours/year).
Is Secondary School Teachers a good career in 2026?
BLS counts 1,065,210 Secondary School Teachers jobs in the United States, with a mean annual wage of $76,320 and a median of $72,040 (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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