The average salary for a teacher in the United States is around $61,183 per year.
Avg Salary
Teachers earn an average yearly salary of $61,183.
Wages typically start from $40,346 and go up to $104,492.
3% below national average Updated in 2025
Vanderbilt University
Educational Leadership and Organizational Effectiveness Online M.Ed.
- Duration 15 months
- Part-time available
- Tuition $2,492/credit hour
- Format 100% online
Sponsored Content
Teacher earnings by seniority
Top-level teacher earnings begin at:
$43.17 per hour
$104,492 per year
Senior-level teacher earnings begin at:
$32.38 per hour
$79,737 per year
Mid-level teacher earnings begin at:
$24.57 per hour
$61,183 per year
Junior-level teacher earnings begin at:
$23.88 per hour
$49,673 per year
Starting level teacher earnings begin at:
$17.30 per hour
$40,346 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Teacher salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| California | $82,925 |
| District of Columbia | $77,122 |
| Washington | $75,561 |
| Maryland | $73,877 |
| Massachusetts | $72,627 |
| Rhode Island | $71,717 |
| New York | $71,245 |
| Connecticut | $71,193 |
| Minnesota | $68,074 |
| New Jersey | $67,172 |
| Delaware | $66,960 |
| Vermont | $65,438 |
| Oregon | $64,906 |
| Pennsylvania | $64,511 |
| Georgia | $64,313 |
| New Mexico | $63,122 |
| Ohio | $62,412 |
| Utah | $61,814 |
| Wisconsin | $61,227 |
| Michigan | $60,944 |
| Virginia | $60,848 |
| Maine | $60,066 |
| Colorado | $59,470 |
| Texas | $59,117 |
| Illinois | $58,509 |
| Alaska | $58,327 |
| Wyoming | $58,046 |
| Nebraska | $57,870 |
| Arizona | $57,499 |
| Iowa | $57,421 |
| North Dakota | $56,996 |
| New Hampshire | $56,960 |
| Hawaii | $56,859 |
| Missouri | $56,803 |
| South Carolina | $56,604 |
| Louisiana | $56,132 |
| North Carolina | $55,710 |
| Indiana | $55,212 |
| Idaho | $54,927 |
| Kentucky | $54,822 |
| Tennessee | $54,768 |
| Kansas | $53,885 |
| Florida | $53,542 |
| West Virginia | $53,502 |
| Nevada | $53,383 |
| Montana | $51,934 |
| Alabama | $51,441 |
| Arkansas | $51,098 |
| South Dakota | $50,953 |
| Oklahoma | $50,351 |
| Mississippi | $49,529 |
| Guam | $40,155 |
| Virgin Islands, U.S. | $33,952 |
| Puerto Rico | $33,222 |
How do teacher salaries compare to similar careers?
Teachers earn about the same as related careers in the United States. On average, they make less than health educators but more than preschool teachers.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Health educator salary | $64K |
| Librarian salary | $68K |
| Elementary school teacher salary | $64K |
| School counselor salary | $64K |
| Kindergarten teacher salary | $63K |
| Teacher salary | $61K |
| Clergy salary | $61K |
| Childcare program administrator salary | $59K |
| Graduate teaching assistant salary | $43K |
| Preschool teacher salary | $38K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)