The average salary for a teacher in the United States is around $41,854 per year.
Avg Salary
Teachers earn an average yearly salary of $41,854.
Wages typically start from $24,539 and go up to $71,385.
32% below national average Updated in 2019
Teacher earnings by seniority
90th percentile
Top-level teacher earnings begin at:
$34.32 per hour
$71,385 per year
75th percentile
Senior-level teacher earnings begin at:
$26.65 per hour
$55,434 per year
50th percentile
Mid-level teacher earnings begin at:
$20.12 per hour
$41,854 per year
25th percentile
Junior-level teacher earnings begin at:
$15.19 per hour
$31,601 per year
10th percentile
Starting level teacher earnings begin at:
$11.80 per hour
$24,539 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Teacher salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Alaska | $62,554 |
| Rhode Island | $61,821 |
| Delaware | $54,159 |
| Wyoming | $51,496 |
| North Dakota | $48,615 |
| Vermont | $47,801 |
| Connecticut | $46,082 |
| Arkansas | $44,509 |
| South Dakota | $44,223 |
| Hawaii | $43,825 |
| Idaho | $43,606 |
| District of Columbia | $43,502 |
| West Virginia | $43,279 |
| Iowa | $43,205 |
| New Jersey | $43,006 |
| Louisiana | $41,447 |
| New York | $41,007 |
| Nevada | $40,305 |
| Guam | $40,155 |
| Maine | $40,041 |
| Kansas | $40,000 |
| Montana | $39,638 |
| Massachusetts | $38,986 |
| Maryland | $38,962 |
| New Hampshire | $38,756 |
| California | $38,228 |
| Texas | $37,701 |
| New Mexico | $37,394 |
| Oregon | $37,309 |
| Washington | $36,839 |
| Mississippi | $36,392 |
| Arizona | $36,325 |
| Nebraska | $36,302 |
| Alabama | $36,225 |
| Kentucky | $36,167 |
| Virginia | $36,058 |
| Florida | $35,884 |
| Illinois | $35,814 |
| Tennessee | $35,466 |
| Minnesota | $35,015 |
| Pennsylvania | $34,867 |
| Michigan | $34,789 |
| Indiana | $34,567 |
| Colorado | $34,470 |
| Georgia | $34,439 |
| South Carolina | $34,359 |
| Ohio | $34,074 |
| Wisconsin | $34,020 |
| Virgin Islands, U.S. | $33,952 |
| Oklahoma | $33,302 |
| North Carolina | $33,253 |
| Puerto Rico | $33,222 |
| Missouri | $33,088 |
| Utah | $29,083 |
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 school counselors but more than childcare workers.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| School counselor salary | $55K |
| Elementary school teacher salary | $55K |
| Health educator salary | $53K |
| Clergy salary | $51K |
| Childcare program administrator salary | $47K |
| Teacher salary | $42K |
| Nanny salary | $29K |
| Library assistant salary | $27K |
| Preschool teacher salary | $24K |
| Childcare worker salary | $22K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)