How much do elementary school teachers make?

Elementary School Teacher salary 2026 · BLS occupation: Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education (SOC 25-2021) · Updated October 28, 2026

Answer

Elementary school teachers in the US earned a median of $63,970 a year in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned $57,710 to $81,450.

Median annual pay: $63,970; Mean $72,650
Median hourly pay: Annual only; BLS publishes annual pay only for this occupation
Typical range (10th–90th): $48.0K–$104K; $47,960 to $104,340
US jobs: 1,388,390; −0.4% projected, 2025–35

BLS OEWS, May 2025, released April 30, 2026. Wages include tips, commissions and production bonuses but not overtime premiums, shift differentials, other bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers are not included. Methodology

How to become an elementary school teacher: steps, years and cost · Best-paying state after cost of living: Washington

Elementary School Teacher pay range

Annual wages, May 2025

10th percentile$47,960
25th percentile$57,710
Median$63,970
75th percentile$81,450
90th percentile$104,340

Half of all elementary school teachers earned more than $63,970 and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% made under $47,960; the top 10% made over $104,340. The middle 50%, from the 25th to the 75th percentile, ran from $57,710 to $81,450.

These percentiles describe everyone in the occupation at one time. They are not pay steps by years of experience: they mix new and senior workers, different states, employers and hours. Pay generally rises with experience, credentials and specialization, but BLS does not publish pay by experience.

Percentile	Annual	Hourly	Monthly
10th	$47,960	—	$3,997
25th	$57,710	—	$4,809
Median (50th)	$63,970	—	$5,331
75th	$81,450	—	$6,788
90th	$104,340	—	$8,695
Mean (average)	$72,650	—	$6,054

Elementary School Teacher salary by state

Median annual pay; cost of living from BEA regional price parities 2024

Median annual pay for elementary school teachers by state. Darker tiles pay more.

Highest-paying states

1. Washington $102,350
2. California $99,650
3. District of Columbia $96,580
4. Massachusetts $94,000
5. Rhode Island $90,930

Lowest-paying states

51. Oklahoma $48,200
50. Mississippi $49,790
49. South Dakota $50,130
48. Missouri $50,910
47. Arkansas $52,700

Best after cost of living: Washington. Its median of $102,350 is worth about $95,643 at national-average prices.


Alabama	$61,380	31	$69,104	22	—	22,030	10.42
Alaska	$79,260	8	$77,433	11	—	3,500	10.74
Arizona	$56,590	43	$56,209	49	—	24,240	7.48
Arkansas	$52,700	47	$60,619	44	—	12,590	9.66
California	$99,650	2	$90,002	2	—	155,160	8.52
Colorado	$63,410	25	$61,532	42	—	24,860	8.65
Connecticut	$80,600	7	$77,792	10	—	16,330	9.63
Delaware	$75,920	15	$76,066	13	—	2,900	5.98
District of Columbia	$96,580	3	$87,879	5	—	3,750	5.34
Florida	$58,930	40	$56,985	47	—	79,090	7.96
Georgia	$72,290	20	$75,073	16	—	43,820	8.96
Hawaii	$71,410	21	$64,947	32	—	6,040	9.63
Idaho	$61,600	30	$64,507	36	—	6,850	7.99
Illinois	$75,320	16	$75,352	15	—	61,520	10.09
Indiana	$59,700	39	$63,967	39	—	27,720	8.66
Iowa	$60,580	36	$69,028	23	—	17,300	11.09
Kansas	$56,450	44	$62,675	40	—	14,350	9.98
Kentucky	$60,610	35	$67,226	26	—	19,080	9.54
Louisiana	$58,770	41	$66,627	27	—	22,060	11.40
Maine	$62,390	28	$64,286	38	—	7,490	11.69
Maryland	$77,680	10	$74,010	18	—	29,610	10.72
Massachusetts	$94,000	4	$88,883	4	—	29,930	8.23
Michigan	$65,110	23	$67,670	24	—	40,910	9.29
Minnesota	$76,350	14	$77,418	12	—	26,640	9.03
Mississippi	$49,790	50	$57,261	46	—	11,060	9.51
Missouri	$50,910	48	$56,058	50	—	33,180	11.30
Montana	$57,530	42	$60,785	43	—	4,960	9.70
Nebraska	$62,380	29	$69,232	21	—	8,710	8.50
Nevada	$65,040	24	$65,054	30	—	9,550	6.15
New Hampshire	$72,410	19	$69,515	20	—	5,190	7.59
New Jersey	$78,200	9	$71,872	19	—	40,300	9.40
New Mexico	$74,550	18	$80,846	7	—	6,210	7.13
New York	$85,760	6	$79,466	8	—	101,410	10.47
North Carolina	$54,930	46	$58,234	45	—	42,410	8.58
North Dakota	$60,030	37	$67,481	25	—	4,430	10.31
Ohio	$77,370	11	$83,396	6	—	47,870	8.63
Oklahoma	$48,200	51	$54,871	51	—	18,500	10.83
Oregon	$77,130	12	$74,622	17	—	12,600	6.41
Pennsylvania	$77,060	13	$78,978	9	—	48,370	7.97
Rhode Island	$90,930	5	$88,903	3	—	3,830	7.65
South Carolina	$60,820	34	$64,875	33	—	25,030	10.86
South Dakota	$50,130	49	$56,589	48	—	4,290	9.38
Tennessee	$59,980	38	$65,288	29	—	28,240	8.61
Texas	$62,760	27	$64,663	35	—	116,260	8.26
Utah	$74,810	17	$75,670	14	—	14,820	8.54
Vermont	$63,070	26	$64,385	37	—	3,610	11.87
Virginia	$65,550	22	$64,834	34	—	37,880	9.22
Washington	$102,350	1	$95,643	1	—	28,980	8.16
West Virginia	$55,630	45	$62,159	41	—	5,420	7.73
Wisconsin	$61,210	32	$65,051	31	—	24,920	8.47
Wyoming	$61,150	33	$65,972	28	—	2,600	9.26

BLS OEWS, May 2025, state estimates. Adjusted pay = median ÷ (state price level ÷ 100), using BEA regional price parities for 2024; it ignores taxes. Figures for states with few workers in the occupation have larger survey errors and can change sharply from one year to the next. “—” means BLS did not publish the figure. State names link to each state’s highest-paying jobs.

Best-paying metro areas for elementary school teachers

377 metro areas with published pay

Highest median pay
Metro area	Median	Adjusted	Jobs
Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA	$104,650	$100,945	950
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA	$103,390	$96,925	10,480
Walla Walla, WA	$102,980	$104,528	220
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	$102,920	$92,610	14,560
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	$102,860	$93,151	7,810
Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA	$102,650	$97,200	900
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	$101,860	$89,692	44,790
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	$101,860	$88,104	17,860
Modesto, CA	$101,640	$97,629	2,450
Bellingham, WA	$101,230	$97,964	790

Most jobs
Metro area	Jobs	Median	Adjusted
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	98,900	$96,900	$86,085
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN	45,840	$78,390	$75,670
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	44,790	$101,860	$89,692
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX	30,980	$64,500	$65,397
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	30,940	$79,470	$72,986
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX	27,350	$65,070	$63,120
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD	23,380	$78,570	$76,613
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA	23,370	$76,570	$76,526
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH	20,340	$98,060	$90,573
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL	19,910	$58,300	$51,071

BLS OEWS, May 2025, metropolitan statistical areas; adjusted with BEA metro price parities (2024).

What moves elementary school teacher pay: employers and settings

Teacher pay is set mostly by the district salary schedule, which raises pay for each year of service and for extra education, such as a master's degree or credits beyond the bachelor's. In many districts the salary schedule is negotiated by a teachers' union, so two teachers with the same experience and degrees in the same district earn the same base pay. The national median is $63,970, and the 25th percentile is $57,710, and the 75th is $81,450, a gap that reflects large differences between states and districts.

The employer matters. Local government, which covers public school districts and employs most elementary teachers, pays a median of $65,250. Private employers, including private and religious schools, pay a median of $58,110; religious organizations alone report $46,390. State-run schools pay $74,680.

State is the largest single factor. Washington has the highest median at $102,350, followed by California at $99,650, and the District of Columbia at $96,580, while Mississippi is at $49,790, and Oklahoma at $48,200. After adjusting for costs, Washington still ranks first at $95,643 adjusted.

Extra pay comes from stipends for coaching, after-school programs, summer school, mentoring and National Board certification in some states.

Where elementary school teachers work
Industry	Share of jobs	Median pay
Elementary and Secondary Schools	99.5%	$63,980
Religious Organizations	0.2%	$46,390
Child Care Services	0.1%	$55,630
Individual and Family Services	0%	$48,430
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools	0%	$60,720
Other Schools and Instruction	0%	$66,320

Private employers and government
Employer type	Jobs	Median pay
Private employers	165,210	$58,110
State government (incl. schools and hospitals)	9,500	$74,680
Local government (incl. schools and hospitals)	1,213,680	$65,250

BLS OEWS, May 2025, national industry-specific and ownership estimates (4-digit NAICS).

Elementary School Teacher pay over time

Median annual pay, 2015–2025

$64.0K $54.9K

2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025

Nominal median (dollars of each year)In May 2025 dollars (adjusted with CPI-U)

The median rose from $54,890 in 2015 to $63,970 in 2025, up 17% in nominal dollars. After inflation, the 2015 median is worth $74,200 in May 2025 dollars, so real pay fell 14% over the period.

BLS OEWS, May 2025 and earlier May releases; inflation from the CPI-U, US city average, May of each year.

What elementary school teachers do

An elementary school teacher teaches one class of children, usually somewhere between first and fifth or sixth grade, in nearly every subject: reading, writing, math, science and social studies. Kindergarten teachers do similar work with younger children, with more time on early reading, numbers and classroom routines. Most elementary teachers have the same 20 to 30 students all day, so they also manage behavior, transitions, lunch and recess duty, and the small crises of a classroom of young kids.

Nearly all work in public and private K-12 schools, and most are employed by local school districts. Teachers work with a grade-level team, reading and math specialists, special education teachers, aides, counselors and the principal, and they keep in close contact with parents through conferences, notes and email.

The school day is only part of the job. Lesson planning, grading, report cards, testing data and parent communication fill early mornings, evenings and some weekends. Most teachers work a 10-month school year with summers off, though many use summer for training, curriculum work or second jobs.

A typical day

Plan daily lessons in reading, math, science and social studies from the district curriculum
Teach whole-class lessons and pull small groups for extra help in reading or math
Keep 20-plus children on task with routines, praise and consequences
Grade work, give reading and math assessments, and track each child's progress
Adjust lessons for students with IEPs, English learners and advanced students
Meet with parents, write report card comments and answer family email
Cover recess, lunch, arrival or dismissal duty and attend staff meetings

Also called: elementary teacher, kindergarten teacher, art teacher, classroom teacher, elementary classroom teacher, math teacher (mathematics teacher), music teacher, primary teacher.

How to become an elementary school teacher

Full guide

To become an elementary school teacher you need a bachelor's degree, completion of a state-approved teacher preparation program with student teaching, and passing scores on your state's licensing tests, such as the Praxis Elementary Education exam. Most people are licensed in about 4 to 5 years after high school.

Typical time: 4-5 years; Fastest: About 4 years
Minimum education: Bachelor's degree and a state-approved teacher preparation program (for public schools)
License: Required for public school teachers in every state (charter school rules vary); private school teachers typically do not need one
Typical training cost: $38.9K–$48.6K; See the guide for what it includes

Read the step-by-step guide to becoming an elementary school teacher: each step with its time and cost, education options, exams, licensing and advancement.

Is it worth it? Training cost against pay

Compare careers

Training time: 4-5 years; Typical path in our guide
Training cost: $38.9K–$48.6K; Tuition and exam fees, before aid
Median pay: $63,970; $12,990 above the all-jobs median ($50,980)
Cost vs. one year's pay: 61–76%; Training cost as a share of a year at the median

Once qualified, the pay difference over the typical US job at the median ($12,990 a year before tax) would repay the training cost in about 3.0–3.7 years after training ends (4-5 years in our guide). This is a rough guide: it ignores taxes, financial aid, interest, earnings given up while training and how pay changes over a career. How we calculate ROI.

Job outlook for elementary school teachers

BLS Employment Projections 2025–35

Projected growth: −0.4%; All occupations +3.5%
Jobs in 2025: 1,419,300; 1,413,400 projected for 2035
Openings each year: 87,500; New jobs plus replacements
Self-employed: 0.3%; Not in the pay figures above

BLS projects essentially flat employment for elementary school teachers, a 0.4% decline from 1,419,300 jobs in 2025 to 1,413,400 in 2035, against 3.5% growth for all jobs. Even so, about 87,500 openings are expected each year as teachers retire or leave the profession.

The main drag is enrollment: fewer children are entering public elementary schools, and more families choose charter schools, private schools or homeschooling. Jobs also depend on state and local budgets. Openings are easier to find in fast-growing areas, in hard-to-staff schools and for teachers who add bilingual or special education credentials.

Related careers and their pay

High School Teacher$72,040
School Principal$105,870
Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$64,370
Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors$61,540
Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education$62,680

Related occupations from O*NET 31.0; median annual pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.

Elementary School Teacher salary FAQ

Which state pays elementary school teachers the most?

Washington has the highest median pay for elementary school teachers, $102,350 a year, followed by California ($99,650) and District of Columbia ($96,580). After adjusting for each state's price level, Washington comes out ahead at about $95,643 in national-average dollars.

Do elementary school teachers make six figures?

Some do: based on the BLS percentiles, between 10% and 25% of elementary school teachers earn more than $100,000 a year. The median is $63,970, and the top 10% earn more than $104,340. Pay generally rises with experience, specialization and location.

What do elementary school teachers make when they start?

BLS does not publish pay by years of experience. The lowest-paid 10% of elementary school teachers earn less than $47,960 a year and the lowest-paid quarter less than $57,710. New workers are often in the lower part of the range, but percentiles also reflect location, employer and hours, not only experience.

Do elementary teachers get paid in the summer?

Most teachers are paid for the school year, not the summer. Many districts let teachers spread that salary over 12 months, so paychecks continue through July and August, while others pay only during the school year. Teachers who want more income often teach summer school, tutor or work at camps. Check how your district handles pay before you budget for the first summer.

Do private school teachers need a license?

Usually not. State licensing requirements are written for public schools, and private schools typically set their own hiring rules, though many prefer licensed teachers. Charter school rules vary by state. Private schools often pay less than public districts, so weigh that before skipping the license, which also keeps public school jobs open to you.

Is a kindergarten teacher licensed differently from an elementary teacher?

Often it is the same or an overlapping license. Many states issue an elementary license that covers kindergarten through grade 5 or 6, while others use an early childhood license for preschool through grade 2 or 3. The license you earn decides which grades you can teach, so check your state's grade bands before choosing a preparation program.

Sources

Data updated October 28, 2026 · Text checked against its sources October 28, 2026

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates, released April 30, 2026, SOC 25-2021
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035, released September 2026
O*NET 31.0 Database (25-2021.00), U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0; tasks rewritten by Careers and Salaries
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state and metro area, 2024
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, May values
U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study and institution data, most recent cohorts, released 2026-10-15
Kindergarten and Elementary School Teachers: Occupational Outlook Handbook, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · checked October 28, 2026
Elementary Education: Multiple Subjects (5001), ETS Praxis · checked October 28, 2026
About CAEP, Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation · checked October 28, 2026
Multiple Subject Teaching Credential (CL-561C), California Commission on Teacher Credentialing · checked October 28, 2026
Paying for Certification, National Board for Professional Teaching Standards · checked October 28, 2026

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