Teacher Salaries and Benefits
Teacher salaries range widely by state, from a median of about $48,200 for elementary teachers in Oklahoma to more than $100,000 in Washington. Beyond base pay, most public school teachers receive employer-sponsored health insurance and a state pension plan, with contribution rates, vesting periods, and eligibility rules set individually by each state’s retirement system.
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A teacher’s paycheck looks different depending on which state signs it. States set their own salary schedules, pension systems, and health benefit plans for public school teachers, and the gap between the highest and lowest-paying states runs into the tens of thousands of dollars a year, before counting the value of retirement and health coverage. If you haven’t finished the licensing process yet, it helps to know what your state requires before you can start earning that salary. Here’s where the national numbers stand, plus a direct link to salary and benefits details for your state.
How Teacher Salaries Vary by State
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, kindergarten teachers earned a median annual salary of $62,680 nationally as of May 2025, while elementary school teachers earned $63,970, middle school teachers earned $64,370, and high school teachers earned $72,040.
| Occupation | Median Annual Wage | Mean Annual Wage |
|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten Teachers | $62,680 | $69,370 |
| Elementary School Teachers | $63,970 | $72,650 |
| Middle School Teachers | $64,370 | $72,030 |
| High School Teachers | $72,040 | $76,320 |
State-level figures tell a different story than the national average. Using elementary school teacher salaries as an example, BLS state data shows a wide spread between the highest- and lowest-paying states.
| Highest-Paying States | Median Annual Wage |
|---|---|
| Washington | $102,350 |
| California | $99,650 |
| District of Columbia | $96,580 |
| Massachusetts | $94,000 |
| Rhode Island | $90,930 |
| Lowest-Paying States | Median Annual Wage |
|---|---|
| Arkansas | $52,700 |
| Missouri | $50,910 |
| South Dakota | $50,130 |
| Mississippi | $49,790 |
| Oklahoma | $48,200 |
Cost of living appears to explain part of this gap, though not all of it, and this is a general observation rather than a definitive analysis. Washington and California both carry above-average living costs, while Rhode Island and Massachusetts also rank near the top of the national range without matching California’s cost of living. State budgets, teacher demand, and union bargaining strength likely play a role alongside cost of living, though pinpointing an exact cause for any single state’s ranking would require a closer look at that state’s specific conditions.
Find Salary and Benefit Details for Your State
Every state sets its own salary schedule, pension formula, and health benefit structure for public school teachers, so the details that matter most to you (contribution rates, vesting periods, and step-and-lane pay scales) live on your state’s page. Select your state below for the specific numbers.
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Teacher Benefits Beyond Base Salary
Salary is only part of a teacher’s total compensation. Nearly every state enrolls public school teachers in a state-administered retirement system, though the plan design isn’t uniform. Many states offer a defined benefit plan that guarantees a monthly pension based on years of service and final average salary. Others use a hybrid plan that combines a smaller guaranteed pension with an individual investment account, and some states still run defined benefit-only systems with no hybrid option. Contribution rates, typically a percentage of salary split between the teacher and the employer, vary by state and can change from year to year, so check your state’s specific plan design rather than assuming a single structure applies everywhere.
Health insurance works differently than pensions. In many states, coverage is set primarily at the district or regional level rather than through one statewide plan, so premiums, deductibles, and covered services can differ even between two districts in the same state. Some states also offer supplemental retirement savings options similar to a 401(k), on top of the primary pension plan.
Job growth adds another layer to the picture. The BLS projects a 2.0% decline in elementary school teacher employment nationally between 2024 and 2034, with 91,000 average annual openings expected each year from retirements and turnover. That national figure doesn’t tell the whole story. Among the states with published projections, most, including Utah, Colorado, and Arkansas, project growth instead of decline for elementary teacher employment, so it’s worth checking your state’s specific job outlook alongside its salary and benefits data.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average teacher salary in the United States?
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual salary nationally ranges from $62,680 for kindergarten teachers to $72,040 for high school teachers, as of May 2025. Actual pay depends heavily on the state and district where you teach.
Why do teacher salaries vary so much by state?
State budgets, cost of living, teacher demand, and union bargaining power all factor into how much a state pays its teachers. States like Washington and California set salary schedules well above the national median, while states like Oklahoma and Mississippi set theirs well below it.
What benefits do teachers typically receive besides salary?
Most public school teachers receive a state-administered pension plan, though the structure varies: some states offer only a defined benefit plan, while others also offer a hybrid plan with an individual investment component. Health insurance is often set at the district level rather than statewide. Plan type, contribution rates, and eligibility rules differ by state and sometimes by district.
Are teacher pensions the same in every state?
No. Each state runs its own teacher retirement system with its own plan design, whether that’s a defined benefit-only structure or a hybrid plan, along with its own formula for calculating monthly benefits, vesting period, and contribution rate. Two teachers with identical salaries in different states can end up with very different retirement benefits.
Is teacher employment expected to grow?
Nationally, the BLS projects a slight decline in employment for kindergarten, elementary, middle, and high school teachers between 2024 and 2034, driven mainly by enrollment trends. Many individual states buck this national trend and project growth, so check your state’s job outlook for a more accurate picture.
- Salaries vary by tens of thousands of dollars between states — elementary school teacher median pay ranges from about $48,200 in Oklahoma to over $102,000 in Washington.
- Cost of living explains part of the gap, as a general observation — high-paying states like Massachusetts and Rhode Island don’t always carry California-level living costs, so state budgets and demand likely matter too.
- Pension structures vary by state — some states offer only a defined benefit plan, others add a hybrid plan with an investment component, and contribution rates and vesting periods differ further within each.
- Health insurance is often set at the district level — coverage, premiums, and deductible options can vary even between districts in the same state.
- National job growth figures don’t tell the whole story — most states with published projections show growth for elementary teacher employment even where the national trend shows a slight decline.
Select your state below to find accredited teacher certification programs, application requirements, and licensing timelines for your jurisdiction.
May 2025 US Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS wage estimates and 2024-2034 employment projections for Kindergarten and Elementary School Teachers, Middle School Teachers, and High School Teachers, reflect state and national data, not school-specific outcomes. State or district job-growth projections are sourced separately from national BLS outlook data. Conditions vary by school sector, subject area, and district. Data accessed July 2026.
