Official national median: US$72,040 a year for Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education (SOC 25-2031).
Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025). Observed figure, published May 2025.
For context, the SalaryByRole job-title median is US$65,000 a year.
Showing amounts in USD (USD default). FX as of Sun, 01 Nov 2026 00:02:31 +0000. Convert currencies
The United States national median for a teacher is US$65,000 a year, or about US$5,400 a month before tax.
BLS OEWS (May 2025) publishes the national spread for the matching occupation: US$48,780 at the 10th percentile and US$107,600 at the 90th, a 2.2× gap.
The closest official occupation is Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education (SOC 25-2031). In May 2025 its national median was $72,040 a year.
That is 11% above the SalaryByRole median above. The sources define the job differently (an official occupation group versus a job title), so read them as a range rather than one figure.
The published 10th and 90th percentiles are $48,780 and $107,600, a 2.2× spread.
BLS estimates 1,065,210 jobs in this occupation nationwide.
51 states have a published figure. Washington is highest at $102,670 (+43% vs national) and Oklahoma lowest at $48,710, a 2.11× gap.
23 of the 51 pay above the national median; the next highest after Washington are California ($101,370) and New York ($97,070).
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Median annual pay Observed | $72,040 |
| Mean annual pay Observed | $76,320 |
| 10th percentile Observed | $48,780 |
| 25th percentile Observed | $59,980 |
| 75th percentile Observed | $92,570 |
| 90th percentile Observed | $107,600 |
| Employment (jobs) Observed | 1,065,210 |
| # | State | Median | vs national |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $102,670 | +43% |
| 2 | California | $101,370 | +41% |
| 3 | New York | $97,070 | +35% |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $95,260 | +32% |
| 5 | Rhode Island | $92,610 | +29% |
| … | |||
| 49 | South Dakota | $51,050 | -29% |
| 50 | Mississippi | $50,980 | -29% |
| 51 | Oklahoma | $48,710 | -32% |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (Public domain (U.S. Government work)). Figures are copied from the published table without adjustment; ranks and percentage differences are calculated by us. All states · Methodology
The United States is 3rd of 8 countries for this role once medians are converted at the same exchange rate (US$65,000). Canada pays 8% more (US$69,973 at today's rate) and Germany pays 8% less (US$59,963).
That median is about 70% of GDP per person (US$90,000, World Bank 2025). This role pays less, relative to the national economy, than in many countries in our table.
Using our take-home calculator for the United States, the US$65,000 median loses income tax US$5,620, Social Security US$4,030 and Medicare US$943, leaving US$54,408 a year or US$4,534 a month. Total deductions: 16% of gross.
At the published 10th percentile from BLS OEWS (May 2025) (US$48,780) deductions are 15%; at the 90th (US$107,600) they reach 21%, leaving US$7,044 a month.
Consumer prices in the United States rose 2.9% in 2024 (World Bank). Matching that on the US$65,000 median takes a raise of about US$1,885.
Unemployment was 4.2% of the labour force in 2025.
The United States has 14 public holidays in 2026 (Nager.Date); at the median, one working day is worth about US$250 before tax.
Figures are estimates, updated 2026-11-01. See our methodology for sources and limitations.
Canada
United States
Germany