Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education (SOC 25-2021) earn a median $63,970 a year in the United States, with 1,388,390 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Washington.
What elementary school teachers, except special education do
Elementary school teachers build academic and social skills in children in the elementary grades. They instruct individually and in groups using lectures, discussions, and demonstrations, plan and conduct a balanced program of instruction, demonstration, and work time, and read books to whole classes or small groups. They set and enforce behavior rules, counsel students who struggle to adjust or have particular academic interests, adapt their methods and materials to differing needs, and watch each student's performance, behavior, social growth, and health. They also prepare materials and classrooms for class activities. Alternate titles such as art teacher, band teacher, choir teacher, and classroom teacher show that assignments range from single subjects to a whole class. Special education teachers and short-term substitutes are classified separately, even when they work in the same school buildings.
Typical entry: According to O*NET, the most commonly reported level of education for this occupation is a bachelor's degree.
Also called: Art Educator, Art Instructor, Art Teacher, Band Teacher, Bilingual Instructor.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 1,388,390 |
| Annual | $47,960 | $57,710 | $63,970 | $81,450 | $104,340 | $72,650 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where elementary school teachers, except special education earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Washington | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 28,980 | 8.16 | 0.91 |
| Annual | $64,610 | $80,320 | $102,350 | $115,880 | $127,570 | $97,970 | ||||
| California | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 155,160 | 8.52 | 0.95 |
| Annual | $61,940 | $77,140 | $99,650 | $119,970 | $127,070 | $95,670 | ||||
| District of Columbia | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 3,750 | 5.35 | 0.60 |
| Annual | $63,950 | $77,950 | $96,580 | $102,650 | $128,370 | $93,910 | ||||
| Massachusetts | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 29,930 | 8.23 | 0.92 |
| Annual | $60,620 | $76,990 | $94,000 | $102,180 | $118,190 | $88,720 | ||||
| Rhode Island | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 3,830 | 7.65 | 0.86 |
| Annual | $45,070 | $61,860 | $90,930 | $96,020 | $99,610 | $79,660 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 155,160 | 8.52 | 0.95 |
| Annual | $61,940 | $77,140 | $99,650 | $119,970 | $127,070 | $95,670 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 116,260 | 8.26 | 0.93 |
| Annual | $48,500 | $59,460 | $62,760 | $65,410 | $73,570 | $61,890 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 101,410 | 10.47 | 1.17 |
| Annual | $56,760 | $66,100 | $85,760 | $126,930 | $136,260 | $93,400 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 79,090 | 7.96 | 0.89 |
| Annual | $48,680 | $50,800 | $58,930 | $62,510 | $75,780 | $59,530 | ||||
| Illinois | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 61,520 | 10.09 | 1.13 |
| Annual | $47,040 | $58,430 | $75,320 | $97,830 | $105,250 | $74,630 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 950 | 7.27 | 0.81 |
| Annual | $62,890 | $79,880 | $104,650 | $105,390 | $120,250 | $93,820 | ||||
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 10,480 | 9.70 | 1.09 |
| Annual | $60,980 | $78,450 | $103,390 | $115,540 | $117,100 | $93,930 | ||||
| Walla Walla, WA | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 220 | 8.38 | 0.94 |
| Annual | $62,000 | $78,270 | $102,980 | $105,270 | $106,970 | $91,550 | ||||
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 14,560 | 6.98 | 0.78 |
| Annual | $67,550 | $81,390 | $102,920 | $126,640 | $131,990 | $102,290 | ||||
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 7,810 | 6.88 | 0.77 |
| Annual | $64,770 | $83,030 | $102,860 | $121,840 | $126,980 | $102,340 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 98,900 | 10.42 | 1.17 |
| Annual | $62,530 | $75,390 | $96,900 | $128,250 | $136,330 | $96,400 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 45,840 | 10.16 | 1.14 |
| Annual | $48,960 | $60,630 | $78,390 | $102,430 | $105,250 | $78,800 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 44,790 | 7.14 | 0.80 |
| Annual | $62,250 | $77,000 | $101,860 | $123,800 | $129,130 | $98,150 | ||||
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 30,980 | 9.42 | 1.05 |
| Annual | $46,390 | $61,320 | $64,500 | $67,370 | $74,430 | $62,840 | ||||
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 30,940 | 9.87 | 1.10 |
| Annual | $60,790 | $64,140 | $79,470 | $102,750 | $122,580 | $84,370 | ||||
Top industries employing elementary school teachers, except special education
Elementary and Secondary Schools employ 99.5% of elementary school teachers, except special education nationally (1,381,960 jobs) at a median $63,980 a year, followed by Religious Organizations (0.2%) and Child Care Services (0.1%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary and Secondary Schools NAICS 611100 | 1,381,960 | 99.5% | $63,980 | * |
| Religious Organizations NAICS 813100 | 2,220 | 0.2% | $46,390 | * |
| Child Care Services NAICS 624400 | 840 | 0.1% | $55,630 | * |
| Individual and Family Services NAICS 624100 | 620 | under 0.1% | $48,430 | * |
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools NAICS 611300 | 610 | under 0.1% | $60,720 | * |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (1,388,390). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $61,400 for elementary school teachers, except special education in May 2021 and $63,970 in May 2025, with employment of 1,329,280 and 1,388,390.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $61,400 | * | 1,329,280 |
| May 2022 | $61,690 | * | 1,394,200 |
| May 2023 | $63,680 | * | 1,410,070 |
| May 2024 | $62,340 | * | 1,393,310 |
| May 2025 | $63,970 | * | 1,388,390 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
51 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington profile | * | $102,350 | $64,610 | $127,570 | 28,980 | 8.16 | 0.91 |
| 2 | California profile | * | $99,650 | $61,940 | $127,070 | 155,160 | 8.52 | 0.95 |
| 3 | District of Columbia profile | * | $96,580 | $63,950 | $128,370 | 3,750 | 5.35 | 0.60 |
| 4 | Massachusetts profile | * | $94,000 | $60,620 | $118,190 | 29,930 | 8.23 | 0.92 |
| 5 | Rhode Island profile | * | $90,930 | $45,070 | $99,610 | 3,830 | 7.65 | 0.86 |
| 6 | New York profile | * | $85,760 | $56,760 | $136,260 | 101,410 | 10.47 | 1.17 |
| 7 | Connecticut profile | * | $80,600 | $58,870 | $105,890 | 16,330 | 9.63 | 1.08 |
| 8 | Alaska profile | * | $79,260 | $62,140 | $98,610 | 3,500 | 10.74 | 1.20 |
| 9 | New Jersey profile | * | $78,200 | $61,840 | $105,480 | 40,300 | 9.40 | 1.05 |
| 10 | Maryland profile | * | $77,680 | $56,290 | $107,040 | 29,610 | 10.72 | 1.20 |
| 11 | Ohio profile | * | $77,370 | $47,680 | $99,210 | 47,870 | 8.63 | 0.97 |
| 12 | Oregon profile | * | $77,130 | $48,500 | $103,540 | 12,600 | 6.41 | 0.72 |
| 13 | Pennsylvania profile | * | $77,060 | $51,990 | $99,630 | 48,370 | 7.98 | 0.89 |
| 14 | Minnesota profile | * | $76,350 | $48,870 | $100,880 | 26,640 | 9.03 | 1.01 |
| 15 | Delaware profile | * | $75,920 | $50,330 | $94,100 | 2,900 | 5.98 | 0.67 |
| 16 | Illinois profile | * | $75,320 | $47,040 | $105,250 | 61,520 | 10.09 | 1.13 |
| 17 | Utah profile | * | $74,810 | $49,610 | $100,340 | 14,820 | 8.54 | 0.96 |
| 18 | New Mexico profile | * | $74,550 | $58,120 | $86,560 | 6,210 | 7.13 | 0.80 |
| 19 | New Hampshire profile | * | $72,410 | $48,110 | $92,920 | 5,190 | 7.59 | 0.85 |
| 20 | Georgia profile | * | $72,290 | $49,260 | $98,030 | 43,820 | 8.96 | 1.00 |
| 21 | Hawaii profile | * | $71,410 | $55,210 | $95,120 | 6,040 | 9.63 | 1.08 |
| 22 | Virginia profile | * | $65,550 | $49,770 | $100,290 | 37,880 | 9.22 | 1.03 |
| 23 | Michigan profile | * | $65,110 | $47,670 | $94,680 | 40,910 | 9.29 | 1.04 |
| 24 | Nevada profile | * | $65,040 | $49,560 | $82,670 | 9,550 | 6.15 | 0.69 |
| 25 | Colorado profile | * | $63,410 | $48,410 | $98,950 | 24,860 | 8.65 | 0.97 |
| 26 | Vermont profile | * | $63,070 | $48,700 | $97,230 | 3,610 | 11.87 | 1.33 |
| 27 | Texas profile | * | $62,760 | $48,500 | $73,570 | 116,260 | 8.26 | 0.93 |
| 28 | Maine profile | * | $62,390 | $46,570 | $92,100 | 7,490 | 11.69 | 1.31 |
| 29 | Nebraska profile | * | $62,380 | $46,700 | $78,130 | 8,710 | 8.50 | 0.95 |
| 30 | Idaho profile | * | $61,600 | $45,940 | $80,710 | 6,850 | 7.99 | 0.90 |
| 31 | Alabama profile | * | $61,380 | $47,750 | $73,950 | 22,030 | 10.42 | 1.17 |
| 32 | Wisconsin profile | * | $61,210 | $48,610 | $84,470 | 24,920 | 8.47 | 0.95 |
| 33 | Wyoming profile | * | $61,150 | $51,630 | $76,860 | 2,600 | 9.26 | 1.04 |
| 34 | South Carolina profile | * | $60,820 | $48,410 | $77,570 | 25,030 | 10.86 | 1.22 |
| 35 | Kentucky profile | * | $60,610 | $45,600 | $79,740 | 19,080 | 9.54 | 1.07 |
| 36 | Iowa profile | * | $60,580 | $47,260 | $77,400 | 17,300 | 11.09 | 1.24 |
| 37 | North Dakota profile | * | $60,030 | $46,530 | $75,990 | 4,430 | 10.31 | 1.15 |
| 38 | Tennessee profile | * | $59,980 | $48,100 | $76,840 | 28,240 | 8.61 | 0.96 |
| 39 | Indiana profile | * | $59,700 | $47,330 | $77,730 | 27,720 | 8.66 | 0.97 |
| 40 | Florida profile | * | $58,930 | $48,680 | $75,780 | 79,090 | 7.96 | 0.89 |
| 41 | Louisiana profile | * | $58,770 | $46,680 | $76,380 | 22,060 | 11.40 | 1.28 |
| 42 | Montana profile | * | $57,530 | $38,160 | $78,450 | 4,960 | 9.70 | 1.09 |
| 43 | Arizona profile | * | $56,590 | $43,370 | $79,470 | 24,240 | 7.48 | 0.84 |
| 44 | Kansas profile | * | $56,450 | $47,700 | $71,730 | 14,350 | 9.98 | 1.12 |
| 45 | West Virginia profile | * | $55,630 | $48,080 | $60,790 | 5,420 | 7.73 | 0.87 |
| 46 | North Carolina profile | * | $54,930 | $45,570 | $62,590 | 42,410 | 8.58 | 0.96 |
| 47 | Arkansas profile | * | $52,700 | $49,380 | $63,120 | 12,590 | 9.66 | 1.08 |
| 48 | Missouri profile | * | $50,910 | $39,980 | $78,820 | 33,180 | 11.30 | 1.27 |
| 49 | South Dakota profile | * | $50,130 | $47,120 | $60,180 | 4,290 | 9.38 | 1.05 |
| 50 | Mississippi profile | * | $49,790 | $46,020 | $62,990 | 11,060 | 9.51 | 1.07 |
| 51 | Oklahoma profile | * | $48,200 | $41,400 | $61,930 | 18,500 | 10.83 | 1.21 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (25-2020), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Educational Instruction and Library Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 25-2021 Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education.
*- Wage estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked. A withheld or top-coded median in that table shows the marker explained above.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them. A withheld or top-coded cell in that table shows the marker explained above.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 25-2021, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 25-2021.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.