Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education
Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education (SOC 25-2022) earn a median $64,370 a year in the United States, with 620,090 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Washington.
What middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education do
Middle school teachers handle one or more subjects for students in middle, intermediate, or junior high school. Their lessons, delivered through lectures, discussions, and demonstrations, cover subjects such as English, mathematics, or social studies. They prepare materials and classrooms, assign lessons and correct homework, prepare, administer, and grade tests and assignments, and establish clear objectives for lessons, units, and projects. They help students who need extra help, for example by tutoring, track students' performance, behavior, social growth, and health, and enforce behavior rules. Alternate titles such as algebra teacher, band director, and American history teacher show subject specialties. Career and technical education teachers at the middle school level, special education teachers, and short-term substitutes are counted in their own categories.
Typical entry: According to O*NET, the most commonly reported level of education for this occupation is a bachelor's degree.
Also called: Algebra Teacher, American History Teacher, Art Educator, Art Instructor, Art Teacher.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 620,090 |
| Annual | $48,080 | $58,530 | $64,370 | $80,490 | $102,540 | $72,030 | ||
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 middle school teachers, except special and career/technical 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 | * | * | * | * | * | * | 10,510 | 2.96 | 0.74 |
| Annual | $65,250 | $81,010 | $102,140 | $118,740 | $128,170 | $99,330 | ||||
| California | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 37,300 | 2.05 | 0.51 |
| Annual | $62,410 | $76,270 | $98,950 | $111,610 | $129,500 | $94,680 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 38,670 | 3.99 | 1.00 |
| Annual | $60,040 | $75,990 | $94,840 | $124,280 | $137,370 | $95,960 | ||||
| Connecticut | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 7,920 | 4.67 | 1.17 |
| Annual | $60,070 | $65,240 | $93,610 | $102,380 | $110,120 | $86,920 | ||||
| Rhode Island | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 2,370 | 4.73 | 1.19 |
| Annual | $46,460 | $63,160 | $92,760 | $95,610 | $99,150 | $80,970 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Texas | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 80,160 | 5.70 | 1.43 |
| Annual | $51,410 | $61,140 | $63,390 | $69,340 | $75,750 | $64,480 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 38,670 | 3.99 | 1.00 |
| Annual | $60,040 | $75,990 | $94,840 | $124,280 | $137,370 | $95,960 | ||||
| California | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 37,300 | 2.05 | 0.51 |
| Annual | $62,410 | $76,270 | $98,950 | $111,610 | $129,500 | $94,680 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 31,370 | 3.16 | 0.79 |
| Annual | $49,310 | $51,750 | $58,940 | $63,220 | $75,520 | $60,040 | ||||
| Ohio | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 30,450 | 5.49 | 1.38 |
| Annual | $46,040 | $55,620 | $77,090 | $93,520 | $101,940 | $73,280 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 160 | 3.02 | 0.76 |
| Annual | $78,540 | $98,710 | $106,920 | $127,170 | $132,010 | $106,790 | ||||
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 3,330 | 2.93 | 0.74 |
| Annual | $76,620 | $83,170 | $105,030 | $133,290 | $134,110 | $109,140 | ||||
| Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 420 | 3.25 | 0.81 |
| Annual | $67,080 | $81,250 | $104,410 | $106,010 | $122,570 | $96,680 | ||||
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 300 | 3.15 | 0.79 |
| Annual | $64,150 | $78,510 | $104,320 | $128,270 | $131,700 | $102,020 | ||||
| Fresno, CA | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 850 | 1.78 | 0.45 |
| Annual | $65,140 | $78,860 | $104,250 | $104,780 | $118,420 | $92,720 | ||||
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 | * | * | * | * | * | * | 39,310 | 4.14 | 1.04 |
| Annual | $62,990 | $76,320 | $96,500 | $120,980 | $137,370 | $96,560 | ||||
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 21,590 | 5.33 | 1.34 |
| Annual | $60,890 | $63,320 | $65,660 | $73,370 | $76,600 | $67,760 | ||||
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 19,340 | 5.88 | 1.47 |
| Annual | $60,920 | $61,780 | $65,830 | $72,960 | $75,890 | $67,300 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 17,300 | 3.83 | 0.96 |
| Annual | $50,530 | $61,630 | $78,000 | $100,610 | $120,620 | $81,000 | ||||
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 14,890 | 4.75 | 1.19 |
| Annual | $53,210 | $61,980 | $77,350 | $99,370 | $119,810 | $80,560 | ||||
Top industries employing middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education
Elementary and Secondary Schools employ 99.8% of middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education nationally (618,660 jobs) at a median $64,390 a year, followed by Religious Organizations (0.1%) and Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (under 0.1%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary and Secondary Schools NAICS 611100 | 618,660 | 99.8% | $64,390 | * |
| Religious Organizations NAICS 813100 | 540 | 0.1% | $57,420 | * |
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools NAICS 611300 | 210 | under 0.1% | $44,050 | * |
| Educational Support Services NAICS 611700 | 140 | under 0.1% | $79,490 | * |
| Individual and Family Services NAICS 624100 | 120 | under 0.1% | $47,590 | * |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (620,090). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $61,320 for middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education in May 2021 and $64,370 in May 2025, with employment of 592,000 and 620,090.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $61,320 | * | 592,000 |
| May 2022 | $61,810 | * | 611,120 |
| May 2023 | $64,290 | * | 626,690 |
| May 2024 | $62,970 | * | 620,370 |
| May 2025 | $64,370 | * | 620,090 |
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 | * | $102,140 | $65,250 | $128,170 | 10,510 | 2.96 | 0.74 |
| 2 | California profile | * | $98,950 | $62,410 | $129,500 | 37,300 | 2.05 | 0.51 |
| 3 | New York profile | * | $94,840 | $60,040 | $137,370 | 38,670 | 3.99 | 1.00 |
| 4 | Connecticut profile | * | $93,610 | $60,070 | $110,120 | 7,920 | 4.67 | 1.17 |
| 5 | Rhode Island profile | * | $92,760 | $46,460 | $99,150 | 2,370 | 4.73 | 1.19 |
| 6 | Massachusetts profile | * | $89,450 | $60,590 | $107,610 | 16,570 | 4.56 | 1.14 |
| 7 | District of Columbia profile | * | $79,900 | $59,860 | $108,730 | 1,540 | 2.20 | 0.55 |
| 8 | Utah profile | * | $79,180 | $54,940 | $102,400 | 5,960 | 3.44 | 0.86 |
| 9 | Alaska profile | * | $78,940 | $62,630 | $97,110 | 1,150 | 3.53 | 0.89 |
| 10 | New Jersey profile | * | $78,770 | $61,450 | $104,790 | 23,650 | 5.52 | 1.38 |
| 11 | Maryland profile | * | $78,510 | $59,890 | $115,540 | 14,530 | 5.26 | 1.32 |
| 12 | Oregon profile | * | $78,350 | $49,360 | $100,250 | 6,940 | 3.53 | 0.89 |
| 13 | Pennsylvania profile | * | $77,930 | $48,610 | $105,330 | 22,720 | 3.75 | 0.94 |
| 14 | Ohio profile | * | $77,090 | $46,040 | $101,940 | 30,450 | 5.49 | 1.38 |
| 15 | Illinois profile | * | $76,110 | $47,810 | $105,580 | 24,770 | 4.06 | 1.02 |
| 16 | New Mexico profile | * | $75,240 | $61,630 | $82,880 | 4,260 | 4.89 | 1.23 |
| 17 | Vermont profile | * | $73,940 | $49,300 | $97,630 | 1,620 | 5.32 | 1.33 |
| 18 | New Hampshire profile | * | $71,140 | $47,600 | $92,660 | 3,120 | 4.57 | 1.15 |
| 19 | Hawaii profile | * | $69,230 | $51,180 | $96,720 | 2,480 | 3.96 | 0.99 |
| 20 | Delaware profile | * | $67,780 | $48,310 | $94,760 | 2,350 | 4.85 | 1.22 |
| 21 | Nevada profile | * | $66,300 | $49,610 | $83,160 | 3,910 | 2.52 | 0.63 |
| 22 | Georgia profile | * | $64,780 | $47,540 | $97,960 | 23,610 | 4.83 | 1.21 |
| 23 | Michigan profile | * | $63,790 | $46,530 | $95,370 | 15,420 | 3.50 | 0.88 |
| 24 | Colorado profile | * | $63,760 | $49,580 | $99,400 | 13,280 | 4.62 | 1.16 |
| 25 | Maine profile | * | $63,590 | $47,640 | $80,650 | 2,780 | 4.34 | 1.09 |
| 26 | Virginia profile | * | $63,520 | $50,590 | $99,370 | 18,290 | 4.45 | 1.12 |
| 27 | Texas profile | * | $63,390 | $51,410 | $75,750 | 80,160 | 5.70 | 1.43 |
| 28 | Minnesota profile | * | $62,640 | $47,560 | $99,340 | 8,890 | 3.01 | 0.76 |
| 29 | Nebraska profile | * | $62,510 | $38,790 | $78,290 | 4,150 | 4.05 | 1.02 |
| 30 | Wyoming profile | * | $62,480 | $51,900 | $78,670 | 1,290 | 4.59 | 1.15 |
| 31 | Wisconsin profile | * | $61,960 | $47,870 | $79,990 | 14,460 | 4.92 | 1.23 |
| 32 | Alabama profile | * | $61,770 | $48,320 | $74,090 | 10,000 | 4.73 | 1.19 |
| 33 | Montana profile | * | $61,550 | $39,140 | $80,290 | 1,980 | 3.86 | 0.97 |
| 34 | Kentucky profile | * | $61,120 | $46,270 | $79,650 | 8,040 | 4.02 | 1.01 |
| 35 | Idaho profile | * | $60,930 | $46,870 | $79,070 | 2,360 | 2.75 | 0.69 |
| 36 | South Carolina profile | * | $60,810 | $48,090 | $78,160 | 9,750 | 4.23 | 1.06 |
| 37 | Indiana profile | * | $60,700 | $47,720 | $79,750 | 11,700 | 3.66 | 0.92 |
| 38 | Tennessee profile | * | $60,690 | $48,540 | $76,830 | 13,060 | 3.98 | 1.00 |
| 39 | Kansas profile | * | $60,580 | $48,290 | $78,430 | 6,230 | 4.34 | 1.09 |
| 40 | Iowa profile | * | $60,450 | $40,920 | $79,110 | 6,270 | 4.02 | 1.01 |
| 41 | North Dakota profile | * | $60,100 | $47,090 | $79,760 | 1,400 | 3.27 | 0.82 |
| 42 | Arizona profile | * | $59,710 | $46,940 | $81,420 | 9,020 | 2.78 | 0.70 |
| 43 | Arkansas profile | * | $59,570 | $49,780 | $74,100 | 6,140 | 4.71 | 1.18 |
| 44 | Missouri profile | * | $59,310 | $43,760 | $91,130 | 11,330 | 3.86 | 0.97 |
| 45 | Florida profile | * | $58,940 | $49,310 | $75,520 | 31,370 | 3.16 | 0.79 |
| 46 | Louisiana profile | * | $58,760 | $46,260 | $78,020 | 5,560 | 2.87 | 0.72 |
| 47 | West Virginia profile | * | $57,210 | $45,540 | $63,130 | 4,090 | 5.83 | 1.46 |
| 48 | North Carolina profile | * | $52,010 | $44,660 | $61,770 | 20,650 | 4.18 | 1.05 |
| 49 | South Dakota profile | * | $50,980 | $47,000 | $60,790 | 2,130 | 4.65 | 1.17 |
| 50 | Mississippi profile | * | $50,790 | $46,020 | $60,860 | 6,260 | 5.38 | 1.35 |
| 51 | Oklahoma profile | * | $48,440 | $43,400 | $68,990 | 7,620 | 4.46 | 1.12 |
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 25-2022 Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical 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 25-2022, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 25-2022.00, 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.