Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education Salary in California
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education in California earn a median $101,370 a year, +41% against the national median of $72,040; they and rank 2nd of 51 states by median. Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education earn 74% more than the median across all occupations in California ($58,240). California pays more than every neighbouring state: Oregon, Nevada and Arizona range from $58,360 in Arizona to $79,570 in Oregon. California employs 99,230 secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education, 5.45 per 1,000 jobs, the 2nd largest count of any state. A location quotient of 0.80 means it is less common in California than nationally.
California vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 99,230 | 5.45 | 0.80 |
| Annual | $64,600 | $79,710 | $101,370 | $125,920 | $132,600 | $105,880 | ||||
| United States | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 1,065,210 | – | – |
| Annual | $48,780 | $59,980 | $72,040 | $92,570 | $107,600 | $76,320 | ||||
- Rank by median
- 2nd of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 2nd of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 0.80
- Jobs per 1,000
- 5.45
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of California's employment divided by its national share; 1.00 means the same share as the nation. Take-home pay at these wages: FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Metropolitan areas in California
24 metropolitan areas and 3 nonmetropolitan areas touching California publish a row for secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education, sorted by median. Areas crossing a state line are listed under every state they touch; a linked metro has its own profile.
| Area | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | * | $108,850 | $65,590 | $130,250 | 2,210 | 6.84 | 1.00 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | * | $108,230 | $70,820 | $151,810 | 4,130 | 3.64 | 0.53 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | * | $105,060 | $66,570 | $125,920 | 6,040 | 5.59 | 0.82 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | * | $102,880 | $72,820 | $146,540 | 11,520 | 4.85 | 0.71 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | * | $102,840 | $67,770 | $127,320 | 1,060 | 5.26 | 0.77 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | * | $102,810 | $66,660 | $221,870 | 6,690 | 4.35 | 0.64 |
| Vallejo, CA | * | $102,590 | $65,340 | $132,960 | 800 | 5.58 | 0.81 |
| Napa, CA | * | $102,510 | $63,070 | $146,390 | 300 | 3.86 | 0.56 |
| Hanford-Corcoran, CA | * | $102,010 | $63,710 | $126,840 | 730 | 14.97 | 2.19 |
| Modesto, CA | * | $101,890 | $78,440 | $127,340 | 1,900 | 9.74 | 1.42 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | * | $101,730 | $74,970 | $131,930 | 1,040 | 5.04 | 0.74 |
| Salinas, CA | * | $101,590 | $63,760 | $131,210 | 1,200 | 6.42 | 0.94 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | * | $100,960 | $67,190 | $133,850 | 32,250 | 5.14 | 0.75 |
| Fresno, CA | * | $100,750 | $63,240 | $134,990 | 3,210 | 6.73 | 0.98 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | * | $100,590 | $62,380 | $125,630 | 1,920 | 6.62 | 0.97 |
| Yuba City, CA | * | $100,170 | $64,960 | $125,100 | 670 | 13.08 | 1.91 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | * | $100,130 | $62,980 | $133,990 | 12,450 | 7.25 | 1.06 |
| Merced, CA | * | $99,600 | $63,910 | $123,960 | 1,020 | 12.78 | 1.87 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | * | $99,560 | $63,060 | $127,300 | 410 | 3.40 | 0.50 |
| El Centro, CA | * | $99,440 | $62,950 | $127,780 | 780 | 11.86 | 1.73 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | * | $99,150 | $63,350 | $125,170 | 3,300 | 9.75 | 1.42 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | * | $98,810 | $63,010 | $129,100 | 560 | 5.72 | 0.84 |
| Chico, CA | * | $98,210 | $65,590 | $121,980 | 400 | 5.07 | 0.74 |
| Visalia, CA | * | $97,610 | $65,520 | $121,300 | 1,330 | 7.78 | 1.14 |
| Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area | * | $102,950 | $64,120 | $129,760 | 470 | 7.42 | 1.08 |
| North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area | * | $96,460 | $60,900 | $128,760 | 850 | 8.10 | 1.18 |
| North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area | * | $95,890 | $62,050 | $127,970 | 900 | 8.20 | 1.20 |
Neighbouring states
See the national page for Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education (every state ranked) and the California wage profile (every occupation in the state).
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS California estimates.
*- 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.