Elementary School Teacher Salary (2026), outlook and how to become one

Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education earn a median of $63,970 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 25% above the $50,980 US median across all occupations. The middle half earn between $57,710 and $81,450. The top 10% earn $104,340 or more.

BLS does not publish a starting salary. The nearest measure is the low end of the pay range: the lowest-paid 10% of elementary school teachers, except special education earn less than $47,960 a year and the bottom quarter less than $57,710 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). New workers often start near that end, but where a particular job starts depends on the employer, the state and the credentials you bring, so read these as the bottom of the range rather than a guaranteed entry wage.

A minority do. $100,000 sits between the 75th percentile ($81,450) and the 90th ($104,340), so roughly 10% to 25% of elementary school teachers, except special education earn more than that (BLS OEWS, May 2025). One state has a median above $100,000: Washington ($102,350).

The highest state medians for Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education are Washington ($102,350), California ($99,650), District of Columbia ($96,580) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

BLS does not split elementary school teachers, except special education' pay by specialty or employer, but its range shows how far the top end runs: the highest-paid 10% earn more than $104,340, against a median of $63,970 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Location moves pay the most in the published data: the best-paying states are Washington ($102,350), California ($99,650), District of Columbia ($96,580). BLS also counts 2 specialty careers inside this occupation (international school teacher, reading specialist), which share its federal pay figures.

Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as considerable preparation. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 78.2% hold bachelor's degree.

No. BLS projects employment to fall 0.4% over 2025–2035, a loss of 5,800 jobs (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 87,500 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.

Kindergarten and elementary school teachers instruct young students in basic subjects, such as math and reading, in order to prepare them for middle school. A core O*NET task: instruct students individually and in groups, using teaching methods such as lectures, discussions, and demonstrations. Employers most often ask for Document management software, Electronic mail software, Office suite software.

Most work more than 40. In O*NET's survey of people in the job, 97% of elementary school teachers, except special education usually work more than 40 hours a week, 0% work exactly 40 and 3% work fewer. 99% say their schedule is regular and 0% irregular. Source: O*NET 31.0 Database, Work Context.

O*NET scores Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education highest on the Social, Artistic and Conventional interest areas, so the work mixes teaching, helping and working directly with other people with creating, designing and working without a fixed set of rules. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ESFP, ENFJ, ENFP. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.

4 years for a bachelor's degree that includes a teacher preparation program and student teaching. Career changers who already hold a bachelor's degree in another subject complete a teacher education program separately. Every state offers an alternative certification route for them; some alternative programs allow candidates to begin teaching immediately after graduation under the supervision of an experienced teacher, while others require education classes before you can teach.

Yes, and it is issued by the state you work in, not nationally. All states require public school teachers to be licensed or certified in the specific grade level they will teach; private school teachers typically do not need a license. Requirements vary by state but generally involve a bachelor's degree with a minimum grade point average, completion of a student teaching program, passing a background check, and passing a general teaching certification test plus a test demonstrating knowledge of the subject to be taught. Which tests those are differs materially: many states adopt the ETS Praxis tests, Texas uses its own TExES examinations, and California uses CBEST and CSET. In some states public schools require elementary teachers to major in a content area such as mathematics rather than in elementary education. Some states require teachers to earn a master's degree after receiving their certification and obtaining a job. All states offer an alternative route to certification for people who already have a bachelor's degree but lack the required education courses.

The Praxis (Praxis tests), the TExES (Texas Examinations of Educator Standards), the CBEST and CSET (California Basic Educational Skills Test and California Subject Examinations for Teachers). Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators is used by colleges and universities to evaluate candidates seeking to enter teacher preparation programs, and by many states as part of licensing. Praxis Subject Assessments cover the content area a candidate will teach. Each state sets its own requirements and qualifying scores, and some states accept a combination of Praxis and their own tests.

Women make up 79.2% of elementary school teachers, except special education, against 47.1% of all employed people: a female-dominated occupation. 19.7% are 55 or older, close to the 23.2% across all jobs. The median worker is 43.4 years old (all workers: 42.1). Source: BLS Current Population Survey, 2025 annual averages, for the Census group "Elementary and middle school teachers".