Sort by any column. Employment is the number of elementary school teachers, except special education OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
Elementary School Teacher Salary by State (2026)
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education earn the most in Washington at $102,350 a year and the least in Oklahoma at $48,200 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $63,970. All 54 states and territories with reported data are ranked below, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $102,350
- National median
- $63,970
- Lowest median
- $48,200
- States reporting
- 54
Washington
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Oklahoma
of 54 OEWS areas
Top 5 states for Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education
- 1. Washington$102,350 median · $95,643 adjusted · 28,980 employed
- 2. California$99,650 median · $90,002 adjusted · 155,160 employed
- 3. District of Columbia$96,580 median · $87,879 adjusted · 3,750 employed
- 4. Massachusetts$94,000 median · $88,883 adjusted · 29,930 employed
- 5. Rhode Island$90,930 median · $88,903 adjusted · 3,830 employed
Lowest-paying states for Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education
- 54. Oklahoma$48,200 median · $54,871 adjusted · 18,500 employed
- 53. Mississippi$49,790 median · $57,261 adjusted · 11,060 employed
- 52. South Dakota$50,130 median · $56,589 adjusted · 4,290 employed
- 51. Missouri$50,910 median · $56,058 adjusted · 33,180 employed
- 50. Puerto Rico$51,540 median · no price parity · 4,370 employed
Elementary School Teacher salary in every state
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $102,350 | $80,320 | $115,880 | 28,980 | $95,643 |
| 2 | California | $99,650 | $77,140 | $119,970 | 155,160 | $90,002 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $96,580 | $77,950 | $102,650 | 3,750 | $87,879 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $94,000 | $76,990 | $102,180 | 29,930 | $88,883 |
| 5 | Rhode Island | $90,930 | $61,860 | $96,020 | 3,830 | $88,903 |
| 6 | New York | $85,760 | $66,100 | $126,930 | 101,410 | $79,466 |
| 7 | Connecticut | $80,600 | $62,630 | $100,840 | 16,330 | $77,792 |
| 8 | Alaska | $79,260 | $62,800 | $97,090 | 3,500 | $77,433 |
| 9 | New Jersey | $78,200 | $64,060 | $98,670 | 40,300 | $71,872 |
| 10 | Maryland | $77,680 | $62,290 | $100,560 | 29,610 | $74,010 |
| 11 | Ohio | $77,370 | $59,960 | $82,720 | 47,870 | $83,396 |
| 12 | Oregon | $77,130 | $60,020 | $92,190 | 12,600 | $74,622 |
| 13 | Pennsylvania | $77,060 | $61,380 | $88,660 | 48,370 | $78,978 |
| 14 | Minnesota | $76,350 | $59,250 | $91,290 | 26,640 | $77,418 |
| 15 | Delaware | $75,920 | $60,960 | $86,260 | 2,900 | $76,066 |
| 16 | Illinois | $75,320 | $58,430 | $97,830 | 61,520 | $75,352 |
| 17 | Utah | $74,810 | $60,210 | $82,600 | 14,820 | $75,670 |
| 18 | New Mexico | $74,550 | $62,680 | $78,060 | 6,210 | $80,846 |
| 19 | New Hampshire | $72,410 | $60,410 | $80,880 | 5,190 | $69,515 |
| 20 | Georgia | $72,290 | $61,110 | $77,870 | 43,820 | $75,073 |
| 21 | Hawaii | $71,410 | $59,530 | $76,740 | 6,040 | $64,947 |
| 22 | Virginia | $65,550 | $60,120 | $82,350 | 37,880 | $64,834 |
| 23 | Michigan | $65,110 | $52,040 | $79,150 | 40,910 | $67,670 |
| 24 | Nevada | $65,040 | $54,980 | $78,130 | 9,550 | $65,054 |
| 25 | Colorado | $63,410 | $59,020 | $80,160 | 24,860 | $61,532 |
| 26 | Vermont | $63,070 | $59,300 | $78,800 | 3,610 | $64,385 |
| 27 | Texas | $62,760 | $59,460 | $65,410 | 116,260 | $64,663 |
| 28 | Maine | $62,390 | $48,820 | $78,290 | 7,490 | $64,286 |
| 29 | Nebraska | $62,380 | $51,260 | $75,750 | 8,710 | $69,232 |
| 30 | Guam | $62,240 | $46,170 | $77,460 | 1,000 | N/A |
| 31 | Idaho | $61,600 | $48,900 | $65,960 | 6,850 | $64,507 |
| 32 | Alabama | $61,380 | $49,290 | $64,160 | 22,030 | $69,104 |
| 33 | Wisconsin | $61,210 | $51,460 | $76,820 | 24,920 | $65,051 |
| 34 | Wyoming | $61,150 | $59,310 | $73,860 | 2,600 | $65,972 |
| 35 | South Carolina | $60,820 | $50,280 | $74,120 | 25,030 | $64,875 |
| 36 | Kentucky | $60,610 | $48,400 | $64,570 | 19,080 | $67,226 |
| 37 | Iowa | $60,580 | $48,620 | $64,210 | 17,300 | $69,028 |
| 38 | U.S. Virgin Islands | $60,560 | $51,500 | $60,770 | 630 | N/A |
| 39 | North Dakota | $60,030 | $49,360 | $61,970 | 4,430 | $67,481 |
| 40 | Tennessee | $59,980 | $50,360 | $64,590 | 28,240 | $65,288 |
| 41 | Indiana | $59,700 | $49,620 | $69,830 | 27,720 | $63,967 |
| 42 | Florida | $58,930 | $50,800 | $62,510 | 79,090 | $56,985 |
| 43 | Louisiana | $58,770 | $49,110 | $61,850 | 22,060 | $66,627 |
| 44 | Montana | $57,530 | $46,830 | $65,190 | 4,960 | $60,785 |
| 45 | Arizona | $56,590 | $47,900 | $63,440 | 24,240 | $56,209 |
| 46 | Kansas | $56,450 | $49,090 | $61,330 | 14,350 | $62,675 |
| 47 | West Virginia | $55,630 | $50,170 | $58,340 | 5,420 | $62,159 |
| 48 | North Carolina | $54,930 | $47,470 | $59,730 | 42,410 | $58,234 |
| 49 | Arkansas | $52,700 | $50,940 | $60,750 | 12,590 | $60,619 |
| 50 | Puerto Rico | $51,540 | $48,510 | $61,880 | 4,370 | N/A |
| 51 | Missouri | $50,910 | $47,200 | $61,620 | 33,180 | $56,058 |
| 52 | South Dakota | $50,130 | $48,000 | $58,030 | 4,290 | $56,589 |
| 53 | Mississippi | $49,790 | $47,660 | $59,490 | 11,060 | $57,261 |
| 54 | Oklahoma | $48,200 | $46,720 | $58,260 | 18,500 | $54,871 |
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education, that changes the ranking: Washington leads on raw pay at $102,350, while Washington leads once prices are taken into account at $95,643.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Elementary School Teacher pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education the most?
Washington reports the highest median wage for Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education at $102,350 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by California ($99,650) and District of Columbia ($96,580).
Which state pays Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education the least?
Oklahoma reports the lowest median for Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education at $48,200 a year, $54,150 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity puts Washington first at $95,643 in national-average dollars, from a raw median of $102,350. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
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