Pay by state · 54 areas
High School Teacher Salary by State (2026)
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education earn the most in Washington at $102,670 a year and the least in Oklahoma at $48,710 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $72,040. The table below covers all 50 states, DC, Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $102,670Washington
- National median
- $72,040BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Lowest median
- $48,710Oklahoma
- Areas reporting
- 54of 54 OEWS areas
Top and bottom
Highest- and lowest-paying states for secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education
Ranked on the state median among the 50 states and DC. Territories are in the full table but not ranked here.
Highest median pay
- 1Washington$102,670
- 2California$101,370
- 3New York$97,070
- 4Massachusetts$95,260
- 5Rhode Island$92,610
Lowest median pay
- 1Oklahoma$48,710
- 2Mississippi$50,980
- 3South Dakota$51,050
- 4West Virginia$56,610
- 5North Carolina$57,650
All states
High School Teacher salary in every state
Sort by any column. Employment is the number of secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | WAWashington | $102,670 | $81,360 | $121,100 | 14,880 | $95,942 |
| 2 | CACalifornia | $101,370 | $79,710 | $125,920 | 99,230 | $91,555 |
| 3 | NYNew York | $97,070 | $76,050 | $131,980 | 70,660 | $89,945 |
| 4 | MAMassachusetts | $95,260 | $77,890 | $102,530 | 28,460 | $90,074 |
| 5 | RIRhode Island | $92,610 | $66,470 | $97,230 | 4,910 | $90,546 |
| 6 | DCDistrict of Columbia | $82,750 | $66,480 | $102,320 | 2,800 | $75,295 |
| 7 | NJNew Jersey | $82,200 | $75,790 | $102,410 | 38,140 | $75,548 |
| 8 | CTConnecticut | $80,970 | $62,800 | $101,260 | 14,800 | $78,149 |
| 9 | ILIllinois | $79,990 | $62,330 | $104,670 | 44,670 | $80,024 |
| 10 | AKAlaska | $79,650 | $78,250 | $97,880 | 2,790 | $77,814 |
| 11 | OROregon | $79,570 | $61,990 | $96,140 | 11,730 | $76,983 |
| 12 | OHOhio | $78,800 | $61,170 | $97,520 | 49,540 | $84,938 |
| 13 | PAPennsylvania | $78,800 | $61,750 | $92,980 | 52,240 | $80,761 |
| 14 | MDMaryland | $78,670 | $62,300 | $98,690 | 16,640 | $74,953 |
| 15 | DEDelaware | $77,960 | $61,690 | $82,460 | 5,360 | $78,110 |
| 16 | NHNew Hampshire | $77,060 | $60,860 | $81,980 | 5,860 | $73,979 |
| 17 | MNMinnesota | $76,460 | $60,620 | $97,400 | 16,020 | $77,529 |
| 18 | UTUtah | $76,330 | $61,660 | $83,410 | 11,030 | $77,207 |
| 19 | VTVermont | $76,220 | $60,660 | $80,510 | 2,450 | $77,809 |
| 20 | NMNew Mexico | $75,900 | $63,190 | $79,550 | 8,120 | $82,310 |
| 21 | GAGeorgia | $75,480 | $60,950 | $79,240 | 25,730 | $78,386 |
| 22 | HIHawaii | $74,310 | $59,270 | $81,220 | 5,590 | $67,585 |
| 23 | COColorado | $72,900 | $60,860 | $83,790 | 18,310 | $70,741 |
| 24 | VAVirginia | $72,170 | $60,250 | $83,820 | 31,100 | $71,382 |
| 25 | MIMichigan | $66,030 | $57,670 | $81,230 | 25,540 | $68,626 |
| 26 | NVNevada | $65,520 | $54,850 | $83,190 | 8,920 | $65,534 |
| 27 | MEMaine | $64,880 | $50,870 | $79,920 | 5,540 | $66,852 |
| 28 | TXTexas | $63,590 | $61,390 | $73,720 | 111,660 | $65,518 |
| 29 | NENebraska | $63,450 | $60,740 | $76,070 | 7,170 | $70,419 |
| 30 | WIWisconsin | $62,870 | $58,910 | $77,420 | 15,910 | $66,815 |
| 31 | GUGuam | $62,860 | $45,700 | $76,940 | 680 | N/A |
| 32 | WYWyoming | $62,690 | $60,490 | $74,950 | 1,600 | $67,633 |
| 33 | SCSouth Carolina | $62,580 | $55,790 | $76,600 | 16,080 | $66,753 |
| 34 | ALAlabama | $61,990 | $51,240 | $72,470 | 15,880 | $69,790 |
| 35 | INIndiana | $61,880 | $51,580 | $77,430 | 20,430 | $66,303 |
| 36 | TNTennessee | $61,860 | $52,870 | $73,740 | 21,230 | $67,334 |
| 37 | IDIdaho | $61,690 | $50,070 | $78,280 | 6,570 | $64,601 |
| 38 | KYKentucky | $61,560 | $49,990 | $75,290 | 12,780 | $68,279 |
| 39 | NDNorth Dakota | $61,210 | $50,260 | $74,400 | 3,070 | $68,807 |
| 40 | IAIowa | $61,200 | $49,390 | $73,970 | 12,310 | $69,734 |
| 41 | MTMontana | $60,990 | $47,420 | $74,470 | 3,670 | $64,441 |
| 42 | FLFlorida | $60,410 | $52,340 | $64,770 | 49,810 | $58,416 |
| 43 | KSKansas | $59,920 | $49,440 | $64,160 | 10,860 | $66,528 |
| 44 | LALouisiana | $59,850 | $49,390 | $62,580 | 15,210 | $67,852 |
| 45 | ARArkansas | $59,660 | $51,410 | $62,270 | 12,890 | $68,624 |
| 46 | VIU.S. Virgin Islands | $59,520 | $51,170 | $59,920 | 380 | N/A |
| 47 | MOMissouri | $59,240 | $47,680 | $71,000 | 24,380 | $65,230 |
| 48 | PRPuerto Rico | $59,100 | $50,880 | $60,730 | 5,640 | N/A |
| 49 | AZArizona | $58,360 | $49,670 | $64,890 | 21,190 | $57,968 |
| 50 | NCNorth Carolina | $57,650 | $47,760 | $60,740 | 28,620 | $61,118 |
| 51 | WVWest Virginia | $56,610 | $52,200 | $60,870 | 3,590 | $63,254 |
| 52 | SDSouth Dakota | $51,050 | $48,180 | $59,500 | 3,360 | $57,628 |
| 53 | MSMississippi | $50,980 | $47,750 | $60,360 | 10,400 | $58,629 |
| 54 | OKOklahoma | $48,710 | $46,860 | $59,720 | 15,480 | $55,451 |
Method
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 secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education, the adjustment does not change the leader: Washington is first on raw pay and still first once prices are taken into account, at $95,942.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Questions
High School Teacher pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education the most?
Washington reports the highest median wage for secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education at $102,670 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by California ($101,370) and New York ($97,070).
Which state pays secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education the least?
Among the 50 states and DC, Oklahoma reports the lowest median for secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education at $48,710 a year, $53,960 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Among the territories, Guam reports $62,860, U.S. Virgin Islands reports $59,520 and Puerto Rico reports $59,100.
In which states do secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education earn over $100,000?
2 of the 50 states and DC have a median of $100,000 or more: Washington ($102,670) and California ($101,370) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Is the highest-paying state the best for secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education after cost of living?
Yes. Washington stays first after dividing each state median by its BEA Regional Price Parity, at $95,942 in national-average dollars from a raw $102,670. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024; the adjustment is NueCareer's calculation.