Pay by state · 53 areas
Middle School Teacher Salary by State (2026)
Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education earn the most in Washington at $102,140 a year and the least in Oklahoma at $48,440 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $64,370. The table below covers all 50 states, DC, Guam and Puerto Rico, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $102,140Washington
- National median
- $64,370BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Lowest median
- $48,440Oklahoma
- Areas reporting
- 53of 54 OEWS areas
Top and bottom
Highest- and lowest-paying states for middle 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$102,140
- 2California$98,950
- 3New York$94,840
- 4Connecticut$93,610
- 5Rhode Island$92,760
Lowest median pay
- 1Oklahoma$48,440
- 2Mississippi$50,790
- 3South Dakota$50,980
- 4North Carolina$52,010
- 5West Virginia$57,210
All states
Middle School Teacher salary in every state
Sort by any column. Employment is the number of middle 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 | $102,140 | $81,010 | $118,740 | 10,510 | $95,446 |
| 2 | CACalifornia | $98,950 | $76,270 | $111,610 | 37,300 | $89,370 |
| 3 | NYNew York | $94,840 | $75,990 | $124,280 | 38,670 | $87,879 |
| 4 | CTConnecticut | $93,610 | $65,240 | $102,380 | 7,920 | $90,348 |
| 5 | RIRhode Island | $92,760 | $63,160 | $95,610 | 2,370 | $90,692 |
| 6 | MAMassachusetts | $89,450 | $76,190 | $100,980 | 16,570 | $84,581 |
| 7 | DCDistrict of Columbia | $79,900 | $78,130 | $96,830 | 1,540 | $72,702 |
| 8 | UTUtah | $79,180 | $62,880 | $97,910 | 5,960 | $80,090 |
| 9 | AKAlaska | $78,940 | $76,170 | $96,300 | 1,150 | $77,121 |
| 10 | NJNew Jersey | $78,770 | $64,310 | $98,180 | 23,650 | $72,396 |
| 11 | MDMaryland | $78,510 | $62,660 | $101,450 | 14,530 | $74,801 |
| 12 | OROregon | $78,350 | $60,870 | $94,160 | 6,940 | $75,802 |
| 13 | PAPennsylvania | $77,930 | $61,250 | $96,600 | 22,720 | $79,869 |
| 14 | OHOhio | $77,090 | $55,620 | $93,520 | 30,450 | $83,094 |
| 15 | ILIllinois | $76,110 | $59,440 | $94,520 | 24,770 | $76,142 |
| 16 | NMNew Mexico | $75,240 | $64,080 | $77,640 | 4,260 | $81,595 |
| 17 | VTVermont | $73,940 | $60,830 | $81,630 | 1,620 | $75,481 |
| 18 | NHNew Hampshire | $71,140 | $58,840 | $80,570 | 3,120 | $68,295 |
| 19 | HIHawaii | $69,230 | $59,150 | $79,220 | 2,480 | $62,964 |
| 20 | DEDelaware | $67,780 | $60,510 | $81,900 | 2,350 | $67,910 |
| 21 | NVNevada | $66,300 | $61,050 | $79,630 | 3,910 | $66,314 |
| 22 | GAGeorgia | $64,780 | $58,830 | $78,680 | 23,610 | $67,274 |
| 23 | MIMichigan | $63,790 | $50,630 | $79,150 | 15,420 | $66,298 |
| 24 | COColorado | $63,760 | $59,760 | $79,560 | 13,280 | $61,872 |
| 25 | MEMaine | $63,590 | $58,820 | $75,820 | 2,780 | $65,523 |
| 26 | VAVirginia | $63,520 | $59,850 | $78,440 | 18,290 | $62,826 |
| 27 | TXTexas | $63,390 | $61,140 | $69,340 | 80,160 | $65,312 |
| 28 | MNMinnesota | $62,640 | $50,480 | $81,390 | 8,890 | $63,516 |
| 29 | NENebraska | $62,510 | $51,310 | $76,530 | 4,150 | $69,376 |
| 30 | WYWyoming | $62,480 | $60,550 | $74,060 | 1,290 | $67,407 |
| 31 | GUGuam | $62,020 | $46,250 | $76,050 | 510 | N/A |
| 32 | WIWisconsin | $61,960 | $51,770 | $76,510 | 14,460 | $65,848 |
| 33 | ALAlabama | $61,770 | $49,240 | $63,760 | 10,000 | $69,543 |
| 34 | MTMontana | $61,550 | $47,730 | $75,900 | 1,980 | $65,032 |
| 35 | KYKentucky | $61,120 | $48,870 | $65,150 | 8,040 | $67,791 |
| 36 | IDIdaho | $60,930 | $50,570 | $74,510 | 2,360 | $63,805 |
| 37 | SCSouth Carolina | $60,810 | $50,860 | $74,510 | 9,750 | $64,865 |
| 38 | INIndiana | $60,700 | $50,170 | $74,450 | 11,700 | $65,039 |
| 39 | TNTennessee | $60,690 | $50,780 | $64,650 | 13,060 | $66,061 |
| 40 | KSKansas | $60,580 | $50,300 | $64,320 | 6,230 | $67,260 |
| 41 | IAIowa | $60,450 | $47,780 | $73,900 | 6,270 | $68,879 |
| 42 | NDNorth Dakota | $60,100 | $50,420 | $62,750 | 1,400 | $67,559 |
| 43 | AZArizona | $59,710 | $49,940 | $65,990 | 9,020 | $59,308 |
| 44 | ARArkansas | $59,570 | $51,680 | $61,830 | 6,140 | $68,521 |
| 45 | MOMissouri | $59,310 | $47,670 | $73,640 | 11,330 | $65,307 |
| 46 | FLFlorida | $58,940 | $51,750 | $63,220 | 31,370 | $56,994 |
| 47 | LALouisiana | $58,760 | $48,790 | $62,310 | 5,560 | $66,616 |
| 48 | WVWest Virginia | $57,210 | $54,620 | $59,850 | 4,090 | $63,924 |
| 49 | PRPuerto Rico | $52,530 | $50,930 | $60,960 | 3,490 | N/A |
| 50 | NCNorth Carolina | $52,010 | $47,050 | $59,110 | 20,650 | $55,139 |
| 51 | SDSouth Dakota | $50,980 | $48,030 | $58,320 | 2,130 | $57,549 |
| 52 | MSMississippi | $50,790 | $47,260 | $59,340 | 6,260 | $58,411 |
| 53 | OKOklahoma | $48,440 | $46,490 | $59,440 | 7,620 | $55,144 |
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 middle 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 $95,446.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Questions
Middle School Teacher pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education the most?
Washington reports the highest median wage for middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education at $102,140 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by California ($98,950) and New York ($94,840).
Which state pays middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education the least?
Among the 50 states and DC, Oklahoma reports the lowest median for middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education at $48,440 a year, $53,700 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Among the territories, Guam reports $62,020 and Puerto Rico reports $52,530.
In which states do middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education earn over $100,000?
One of the 50 states and DC has a median of $100,000 or more: Washington ($102,140) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Is the highest-paying state the best for middle 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 $95,446 in national-average dollars from a raw $102,140. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024; the adjustment is NueCareer's calculation.