Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education salary in the US
SOC 2018 code 25-2021 · all employees · reference year 2025
Median annual pay (gross)
$63,970
Mean annual pay (gross)
$72,650
The median for this occupation is 1.3× the all-occupation US median ($50,980) in the same 2025 release.
Pay range
| 10th percentile | $47,960 |
|---|---|
| 25th percentile | $57,710 |
| Median (50th) | $63,970 |
| 75th percentile | $81,450 |
| 90th percentile | $104,340 |
About this occupation
Elementary school teachers instruct children, usually from kindergarten to fifth grade, in core subjects. Most are employed by public school districts.
Teacher pay in the US is largely set by district salary schedules based on years of service and education level, so state and district budgets explain much of the variation. Figures are annual salaries for a school year, not adjusted for the summer break.
Source and notes
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025, national estimates.
- National estimates for wage-and-salary employees; self-employed workers are excluded. Annual figures are published by BLS and include some bonus and tip pay.
- ISCO-08 group 2: Professionals — a broad grouping for loose cross-country orientation only, not an exact match to other countries' job titles.
- Official figures above are gross (before tax). The optional Net view is an estimate: it uses the PolicyEngine US tax model for the state and filing status you choose. The percentile range always shows gross pay.
- No official breakdown by experience level exists for this data, so none is shown.
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