Here’s How Much Teachers Make in Every State

The median preschool teacher in the United States earns $31,390. The median high school teacher earns almost precisely double that amount — $62,870, to be exact. Elementary and middle school teachers earn just over $60,000 and kindergarten teachers aren’t far behind at just under $58,000 — but again, that’s the median across the entire United States. 

Take a Look: Explore the Cost of Education in the United States
Read: Can You Afford Education in America at These Prices?

The median teacher in high-paying states might make much, much more. The median educator in lower-paying states should plan on making much less. 

To find out what teachers can expect to earn in every state and the District of Columbia, GOBankingRates used 2020 salary data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) across all five education levels.

Keep reading to find out the median annual salary for a teacher in your state.

Last updated: Aug. 9, 2021

• Preschool teacher: $20,730
• Kindergarten teacher: $48,530
• Elementary school teacher: $52,150
• Middle school teacher: $53,880
• High school teacher: $53,440

Check Out: Most and Least Educated Cities in America

• Preschool teacher: $33,250
• Kindergarten teacher: $74,350
• Elementary school teacher: $73,920
• Middle school teacher: $78,580
• High school teacher: $75,600

Choosing Schools? 11 Colleges With the Most Billionaire Alumni

• Preschool teacher: $29,930
• Kindergarten teacher: $45,790
• Elementary school teacher: $46,280
• Middle school teacher: $45,310
• High school teacher: $50,780

You Can Still Get Rich: The World’s Most In-Demand Jobs That Don’t Require a Degree

• Preschool teacher: $30,390
• Kindergarten teacher: $48,020
• Elementary school teacher: $48,490
• Middle school teacher: $50,270
• High school teacher: $51,310

Choose Wisely: 20 Jobs Where You Can Make $60,000 Out of College

• Preschool teacher: $36,420
• Kindergarten teacher: $75,740
• Elementary school teacher: $85,970
• Middle school teacher: $82,810
• High school teacher: $88,420

• Preschool teacher: $33,570
• Kindergarten teacher: $49,060
• Elementary school teacher: $53,250
• Middle school teacher: $52,730
• High school teacher: $55,270

• Preschool teacher: $35,080
• Kindergarten teacher: $78,040
• Elementary school teacher: $79,920
• Middle school teacher: $82,480
• High school teacher: $78,240

• Preschool teacher: $28,230
• Kindergarten teacher: $61,530
• Elementary school teacher: $65,310
• Middle school teacher: $64,920
• High school teacher: $68,360

• Preschool teacher: $43,210
• Kindergarten teacher: $55,460
• Elementary school teacher: $76,090
• Middle school teacher: $78,160
• High school teacher: $64,020

• Preschool teacher: $25,740
• Kindergarten teacher: $57,720
• Elementary school teacher: $56,540
• Middle school teacher: $57,280
• High school teacher: $60,470

• Preschool teacher: $29,850
• Kindergarten teacher: $57,490
• Elementary school teacher: $60,840
• Middle school teacher: $59,980
• High school teacher: $61,360

• Preschool teacher: $39,170
• Kindergarten teacher: $31,660
• Elementary school teacher: $64,210
• Middle school teacher: $64,150
• High school teacher: $64,750

• Preschool teacher: $24,490
• Kindergarten teacher: $39,090
• Elementary school teacher: $49,730
• Middle school teacher: $51,370
• High school teacher: $50,520

• Preschool teacher: $30,960
• Kindergarten teacher: $60,390
• Elementary school teacher: $62,780
• Middle school teacher: $61,830
• High school teacher: $70,740

• Preschool teacher: $27,580
• Kindergarten teacher: $49,060
• Elementary school teacher: $50,050
• Middle school teacher: $51,590
• High school teacher: $50,940

• Preschool teacher: $28,720
• Kindergarten teacher: $53,050
• Elementary school teacher: $54,680
• Middle school teacher: $55,650
• High school teacher: $57,140

• Preschool teacher: $34,840
• Kindergarten teacher: $53,900
• Elementary school teacher: $51,850
• Middle school teacher: $55,130
• High school teacher: $53,140

• Preschool teacher: $35,250
• Kindergarten teacher: $53,790
• Elementary school teacher: $53,250
• Middle school teacher: $53,660
• High school teacher: $55,540

• Preschool teacher: $29,250
• Kindergarten teacher: $46,580
• Elementary school teacher: $48,700
• Middle school teacher: $49,490
• High school teacher: $50,810

• Preschool teacher: $36,070
• Kindergarten teacher: $53,050
• Elementary school teacher: $52,000
• Middle school teacher: $59,310
• High school teacher: $57,020

• Preschool teacher: $34,380
• Kindergarten teacher: $64,310
• Elementary school teacher: $75,820
• Middle school teacher: $75,020
• High school teacher: $76,840

• Preschool teacher: $38,560
• Kindergarten teacher: $76,940
• Elementary school teacher: $82,520
• Middle school teacher: $80,730
• High school teacher: $83,680

• Preschool teacher: $30,430
• Kindergarten teacher: $58,780
• Elementary school teacher: $66,260
• Middle school teacher: $63,950
• High school teacher: $62,210

• Preschool teacher: $37,900
• Kindergarten teacher: $60,970
• Elementary school teacher: $60,210
• Middle school teacher: $60,640
• High school teacher: $62,410

• Preschool teacher: $29,120
• Kindergarten teacher: $44,530
• Elementary school teacher: $43,470
• Middle school teacher: $46,570
• High school teacher: $45,400

• Preschool teacher: $32,730
• Kindergarten teacher: $48,430
• Elementary school teacher: $46,730
• Middle school teacher: $49,260
• High school teacher: $45,290

• Preschool teacher: $29,660
• Kindergarten teacher: $49,490
• Elementary school teacher: $48,940
• Middle school teacher: $55,230
• High school teacher: $50,720

• Preschool teacher: $37,770
• Kindergarten teacher: $59,260
• Elementary school teacher: $60,300
• Middle school teacher: $60,990
• High school teacher: $62,090

• Preschool teacher: $28,280
• Kindergarten teacher: $55,110
• Elementary school teacher: $55,080
• Middle school teacher: $59,380
• High school teacher: $57,090

Career Change? 45 Jobs That Can Make You a Millionaire Before Retirement

• Preschool teacher: $30,680
• Kindergarten teacher: $61,810
• Elementary school teacher: $60,060
• Middle school teacher: $60,970
• High school teacher: $62,170

• Preschool teacher: $39,440
• Kindergarten teacher: $68,790
• Elementary school teacher: $70,920
• Middle school teacher: $73,160
• High school teacher: $77,790

• Preschool teacher: $31,100
• Kindergarten teacher: $54,030
• Elementary school teacher: $58,060
• Middle school teacher: $51,210
• High school teacher: $55,740

• Preschool teacher: $39,850
• Kindergarten teacher: $74,080
• Elementary school teacher: $80,040
• Middle school teacher: $85,370
• High school teacher: $86,230

• Preschool teacher: $28,260
• Kindergarten teacher: $49,250
• Elementary school teacher: $49,300
• Middle school teacher: $50,450
• High school teacher: $50,360

• Preschool teacher: $26,080
• Kindergarten teacher: $53,730
• Elementary school teacher: $52,530
• Middle school teacher: $57,290
• High school teacher: $54,200

• Preschool teacher: $28,470
• Kindergarten teacher: $54,570
• Elementary school teacher: $65,210
• Middle school teacher: $64,740
• High school teacher: $66,420

• Preschool teacher: $29,270
• Kindergarten teacher: $44,940
• Elementary school teacher: $45,810
• Middle school teacher: $46,600
• High school teacher: $48,370

• Preschool teacher: $31,310
• Kindergarten teacher: $76,320
• Elementary school teacher: $69,580
• Middle school teacher: $66,100
• High school teacher: $72,370

• Preschool teacher: $29,340
• Kindergarten teacher: $64,500
• Elementary school teacher: $67,210
• Middle school teacher: $66,480
• High school teacher: $67,180

Impressive Salaries: Highest-Paying Work-From-Home Jobs

• Preschool teacher: $29,800
• Kindergarten teacher: $81,880
• Elementary school teacher: $74,570
• Middle school teacher: $78,490
• High school teacher: $79,010

• Preschool teacher: $25,060
• Kindergarten teacher: $46,450
• Elementary school teacher: $50,920
• Middle school teacher: $53,150
• High school teacher: $53,180

• Preschool teacher: $31,180
• Kindergarten teacher: $43,510
• Elementary school teacher: $44,670
• Middle school teacher: $45,400
• High school teacher: $45,320

• Preschool teacher: $30,190
• Kindergarten teacher: $48,230
• Elementary school teacher: $51,530
• Middle school teacher: $51,780
• High school teacher: $52,770

• Preschool teacher: $37,050
• Kindergarten teacher: $56,990
• Elementary school teacher: $57,690
• Middle school teacher: $57,770
• High school teacher: $58,400

• Preschool teacher: $27,800
• Kindergarten teacher: $51,130
• Elementary school teacher: $53,940
• Middle school teacher: $64,480
• High school teacher: $61,570

• Preschool teacher: $37,030
• Kindergarten teacher: $55,900
• Elementary school teacher: $60,310
• Middle school teacher: $60,690
• High school teacher: $63,080

• Preschool teacher: $34,360
• Kindergarten teacher: $61,300
• Elementary school teacher: $67,830
• Middle school teacher: $69,360
• High school teacher: N/A

• Preschool teacher: $32,450
• Kindergarten teacher: $67,120
• Elementary school teacher: $73,260
• Middle school teacher: $75,740
• High school teacher: $76,820

• Preschool teacher: $30,720
• Kindergarten teacher: $51,010
• Elementary school teacher: $47,330
• Middle school teacher: $48,230
• High school teacher: $48,780

• Preschool teacher: $27,080
• Kindergarten teacher: $57,040
• Elementary school teacher: $56,970
• Middle school teacher: $58,240
• High school teacher: $58,630

• Preschool teacher: $26,320
• Kindergarten teacher: $58,460
• Elementary school teacher: $59,210
• Middle school teacher: $60,400
• High school teacher: $61,730

More From GOBankingRates

• What Money Topics Do You Want Covered: Ask the Financially Savvy Female
• Can You Afford Education in America at These Prices?
• Nominate Your Favorite Small Business To Be Featured on GOBankingRates
• The Hidden Costs of Education at Every Level

Methodology: GOBankingRates analyzed the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics’ May 2020 data on employment and wages by state to find the median annual wage for (1) preschool, (2) elementary school, (3) middle school and (4) high school teachers in every state. All data were collected on and up to date as of July 21, 2021.