Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education pay in the United States

Goes furthest in Washington
·Education·
620k jobs
Biggest filer SAVANNAH CHATHAM COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM39 certified filings on public record
Reported annually
620,090 employed
-0% to 2035
59% AI exposure
Bachelor's degree
53 states reported
and more...

What this work is

Teach one or more subjects to students at the middle, intermediate, or junior high school level.

Where the money actually goes furthest

Washington pays the most both before and after cost of living — $102,140, worth $95,449 once local prices are counted.

Pay by state

53 states and territories publish a median for this occupation. Switch the ranking to see how much the order changes.

Adjusted for what things cost in that state.

Median pay for Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education by state, ranked by what it is worth locally
StateHourlyAnnualWorth locallyAfter state taxJobs
Washingtonannual only$102,140$95,449$102,14010,510
Rhode Islandannual only$92,760$90,692$89,6542,370
Connecticutannual only$93,610$90,348$89,2117,920
Californiaannual only$98,950$89,369$93,72037,300
New Yorkannual only$94,840$87,879$90,19738,670
Massachusettsannual only$89,450$84,578$84,97716,570
Ohioannual only$77,090$83,097$75,68630,450
New Mexicoannual only$75,240$81,596$72,6654,260
Utahannual only$79,180$80,093$75,5775,960
Pennsylvaniaannual only$77,930$79,870$75,53722,720
Alaskaannual only$78,940$77,119$78,9401,150
Illinoisannual only$76,110$76,140$72,47924,770
Oregonannual only$78,350$75,803$72,0356,940
Vermontannual only$73,940$75,479$70,9971,620
Marylandannual only$78,510$74,799$74,96114,530
District of Columbiaannual only$79,900$72,702$75,9491,540
New Jerseyannual only$78,770$72,392$75,87823,650
Alabamaannual only$61,770$69,545$58,87110,000
Nebraskaannual only$62,510$69,378$60,1694,150
Iowaannual only$60,450$68,881$58,7076,270
Arkansasannual only$59,570$68,518$57,4236,140
New Hampshireannual only$71,140$68,292$71,1403,120
Delawareannual only$67,780$67,909$64,5372,350
Kentuckyannual only$61,120$67,790$58,8018,040
North Dakotaannual only$60,100$67,558$60,1001,400
Wyomingannual only$62,480$67,407$62,4801,290
Georgiaannual only$64,780$67,275$62,04023,610
Kansasannual only$60,580$67,258$57,4886,230
Louisianaannual only$58,760$66,613$57,3725,560
Nevadaannual only$66,300$66,313$66,3003,910
Michiganannual only$63,790$66,295$61,31615,420
Tennesseeannual only$60,690$66,060$60,69013,060
Wisconsinannual only$61,960$65,844$59,77314,460
Maineannual only$63,590$65,522$60,5372,780
Texasannual only$63,390$65,310$63,39080,160
Missouriannual only$59,310$65,305$57,37911,330
Indianaannual only$60,700$65,038$58,90911,700
Montanaannual only$61,550$65,029$59,0331,980
South Carolinaannual only$60,810$64,864$58,6229,750
West Virginiaannual only$57,210$63,921$55,2804,090
Idahoannual only$60,930$63,807$58,4742,360
Minnesotaannual only$62,640$63,516$59,8438,890
Hawaiiannual only$69,230$62,964$65,4112,480
Virginiaannual only$63,520$62,828$60,61318,290
Coloradoannual only$63,760$61,872$61,67013,280
Arizonaannual only$59,710$59,306$58,5829,020
Mississippiannual only$50,790$58,412$48,6566,260
South Dakotaannual only$50,980$57,546$50,9802,130
Floridaannual only$58,940$56,996$58,94031,370
Oklahomaannual only$48,440$55,145$46,6297,620
North Carolinaannual only$52,010$55,136$50,34120,650
Guamannual only$62,020Not publishedNot published510
Puerto Ricoannual only$52,530Not publishedNot published3,490

National median for comparison: $64,370. “Worth locally” divides pay by the area’s price level, so a figure above the headline means money goes further there than the US average.

$64,370/year

Across the states

$46,250$124,280

25th to 75th percentile, lowest and highest state

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How much of this job could software do?

59%Moderate exposure
Hands, places, peopleLanguage and information

Both methods agree closely.

Method 1 — ability mix57%

Cognitive share of O*NET ability importance (element families 1.A.1–1.A.4), O*NET 31.0

Method 2 — task content61%

Importance-weighted share of O*NET tasks classed as language or information work, O*NET 31.0

What this does and does not mean

Exposure means a model could plausibly do a meaningful share of the tasks in this job. It is not a forecast that the job disappears, and it says nothing about whether any employer will actually automate it.

For what the labour market expects, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment in this occupation to change by -0% between 2025 and 2035, with about 38,800 openings a year.

Which parts are exposed

  • Prepare materials and classrooms for class activities.
  • Observe and evaluate students' performance, behavior, social development, and physical health.
  • Instruct through lectures, discussions, and demonstrations in one or more subjects, such as English, mathematics, or social studies.
  • Prepare, administer, and grade tests and assignments to evaluate students' progress.
  • Establish and enforce rules for behavior and procedures for maintaining order among students.
  • Establish clear objectives for all lessons, units, and projects, and communicate these objectives to students.

Amber marks language and information work. Green marks tasks that need a person in a place.

What named employers said they would pay

From certified US Department of Labor visa filings. These are wages employers committed to for sponsored roles — not company-wide averages, and not necessarily what everyone in the job earns. Cells with fewer than three filings are withheld so no individual’s pay is identifiable.

EmployerRole as filedState25thMedian75thFilings
SAVANNAH CHATHAM COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEMMIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHERGA$57,380$68,913$73,43839
Milwaukee Board of School DirectorsMiddle School TeacherWI$78,121$78,121$78,12133
Hazelwood School DistrictMathematics TeacherMO$62,003$66,856$75,81016
RICHLAND COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT ONEMIDDLE SCHOOL SPANISH/ESOL TEACHERSC$60,025$67,360$71,03412
Dallas Independent School DistrictMiddle School Spanish TeacherTX$65,000$65,750$69,71212
KNOWLEDGE RESOURCES GROUP INCTeacherGA$54,590$63,000$66,0009
Yinghua AcademyChinese Immersion Classroom TeacherMN$48,560$48,560$51,0369
Lexington County School District OneWorld Language Teacher - Middle School SpanishSC$63,026$64,421$71,0869
EDU INFOTECH INTERNATIONAL RESOURCES INCTEACHERVA$46,300$46,300$46,3009
San Jose Unified School DistrictBilingual TeacherCA$105,194$105,194$105,1948
St. Louis Language Immersion Schools, Inc.French Language Immersion TeacherMO$52,592$52,812$54,8738
Winston-Salem/Forsyth County SchoolsMiddle School ESL TeacherNC$52,098$54,345$56,5608
Dorchester School District TwoMiddle School Math TeacherSC$58,024$59,147$63,0438
Bibb County School DistrictMiddle School Science TeacherGA$58,188$67,664$71,8157
New York City Department of EducationSocial Studies (Middle) TeacherNY$107,029$107,029$107,0297

Where middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education move next

Occupations that share most of this one’s skills, with the pay difference and the change in AI exposure.

Location

San Diego, CA, United States of America (SAN-San Diego Intl.)

Photograph by Pavel Danilyuk.