Elementary School Teacher vs Secondary School Teacher Salary (2025)
Secondary School Teacher earns $2,841 more than Elementary School Teacher nationally. The median Secondary School Teacher salary is $74,502 compared to $71,661 for Elementary School Teacher, based on BLS data across 70 metro areas.
Comparing Elementary School Teacher, Secondary School Teacher: side-by-side wage and employment data across the same metropolitan areas, from BLS OEWS. The comparison view normalizes percentile distributions so the wage differences are apples-to-apples within each metro. Role comparisons are most useful when the worker has flexibility between the occupations — usually adjacent specialties within the same field (e.g., software-engineering versus data-engineering) or related disciplines with overlapping skill sets.
Median wage differences across roles understate the spread for senior workers and overstate it for entry-level. The per-percentile comparison gives a fuller picture — particularly the p75 and p90 columns, which capture experienced-worker pay.
Elementary School Teacher
Secondary School Teacher
Salary Comparison by City
| City | Elementary School Teacher | Secondary School Teacher | Difference | Higher Earner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bridgeport, CT | $98,600 | $82,960 | +$15,640 | Elementary School Teacher |
| Los Angeles, CA | $101,860 | $100,960 | +$900 | Elementary School Teacher |
| Greensboro, NC | $59,730 | $58,990 | +$740 | Elementary School Teacher |
| Minneapolis, MN | $79,730 | $79,010 | +$720 | Elementary School Teacher |
| Salt Lake City, UT | $77,920 | $77,490 | +$430 | Elementary School Teacher |
| Seattle, WA | $102,920 | $102,670 | +$250 | Elementary School Teacher |
| Boise, ID | $61,230 | $61,140 | +$90 | Elementary School Teacher |
| Birmingham, AL | $62,630 | $62,650 | -$20 | Secondary School Teacher |
| San Antonio, TX | $61,720 | $61,840 | -$120 | Secondary School Teacher |
| Kansas City, MO | $61,060 | $61,200 | -$140 | Secondary School Teacher |
| Tulsa, OK | $48,220 | $48,410 | -$190 | Secondary School Teacher |
| Raleigh, NC | $60,170 | $60,380 | -$210 | Secondary School Teacher |
| Orlando, FL | $60,190 | $60,540 | -$350 | Secondary School Teacher |
| Anchorage, AK | $79,270 | $79,650 | -$380 | Secondary School Teacher |
| Phoenix, AZ | $59,180 | $59,570 | -$390 | Secondary School Teacher |
| Madison, WI | $63,690 | $64,080 | -$390 | Secondary School Teacher |
| New Orleans, LA | $60,350 | $60,750 | -$400 | Secondary School Teacher |
| Las Vegas, NV | $65,040 | $65,520 | -$480 | Secondary School Teacher |
| Colorado Springs, CO | $61,140 | $61,710 | -$570 | Secondary School Teacher |
| Spokane, WA | $98,800 | $99,410 | -$610 | Secondary School Teacher |
| Atlanta, GA | $76,570 | $77,210 | -$640 | Secondary School Teacher |
| Richmond, VA | $61,290 | $62,000 | -$710 | Secondary School Teacher |
| Memphis, TN | $61,510 | $62,230 | -$720 | Secondary School Teacher |
| Boston, MA | $98,060 | $98,850 | -$790 | Secondary School Teacher |
| Dallas, TX | $65,070 | $65,890 | -$820 | Secondary School Teacher |
| Washington, DC | $79,470 | $80,300 | -$830 | Secondary School Teacher |
| Des Moines, IA | $61,650 | $62,480 | -$830 | Secondary School Teacher |
| Tampa, FL | $60,120 | $61,030 | -$910 | Secondary School Teacher |
| Hartford, CT | $79,800 | $80,710 | -$910 | Secondary School Teacher |
| San Francisco, CA | $101,860 | $102,880 | -$1,020 | Secondary School Teacher |
| Houston, TX | $64,500 | $65,540 | -$1,040 | Secondary School Teacher |
| Austin, TX | $61,270 | $62,320 | -$1,050 | Secondary School Teacher |
| Knoxville, TN | $61,980 | $63,130 | -$1,150 | Secondary School Teacher |
| Omaha, NE | $62,670 | $63,900 | -$1,230 | Secondary School Teacher |
| Albany, NY | $79,240 | $80,620 | -$1,380 | Secondary School Teacher |
| Albuquerque, NM | $75,520 | $76,960 | -$1,440 | Secondary School Teacher |
| Cincinnati, OH | $64,740 | $66,190 | -$1,450 | Secondary School Teacher |
| St. Louis, MO | $60,650 | $62,130 | -$1,480 | Secondary School Teacher |
| Jacksonville, FL | $61,080 | $62,650 | -$1,570 | Secondary School Teacher |
| Riverside-San Bernardino, CA | $98,520 | $100,130 | -$1,610 | Secondary School Teacher |
| Charlotte, NC | $58,680 | $60,300 | -$1,620 | Secondary School Teacher |
| Sacramento, CA | $103,390 | $105,060 | -$1,670 | Secondary School Teacher |
| Portland, OR | $82,330 | $84,120 | -$1,790 | Secondary School Teacher |
| Oklahoma City, OK | $48,780 | $50,650 | -$1,870 | Secondary School Teacher |
| Little Rock, AR | $58,580 | $60,480 | -$1,900 | Secondary School Teacher |
| Baltimore, MD | $76,400 | $78,350 | -$1,950 | Secondary School Teacher |
| Philadelphia, PA | $78,570 | $80,560 | -$1,990 | Secondary School Teacher |
| Indianapolis, IN | $60,510 | $62,570 | -$2,060 | Secondary School Teacher |
| Miami, FL | $58,300 | $60,410 | -$2,110 | Secondary School Teacher |
| Denver, CO | $76,910 | $79,230 | -$2,320 | Secondary School Teacher |
| Buffalo, NY | $76,490 | $79,280 | -$2,790 | Secondary School Teacher |
| Wichita, KS | $58,640 | $61,840 | -$3,200 | Secondary School Teacher |
| Nashville, TN | $61,460 | $64,710 | -$3,250 | Secondary School Teacher |
| Columbus, OH | $78,150 | $81,400 | -$3,250 | Secondary School Teacher |
| Greenville, SC | $60,680 | $64,060 | -$3,380 | Secondary School Teacher |
| Lexington, KY | $61,460 | $64,850 | -$3,390 | Secondary School Teacher |
| Tucson, AZ | $47,220 | $50,940 | -$3,720 | Secondary School Teacher |
| New York, NY | $96,900 | $100,800 | -$3,900 | Secondary School Teacher |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $76,550 | $81,350 | -$4,800 | Secondary School Teacher |
| San Jose, CA | $102,860 | $108,230 | -$5,370 | Secondary School Teacher |
| Providence, RI | $86,720 | $92,110 | -$5,390 | Secondary School Teacher |
| San Diego, CA | $97,000 | $102,810 | -$5,810 | Secondary School Teacher |
| Reno, NV | $62,430 | $72,960 | -$10,530 | Secondary School Teacher |
| Detroit, MI | $65,210 | $77,520 | -$12,310 | Secondary School Teacher |
| Louisville, KY | $61,610 | $74,040 | -$12,430 | Secondary School Teacher |
| Rochester, NY | $62,840 | $76,190 | -$13,350 | Secondary School Teacher |
| Milwaukee, WI | $61,480 | $75,370 | -$13,890 | Secondary School Teacher |
| Bakersfield, CA | $79,900 | $99,150 | -$19,250 | Secondary School Teacher |
| Chicago, IL | $78,390 | $98,970 | -$20,580 | Secondary School Teacher |
| Fresno, CA | $78,800 | $100,750 | -$21,950 | Secondary School Teacher |
Frequently Asked Questions
Secondary School Teacher earns more on average, with a national median of $74,502 compared to $71,661 for Elementary School Teacher, a difference of $2,841 per year.
The largest salary gap is in Bridgeport, CT, where Elementary School Teacher earns $98,600 vs $82,960 for Secondary School Teacher.
Elementary School Teacher has approximately 807,710 positions tracked, while Secondary School Teacher has 619,840 positions. Elementary School Teacher has more jobs available nationally.
More Salary Comparisons
Comparison based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2026.