Education · 70 Cities Ranked

Highest Paying Cities for Elementary School Teacher (2025)

The median Elementary School Teacher salary is $103,390 in Sacramento, CA, the highest-paying city for this role. After adjusting for cost of living, Spokane, WA offers the best purchasing power at $101,437 adjusted.

The 70 cities below are ranked by median wage for Elementary School Teacher, drawn from BLS OEWS. Top-of-list cities typically combine high local labor demand with above-baseline cost-of-living, so the gross-wage ranking partly reflects COL adjustment. Reading the ranking carefully: gross median wage is the headline number, but the cost-adjusted figure (which divides by the city's cost-of-living index) tells a different story for high-COL cities. The ranking sorts on gross wage; the per-city pages surface the adjusted figure.

For workers evaluating Elementary School Teacher relocation, the top of the ranking is the obvious starting point — but the bottom of the list (low gross wage, low COL) is often where cost-adjusted real income is highest. The role-specific pages link to per-city detail.

$71,661

National Median

$103,390

Highest City

$47,220

Lowest City

Cities Ranked

Ranked by Median Salary

Rank	City	Median	Range (10th-90th)	COL Index	COL-Adjusted	Jobs
1	Sacramento, CA	$103,390	$60,980, $117,100	124.7	$82,911	10,480
2	Seattle, WA	$102,920	$67,550, $131,990	149.4	$68,889	14,560
3	San Jose, CA	$102,860	$64,770, $126,980	195.8	$52,533	7,810
4	San Francisco, CA	$101,860	$62,340, $126,700	179.6	$56,715	17,860
5	Los Angeles, CA	$101,860	$62,250, $129,130	166	$61,361	44,790
6	Spokane, WA	$98,800	$61,170, $108,480	97.4	$101,437	2,340
7	Bridgeport, CT	$98,600	$61,220, $123,990	137.5	$71,709	4,590
8	Riverside-San Bernardino, CA	$98,520	$62,330, $130,850	122.4	$80,490	18,850
9	Boston, MA	$98,060	$61,660, $124,880	152.1	$64,471	20,340
10	San Diego, CA	$97,000	$62,140, $123,450	160.2	$60,549	11,340
11	New York, NY	$96,900	$62,530, $136,330	187.2	$51,763	98,900
12	Providence, RI	$86,720	$50,060, $99,610	119.4	$72,630	6,280
13	Portland, OR	$82,330	$50,270, $107,650	130.1	$63,282	7,530
14	Bakersfield, CA	$79,900	$61,230, $118,580	100.6	$79,423	4,540
15	Hartford, CT	$79,800	$51,880, $105,810	112.6	$70,870	4,980
16	Minneapolis, MN	$79,730	$49,490, $101,210	106.2	$75,075	16,990
17	Washington, DC	$79,470	$60,790, $122,580	152.8	$52,009	30,940
18	Anchorage, AK	$79,270	$62,750, $97,090	127	$62,417	1,720
19	Albany, NY	$79,240	$51,510, $104,390	100.7	$78,689	3,550
20	Fresno, CA	$78,800	$59,840, $133,730	105.5	$74,692	5,610
21	Philadelphia, PA	$78,570	$58,650, $100,940	118.4	$66,360	23,380
22	Chicago, IL	$78,390	$48,960, $105,250	107.3	$73,057	45,840
23	Columbus, OH	$78,150	$48,760, $102,050	93.1	$83,942	9,950
24	Salt Lake City, UT	$77,920	$49,140, $102,510	101.4	$76,844	4,840
25	Denver, CO	$76,910	$50,460, $101,440	112.8	$68,183	12,030
26	Atlanta, GA	$76,570	$59,530, $98,970	99.2	$77,188	23,370
27	Pittsburgh, PA	$76,550	$53,570, $105,760	92.3	$82,936	7,640
28	Buffalo, NY	$76,490	$48,080, $106,980	92.5	$82,692	5,810
29	Baltimore, MD	$76,400	$49,420, $102,080	114.2	$66,900	13,150
30	Albuquerque, NM	$75,520	$60,470, $83,850	94	$80,340	1,900
31	Detroit, MI	$65,210	$48,750, $99,460	95.1	$68,570	18,390
32	Dallas, TX	$65,070	$56,390, $76,340	104.1	$62,507	27,350
33	Las Vegas, NV	$65,040	$52,800, $82,670	109	$59,670	6,660
34	Cincinnati, OH	$64,740	$47,790, $98,950	91.2	$70,987	9,150
35	Houston, TX	$64,500	$46,390, $74,430	96.5	$66,839	30,980
36	Madison, WI	$63,690	$51,340, $100,420	103.8	$61,358	3,530
37	Rochester, NY	$62,840	$48,110, $92,670	92.9	$67,643	5,100
38	Omaha, NE	$62,670	$47,350, $79,070	91.8	$68,268	4,030
39	Birmingham, AL	$62,630	$48,690, $75,040	90.4	$69,281	5,340
40	Reno, NV	$62,430	$49,450, $92,760	106.5	$58,620	1,890
41	Knoxville, TN	$61,980	$49,880, $72,940	90.3	$68,638	3,360
42	San Antonio, TX	$61,720	$48,490, $65,640	91.5	$67,454	12,220
43	Des Moines, IA	$61,650	$46,090, $79,610	93.3	$66,077	3,640
44	Louisville, KY	$61,610	$47,230, $92,760	90.2	$68,304	5,510
45	Memphis, TN	$61,510	$48,160, $76,630	84	$73,226	5,410
46	Milwaukee, WI	$61,480	$50,340, $97,430	97.4	$63,121	6,620
47	Nashville, TN	$61,460	$48,220, $79,920	100.3	$61,276	8,400
48	Lexington, KY	$61,460	$47,140, $82,820	91.3	$67,317	2,420
49	Richmond, VA	$61,290	$51,180, $82,980	102.1	$60,029	5,270
50	Austin, TX	$61,270	$51,650, $64,410	103	$59,485	8,450
51	Boise, ID	$61,230	$45,920, $82,450	102.1	$59,971	2,490
52	Colorado Springs, CO	$61,140	$47,470, $77,620	104.5	$58,507	3,640
53	Jacksonville, FL	$61,080	$48,680, $79,160	95.1	$64,227	6,220
54	Kansas City, MO	$61,060	$48,120, $78,940	95.4	$64,004	11,500
55	Greenville, SC	$60,680	$48,800, $75,990	90.1	$67,347	4,390
56	St. Louis, MO	$60,650	$47,210, $83,750	90	$67,389	13,440
57	Indianapolis, IN	$60,510	$49,120, $79,850	90.1	$67,159	8,610
58	New Orleans, LA	$60,350	$47,010, $75,550	95.9	$62,930	4,400
59	Orlando, FL	$60,190	$48,220, $72,070	103.1	$58,380	10,950
60	Raleigh, NC	$60,170	$47,500, $75,710	99.8	$60,291	5,830
61	Tampa, FL	$60,120	$49,910, $74,320	99.6	$60,361	11,000
62	Greensboro, NC	$59,730	$46,640, $63,250	91.3	$65,422	2,590
63	Phoenix, AZ	$59,180	$47,390, $81,520	100.7	$58,769	16,560
64	Charlotte, NC	$58,680	$47,280, $75,510	96.7	$60,683	10,770
65	Wichita, KS	$58,640	$48,470, $65,150	84	$69,810	2,940
66	Little Rock, AR	$58,580	$49,380, $72,210	88.2	$66,417	3,210
67	Miami, FL	$58,300	$49,900, $76,490	123.1	$47,360	19,910
68	Oklahoma City, OK	$48,780	$46,420, $79,520	86.5	$56,393	6,070
69	Tulsa, OK	$48,220	$46,670, $60,680	86.8	$55,553	4,030
70	Tucson, AZ	$47,220	$40,150, $77,660	95.4	$49,497	3,530

Ranked by Purchasing Power (COL-Adjusted)

Cost-of-living adjusted salaries show where your Elementary School Teacher paycheck goes furthest. A lower COL index means your dollars stretch further.

Rank	City	COL-Adjusted	Raw Median	COL Index
1	Spokane, WA	$101,437	$98,800	97.4
2	Columbus, OH	$83,942	$78,150	93.1
3	Pittsburgh, PA	$82,936	$76,550	92.3
4	Sacramento, CA	$82,911	$103,390	124.7
5	Buffalo, NY	$82,692	$76,490	92.5
6	Riverside-San Bernardino, CA	$80,490	$98,520	122.4
7	Albuquerque, NM	$80,340	$75,520	94
8	Bakersfield, CA	$79,423	$79,900	100.6
9	Albany, NY	$78,689	$79,240	100.7
10	Atlanta, GA	$77,188	$76,570	99.2
11	Salt Lake City, UT	$76,844	$77,920	101.4
12	Minneapolis, MN	$75,075	$79,730	106.2
13	Fresno, CA	$74,692	$78,800	105.5
14	Memphis, TN	$73,226	$61,510	84
15	Chicago, IL	$73,057	$78,390	107.3
16	Providence, RI	$72,630	$86,720	119.4
17	Bridgeport, CT	$71,709	$98,600	137.5
18	Cincinnati, OH	$70,987	$64,740	91.2
19	Hartford, CT	$70,870	$79,800	112.6
20	Wichita, KS	$69,810	$58,640	84
21	Birmingham, AL	$69,281	$62,630	90.4
22	Seattle, WA	$68,889	$102,920	149.4
23	Knoxville, TN	$68,638	$61,980	90.3
24	Detroit, MI	$68,570	$65,210	95.1
25	Louisville, KY	$68,304	$61,610	90.2
26	Omaha, NE	$68,268	$62,670	91.8
27	Denver, CO	$68,183	$76,910	112.8
28	Rochester, NY	$67,643	$62,840	92.9
29	San Antonio, TX	$67,454	$61,720	91.5
30	St. Louis, MO	$67,389	$60,650	90
31	Greenville, SC	$67,347	$60,680	90.1
32	Lexington, KY	$67,317	$61,460	91.3
33	Indianapolis, IN	$67,159	$60,510	90.1
34	Baltimore, MD	$66,900	$76,400	114.2
35	Houston, TX	$66,839	$64,500	96.5
36	Little Rock, AR	$66,417	$58,580	88.2
37	Philadelphia, PA	$66,360	$78,570	118.4
38	Des Moines, IA	$66,077	$61,650	93.3
39	Greensboro, NC	$65,422	$59,730	91.3
40	Boston, MA	$64,471	$98,060	152.1
41	Jacksonville, FL	$64,227	$61,080	95.1
42	Kansas City, MO	$64,004	$61,060	95.4
43	Portland, OR	$63,282	$82,330	130.1
44	Milwaukee, WI	$63,121	$61,480	97.4
45	New Orleans, LA	$62,930	$60,350	95.9
46	Dallas, TX	$62,507	$65,070	104.1
47	Anchorage, AK	$62,417	$79,270	127
48	Los Angeles, CA	$61,361	$101,860	166
49	Madison, WI	$61,358	$63,690	103.8
50	Nashville, TN	$61,276	$61,460	100.3
51	Charlotte, NC	$60,683	$58,680	96.7
52	San Diego, CA	$60,549	$97,000	160.2
53	Tampa, FL	$60,361	$60,120	99.6
54	Raleigh, NC	$60,291	$60,170	99.8
55	Richmond, VA	$60,029	$61,290	102.1
56	Boise, ID	$59,971	$61,230	102.1
57	Las Vegas, NV	$59,670	$65,040	109
58	Austin, TX	$59,485	$61,270	103
59	Phoenix, AZ	$58,769	$59,180	100.7
60	Reno, NV	$58,620	$62,430	106.5
61	Colorado Springs, CO	$58,507	$61,140	104.5
62	Orlando, FL	$58,380	$60,190	103.1
63	San Francisco, CA	$56,715	$101,860	179.6
64	Oklahoma City, OK	$56,393	$48,780	86.5
65	Tulsa, OK	$55,553	$48,220	86.8
66	San Jose, CA	$52,533	$102,860	195.8
67	Washington, DC	$52,009	$79,470	152.8
68	New York, NY	$51,763	$96,900	187.2
69	Tucson, AZ	$49,497	$47,220	95.4
70	Miami, FL	$47,360	$58,300	123.1

Frequently Asked Questions

Sacramento, CA pays the highest median Elementary School Teacher salary at $103,390. However, after cost-of-living adjustment, Spokane, WA offers the most purchasing power at $101,437 adjusted.

The national median Elementary School Teacher salary is $71,661 based on BLS data. Salaries range from $47,220 to $103,390 depending on city.

Not necessarily. A city with higher nominal pay may have a higher cost of living that offsets the salary difference. Compare the "COL-Adjusted" column in both tables above, cities with lower costs of living often offer better real purchasing power.