Education · 70 Cities Ranked

Highest Paying Cities for Secondary School Teacher (2025)

The median Secondary School Teacher salary is $108,230 in San Jose, CA, the highest-paying city for this role. After adjusting for cost of living, Spokane, WA offers the best purchasing power at $102,064 adjusted.

The 70 cities below are ranked by median wage for Secondary 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 Secondary 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.

$74,502

National Median

$108,230

Highest City

$48,410

Lowest City

Cities Ranked

Ranked by Median Salary

Rank	City	Median	Range (10th-90th)	COL Index	COL-Adjusted	Jobs
1	San Jose, CA	$108,230	$70,820, $151,810	195.8	$55,276	4,130
2	Sacramento, CA	$105,060	$66,570, $125,920	124.7	$84,250	6,040
3	San Francisco, CA	$102,880	$72,820, $146,540	179.6	$57,283	11,520
4	San Diego, CA	$102,810	$66,660, $221,870	160.2	$64,176	6,690
5	Seattle, WA	$102,670	$61,140, $132,300	149.4	$68,722	7,720
6	Los Angeles, CA	$100,960	$67,190, $133,850	166	$60,819	32,250
7	New York, NY	$100,800	$63,480, $136,340	187.2	$53,846	75,780
8	Fresno, CA	$100,750	$63,240, $134,990	105.5	$95,498	3,210
9	Riverside-San Bernardino, CA	$100,130	$62,980, $133,990	122.4	$81,806	12,450
10	Spokane, WA	$99,410	$61,030, $108,730	97.4	$102,064	1,180
11	Bakersfield, CA	$99,150	$63,350, $125,170	100.6	$98,559	3,300
12	Chicago, IL	$98,970	$60,380, $140,600	107.3	$92,237	32,790
13	Boston, MA	$98,850	$62,080, $124,620	152.1	$64,990	20,600
14	Providence, RI	$92,110	$52,510, $100,370	119.4	$77,144	6,770
15	Portland, OR	$84,120	$58,640, $108,090	130.1	$64,658	6,790
16	Bridgeport, CT	$82,960	$59,770, $126,020	137.5	$60,335	4,220
17	Columbus, OH	$81,400	$51,340, $118,650	93.1	$87,433	9,210
18	Pittsburgh, PA	$81,350	$51,470, $105,260	92.3	$88,137	9,600
19	Hartford, CT	$80,710	$50,600, $107,370	112.6	$71,679	4,430
20	Albany, NY	$80,620	$57,560, $104,120	100.7	$80,060	3,500
21	Philadelphia, PA	$80,560	$58,870, $103,480	118.4	$68,041	25,460
22	Washington, DC	$80,300	$57,290, $117,160	152.8	$52,552	20,400
23	Anchorage, AK	$79,650	$64,570, $98,140	127	$62,717	1,130
24	Buffalo, NY	$79,280	$48,550, $109,280	92.5	$85,708	3,160
25	Denver, CO	$79,230	$51,860, $102,070	112.8	$70,239	9,070
26	Minneapolis, MN	$79,010	$49,940, $125,960	106.2	$74,397	9,840
27	Baltimore, MD	$78,350	$61,660, $99,840	114.2	$68,608	9,300
28	Detroit, MI	$77,520	$48,920, $101,310	95.1	$81,514	9,080
29	Salt Lake City, UT	$77,490	$61,460, $99,060	101.4	$76,420	4,430
30	Atlanta, GA	$77,210	$49,450, $96,860	99.2	$77,833	14,830
31	Albuquerque, NM	$76,960	$59,840, $81,260	94	$81,872	3,360
32	Rochester, NY	$76,190	$50,590, $94,680	92.9	$82,013	4,430
33	Milwaukee, WI	$75,370	$47,250, $96,830	97.4	$77,382	4,120
34	Louisville, KY	$74,040	$49,180, $93,990	90.2	$82,084	3,960
35	Reno, NV	$72,960	$50,170, $94,370	106.5	$68,507	1,390
36	Cincinnati, OH	$66,190	$48,660, $101,150	91.2	$72,577	8,450
37	Dallas, TX	$65,890	$61,470, $77,760	104.1	$63,295	28,000
38	Houston, TX	$65,540	$56,760, $80,470	96.5	$67,917	26,260
39	Las Vegas, NV	$65,520	$54,850, $83,190	109	$60,110	6,760
40	Lexington, KY	$64,850	$48,560, $83,310	91.3	$71,030	1,540
41	Nashville, TN	$64,710	$50,410, $80,710	100.3	$64,516	6,080
42	Madison, WI	$64,080	$49,890, $80,190	103.8	$61,734	1,940
43	Greenville, SC	$64,060	$49,390, $81,900	90.1	$71,099	2,700
44	Omaha, NE	$63,900	$47,610, $78,760	91.8	$69,608	3,540
45	Knoxville, TN	$63,130	$50,380, $77,070	90.3	$69,911	2,820
46	Jacksonville, FL	$62,650	$48,150, $78,320	95.1	$65,878	3,720
47	Birmingham, AL	$62,650	$48,860, $75,990	90.4	$69,303	2,850
48	Indianapolis, IN	$62,570	$49,680, $98,110	90.1	$69,445	6,160
49	Des Moines, IA	$62,480	$47,870, $82,100	93.3	$66,967	2,660
50	Austin, TX	$62,320	$52,970, $76,720	103	$60,505	8,160
51	Memphis, TN	$62,230	$48,170, $79,180	84	$74,083	4,860
52	St. Louis, MO	$62,130	$47,630, $98,540	90	$69,033	9,870
53	Richmond, VA	$62,000	$50,490, $80,750	102.1	$60,725	4,420
54	San Antonio, TX	$61,840	$49,660, $79,310	91.5	$67,585	10,130
55	Wichita, KS	$61,840	$49,700, $76,230	84	$73,619	2,320
56	Colorado Springs, CO	$61,710	$47,740, $79,340	104.5	$59,053	2,760
57	Kansas City, MO	$61,200	$48,820, $78,940	95.4	$64,151	7,750
58	Boise, ID	$61,140	$48,740, $81,430	102.1	$59,882	2,920
59	Tampa, FL	$61,030	$50,840, $74,730	99.6	$61,275	8,180
60	New Orleans, LA	$60,750	$48,810, $77,090	95.9	$63,347	2,860
61	Orlando, FL	$60,540	$48,670, $74,040	103.1	$58,720	8,650
62	Little Rock, AR	$60,480	$49,100, $76,740	88.2	$68,571	2,920
63	Miami, FL	$60,410	$50,250, $77,540	123.1	$49,074	12,010
64	Raleigh, NC	$60,380	$47,330, $75,190	99.8	$60,501	4,210
65	Charlotte, NC	$60,300	$47,270, $75,520	96.7	$62,358	8,500
66	Phoenix, AZ	$59,570	$49,020, $104,270	100.7	$59,156	14,730
67	Greensboro, NC	$58,990	$44,760, $63,340	91.3	$64,611	2,300
68	Tucson, AZ	$50,940	$40,180, $70,820	95.4	$53,396	3,320
69	Oklahoma City, OK	$50,650	$47,610, $82,940	86.5	$58,555	5,530
70	Tulsa, OK	$48,410	$46,200, $61,620	86.8	$55,772	3,820

Ranked by Purchasing Power (COL-Adjusted)

Cost-of-living adjusted salaries show where your Secondary 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	$102,064	$99,410	97.4
2	Bakersfield, CA	$98,559	$99,150	100.6
3	Fresno, CA	$95,498	$100,750	105.5
4	Chicago, IL	$92,237	$98,970	107.3
5	Pittsburgh, PA	$88,137	$81,350	92.3
6	Columbus, OH	$87,433	$81,400	93.1
7	Buffalo, NY	$85,708	$79,280	92.5
8	Sacramento, CA	$84,250	$105,060	124.7
9	Louisville, KY	$82,084	$74,040	90.2
10	Rochester, NY	$82,013	$76,190	92.9
11	Albuquerque, NM	$81,872	$76,960	94
12	Riverside-San Bernardino, CA	$81,806	$100,130	122.4
13	Detroit, MI	$81,514	$77,520	95.1
14	Albany, NY	$80,060	$80,620	100.7
15	Atlanta, GA	$77,833	$77,210	99.2
16	Milwaukee, WI	$77,382	$75,370	97.4
17	Providence, RI	$77,144	$92,110	119.4
18	Salt Lake City, UT	$76,420	$77,490	101.4
19	Minneapolis, MN	$74,397	$79,010	106.2
20	Memphis, TN	$74,083	$62,230	84
21	Wichita, KS	$73,619	$61,840	84
22	Cincinnati, OH	$72,577	$66,190	91.2
23	Hartford, CT	$71,679	$80,710	112.6
24	Greenville, SC	$71,099	$64,060	90.1
25	Lexington, KY	$71,030	$64,850	91.3
26	Denver, CO	$70,239	$79,230	112.8
27	Knoxville, TN	$69,911	$63,130	90.3
28	Omaha, NE	$69,608	$63,900	91.8
29	Indianapolis, IN	$69,445	$62,570	90.1
30	Birmingham, AL	$69,303	$62,650	90.4
31	St. Louis, MO	$69,033	$62,130	90
32	Seattle, WA	$68,722	$102,670	149.4
33	Baltimore, MD	$68,608	$78,350	114.2
34	Little Rock, AR	$68,571	$60,480	88.2
35	Reno, NV	$68,507	$72,960	106.5
36	Philadelphia, PA	$68,041	$80,560	118.4
37	Houston, TX	$67,917	$65,540	96.5
38	San Antonio, TX	$67,585	$61,840	91.5
39	Des Moines, IA	$66,967	$62,480	93.3
40	Jacksonville, FL	$65,878	$62,650	95.1
41	Boston, MA	$64,990	$98,850	152.1
42	Portland, OR	$64,658	$84,120	130.1
43	Greensboro, NC	$64,611	$58,990	91.3
44	Nashville, TN	$64,516	$64,710	100.3
45	San Diego, CA	$64,176	$102,810	160.2
46	Kansas City, MO	$64,151	$61,200	95.4
47	New Orleans, LA	$63,347	$60,750	95.9
48	Dallas, TX	$63,295	$65,890	104.1
49	Anchorage, AK	$62,717	$79,650	127
50	Charlotte, NC	$62,358	$60,300	96.7
51	Madison, WI	$61,734	$64,080	103.8
52	Tampa, FL	$61,275	$61,030	99.6
53	Los Angeles, CA	$60,819	$100,960	166
54	Richmond, VA	$60,725	$62,000	102.1
55	Austin, TX	$60,505	$62,320	103
56	Raleigh, NC	$60,501	$60,380	99.8
57	Bridgeport, CT	$60,335	$82,960	137.5
58	Las Vegas, NV	$60,110	$65,520	109
59	Boise, ID	$59,882	$61,140	102.1
60	Phoenix, AZ	$59,156	$59,570	100.7
61	Colorado Springs, CO	$59,053	$61,710	104.5
62	Orlando, FL	$58,720	$60,540	103.1
63	Oklahoma City, OK	$58,555	$50,650	86.5
64	San Francisco, CA	$57,283	$102,880	179.6
65	Tulsa, OK	$55,772	$48,410	86.8
66	San Jose, CA	$55,276	$108,230	195.8
67	New York, NY	$53,846	$100,800	187.2
68	Tucson, AZ	$53,396	$50,940	95.4
69	Washington, DC	$52,552	$80,300	152.8
70	Miami, FL	$49,074	$60,410	123.1

Frequently Asked Questions

San Jose, CA pays the highest median Secondary School Teacher salary at $108,230. However, after cost-of-living adjustment, Spokane, WA offers the most purchasing power at $102,064 adjusted.

The national median Secondary School Teacher salary is $74,502 based on BLS data. Salaries range from $48,410 to $108,230 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.