Secondary School Teachers Salary 2025: $74,502 Median Pay (BLS OEWS)
$74,502 per year is the national median annual wage for secondary school teachers (BLS OEWS, May 2025 reference period). That works out to about $36/hour, with a 10th–90th percentile range of $70,820 to $151,810. The Bureau of Labor Statistics classifies this role under SOC code 25-2031.
Key Facts (BLS OEWS, May 2025)
- Median annual wage
- $74,502
- Median hourly wage
- $36/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $82,066
- Total US employment
- 619,840
- Top-paying metro
- San Jose, CA, CA ($108,230)
- BLS SOC code
- 25-2031
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 release.
Secondary School Teacher (SOC 25-2031) is a mid-paying occupation, with a national median wage of $74,502. BLS OEWS reports 619,840 workers in this role nationally.
Geographic wage spread is wide: across the 70 cities reporting data, median Secondary School Teacher wages range from $48,410 to $108,230 — roughly 124% above the floor. The spread reflects cost-of-living, regional supply-and-demand, and industry-mix differences. Secondary School Teacher is in the {{category}} category. BLS OEWS captures base wage but not bonuses, equity compensation, or commissions; total compensation for many roles runs meaningfully above the reported wage.
Salary Range (BLS Percentiles)
Secondary School Teachers salaries range from $48,410 to $108,230 median across cities, depending on location, experience, and industry.
Secondary School Teachers Salary by City (BLS OEWS)
| City | 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | COL-Adjusted | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $70,820 | $85,784 | $108,230 | $130,020 | $151,810 | $55,276 | 4,130 |
| Sacramento, CA | $66,570 | $81,966 | $105,060 | $115,490 | $125,920 | $84,250 | 6,040 |
| San Francisco, CA | $72,820 | $84,844 | $102,880 | $124,710 | $146,540 | $57,283 | 11,520 |
| San Diego, CA | $66,660 | $81,120 | $102,810 | $162,340 | $221,870 | $64,176 | 6,690 |
| Seattle, WA | $61,140 | $77,752 | $102,670 | $117,485 | $132,300 | $68,722 | 7,720 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $67,190 | $80,698 | $100,960 | $117,405 | $133,850 | $60,819 | 32,250 |
| New York, NY | $63,480 | $78,408 | $100,800 | $118,570 | $136,340 | $53,846 | 75,780 |
| Fresno, CA | $63,240 | $78,244 | $100,750 | $117,870 | $134,990 | $95,498 | 3,210 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino, CA | $62,980 | $77,840 | $100,130 | $117,060 | $133,990 | $81,806 | 12,450 |
| Spokane, WA | $61,030 | $76,382 | $99,410 | $104,070 | $108,730 | $102,064 | 1,180 |
| Bakersfield, CA | $63,350 | $77,670 | $99,150 | $112,160 | $125,170 | $98,559 | 3,300 |
| Chicago, IL | $60,380 | $75,816 | $98,970 | $119,785 | $140,600 | $92,237 | 32,790 |
| Boston, MA | $62,080 | $76,788 | $98,850 | $111,735 | $124,620 | $64,990 | 20,600 |
| Providence, RI | $52,510 | $68,350 | $92,110 | $96,240 | $100,370 | $77,144 | 6,770 |
| Portland, OR | $58,640 | $68,832 | $84,120 | $96,105 | $108,090 | $64,658 | 6,790 |
| Bridgeport, CT | $59,770 | $69,046 | $82,960 | $104,490 | $126,020 | $60,335 | 4,220 |
| Columbus, OH | $51,340 | $63,364 | $81,400 | $100,025 | $118,650 | $87,433 | 9,210 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $51,470 | $63,422 | $81,350 | $93,305 | $105,260 | $88,137 | 9,600 |
| Hartford, CT | $50,600 | $62,644 | $80,710 | $94,040 | $107,370 | $71,679 | 4,430 |
| Albany, NY | $57,560 | $66,784 | $80,620 | $92,370 | $104,120 | $80,060 | 3,500 |
| Philadelphia, PA | $58,870 | $67,546 | $80,560 | $92,020 | $103,480 | $68,041 | 25,460 |
| Washington, DC | $57,290 | $66,494 | $80,300 | $98,730 | $117,160 | $52,552 | 20,400 |
| Anchorage, AK | $64,570 | $70,602 | $79,650 | $88,895 | $98,140 | $62,717 | 1,130 |
| Buffalo, NY | $48,550 | $60,842 | $79,280 | $94,280 | $109,280 | $85,708 | 3,160 |
| Denver, CO | $51,860 | $62,808 | $79,230 | $90,650 | $102,070 | $70,239 | 9,070 |
| Minneapolis, MN | $49,940 | $61,568 | $79,010 | $102,485 | $125,960 | $74,397 | 9,840 |
| Baltimore, MD | $61,660 | $68,336 | $78,350 | $89,095 | $99,840 | $68,608 | 9,300 |
| Detroit, MI | $48,920 | $60,360 | $77,520 | $89,415 | $101,310 | $81,514 | 9,080 |
| Salt Lake City, UT | $61,460 | $67,872 | $77,490 | $88,275 | $99,060 | $76,420 | 4,430 |
| Atlanta, GA | $49,450 | $60,554 | $77,210 | $87,035 | $96,860 | $77,833 | 14,830 |
| Albuquerque, NM | $59,840 | $66,688 | $76,960 | $79,110 | $81,260 | $81,872 | 3,360 |
| Rochester, NY | $50,590 | $60,830 | $76,190 | $85,435 | $94,680 | $82,013 | 4,430 |
| Milwaukee, WI | $47,250 | $58,498 | $75,370 | $86,100 | $96,830 | $77,382 | 4,120 |
| Louisville, KY | $49,180 | $59,124 | $74,040 | $84,015 | $93,990 | $82,084 | 3,960 |
| Reno, NV | $50,170 | $59,286 | $72,960 | $83,665 | $94,370 | $68,507 | 1,390 |
| Cincinnati, OH | $48,660 | $55,672 | $66,190 | $83,670 | $101,150 | $72,577 | 8,450 |
| Dallas, TX | $61,470 | $63,238 | $65,890 | $71,825 | $77,760 | $63,295 | 28,000 |
| Houston, TX | $56,760 | $60,272 | $65,540 | $73,005 | $80,470 | $67,917 | 26,260 |
| Las Vegas, NV | $54,850 | $59,118 | $65,520 | $74,355 | $83,190 | $60,110 | 6,760 |
| Lexington, KY | $48,560 | $55,076 | $64,850 | $74,080 | $83,310 | $71,030 | 1,540 |
| Nashville, TN | $50,410 | $56,130 | $64,710 | $72,710 | $80,710 | $64,516 | 6,080 |
| Madison, WI | $49,890 | $55,566 | $64,080 | $72,135 | $80,190 | $61,734 | 1,940 |
| Greenville, SC | $49,390 | $55,258 | $64,060 | $72,980 | $81,900 | $71,099 | 2,700 |
| Omaha, NE | $47,610 | $54,126 | $63,900 | $71,330 | $78,760 | $69,608 | 3,540 |
| Knoxville, TN | $50,380 | $55,480 | $63,130 | $70,100 | $77,070 | $69,911 | 2,820 |
| Jacksonville, FL | $48,150 | $53,950 | $62,650 | $70,485 | $78,320 | $65,878 | 3,720 |
| Birmingham, AL | $48,860 | $54,376 | $62,650 | $69,320 | $75,990 | $69,303 | 2,850 |
| Indianapolis, IN | $49,680 | $54,836 | $62,570 | $80,340 | $98,110 | $69,445 | 6,160 |
| Des Moines, IA | $47,870 | $53,714 | $62,480 | $72,290 | $82,100 | $66,967 | 2,660 |
| Austin, TX | $52,970 | $56,710 | $62,320 | $69,520 | $76,720 | $60,505 | 8,160 |
| Memphis, TN | $48,170 | $53,794 | $62,230 | $70,705 | $79,180 | $74,083 | 4,860 |
| St. Louis, MO | $47,630 | $53,430 | $62,130 | $80,335 | $98,540 | $69,033 | 9,870 |
| Richmond, VA | $50,490 | $55,094 | $62,000 | $71,375 | $80,750 | $60,725 | 4,420 |
| San Antonio, TX | $49,660 | $54,532 | $61,840 | $70,575 | $79,310 | $67,585 | 10,130 |
| Wichita, KS | $49,700 | $54,556 | $61,840 | $69,035 | $76,230 | $73,619 | 2,320 |
| Colorado Springs, CO | $47,740 | $53,328 | $61,710 | $70,525 | $79,340 | $59,053 | 2,760 |
| Kansas City, MO | $48,820 | $53,772 | $61,200 | $70,070 | $78,940 | $64,151 | 7,750 |
| Boise, ID | $48,740 | $53,700 | $61,140 | $71,285 | $81,430 | $59,882 | 2,920 |
| Tampa, FL | $50,840 | $54,916 | $61,030 | $67,880 | $74,730 | $61,275 | 8,180 |
| New Orleans, LA | $48,810 | $53,586 | $60,750 | $68,920 | $77,090 | $63,347 | 2,860 |
| Orlando, FL | $48,670 | $53,418 | $60,540 | $67,290 | $74,040 | $58,720 | 8,650 |
| Little Rock, AR | $49,100 | $53,652 | $60,480 | $68,610 | $76,740 | $68,571 | 2,920 |
| Miami, FL | $50,250 | $54,314 | $60,410 | $68,975 | $77,540 | $49,074 | 12,010 |
| Raleigh, NC | $47,330 | $52,550 | $60,380 | $67,785 | $75,190 | $60,501 | 4,210 |
| Charlotte, NC | $47,270 | $52,482 | $60,300 | $67,910 | $75,520 | $62,358 | 8,500 |
| Phoenix, AZ | $49,020 | $53,240 | $59,570 | $81,920 | $104,270 | $59,156 | 14,730 |
| Greensboro, NC | $44,760 | $50,452 | $58,990 | $61,165 | $63,340 | $64,611 | 2,300 |
| Tucson, AZ | $40,180 | $44,484 | $50,940 | $60,880 | $70,820 | $53,396 | 3,320 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | $47,610 | $48,826 | $50,650 | $66,795 | $82,940 | $58,555 | 5,530 |
| Tulsa, OK | $46,200 | $47,084 | $48,410 | $55,015 | $61,620 | $55,772 | 3,820 |
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Frequently Asked Questions
The national median salary for Secondary School Teacher is $74,502 as of 2025. The national mean (average) is $82,066. Salaries range from $48,410 to $108,230 depending on city and cost of living.
Secondary School Teacher salaries vary significantly by metro area. The highest-paying cities offer median salaries well above the national average of $74,502, though cost of living should be factored in. Check the city breakdown table above for COL-adjusted figures.
There are approximately 619,840 Secondary School Teacher positions in the US across 70 metropolitan areas tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Secondary School Teacher positions at the 90th percentile earn significantly more than the median, suggesting strong income growth potential with experience and specialization. The gap between the 10th and 90th percentile indicates the impact that skills, location, and seniority have on compensation.
Salary data from BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. COL adjustments use BEA Regional Price Parities.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2026.