Updated May 2026 · BLS OEWS 2025
Secondary School Teacher Salary in Baltimore, MD
Education · SOC 25-2031 · COL Index 114.2
Secondary School Teachers in Baltimore, MD earn a median salary of $78,350 as of 2025, with a 10th-to-90th percentile range of $61,660 to $99,840. The mean is $79,240 across approximately 9,300 workers. Adjusted for Baltimore, MD's cost-of-living index of 114.2, the median equates to $68,608 of purchasing power in an average-cost U.S. metro.
Secondary School Teacher in Baltimore, MD pays modestly above the national median: $78,350 versus $74,502 nationally, roughly 5% above.
Cost-of-living in Baltimore, MD runs at index 114.2, above the national baseline. The cost-adjusted median works out to about $68,608 in national-baseline dollars. Wage distribution at the 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentiles: $68,336, $78,350, $89,095, $99,840. 9,300 Secondary School Teacher workers are documented in Baltimore, MD per the BLS OEWS survey. The percentile spread is the most useful framing — entry-level pay clusters near p25, mid-career near p50, senior-level near p75-p90.
Salary Distribution
Percentile Breakdown
| Percentile | Salary | COL-Adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile (Entry Level) | $61,660 | $53,993 |
| 25th Percentile | $68,336 | $59,839 |
| 50th Percentile (Median) | $78,350 | $68,608 |
| 75th Percentile | $89,095 | $78,017 |
| 90th Percentile (Top Earners) | $99,840 | $87,426 |
What These Numbers Tell You
The 10th-to-90th percentile spread for Secondary School Teachers in Baltimore, MD is relatively tight (1.6×), suggesting pay is largely standardized — most workers earn within a fairly narrow band of the median $78,350. Roles with this distribution tend to have less negotiation leverage at the top end, but also less risk of underpayment at the bottom.
Baltimore, MD's cost-of-living index of 114.2 sits close to the U.S. average — $78,350 here has roughly the same purchasing power as the same salary in the typical U.S. metro. That makes this market a clean baseline for comparing offers across cities.
Baltimore, MD ranks #27 of 70 BLS-tracked metros for Secondary School Teacher pay — in the upper half (39th percentile of metros) but not the top tier.
How to Use This in Negotiation
The classic negotiation move is to anchor your ask on the 75th percentile of the BLS band — $89,095 for Secondary School Teachers in Baltimore, MD — when you have meaningful experience, then bring evidence (years on the job, scope of past work, relevant certifications, comparable offers) to justify why you sit at that point in the distribution. Anchoring on the median when you have 5+ years of experience leaves money on the table; anchoring on the 90th percentile ($99,840) without strong evidence undercuts credibility.
For new entrants, the 25th-to-50th percentile band ($68,336–$78,350) is the realistic target. For mid-career workers, the median-to-75th band ($78,350–$89,095) is the right anchor. Senior specialists and managers should be benchmarking against the 75th-to-90th band ($89,095–$99,840).
For specific scripts and a full negotiation framework, see the data-driven salary negotiation guide. To benchmark your current pay, the salary percentile calculator places any number into the BLS distribution for this role and metro.
How This Salary Is Calculated
Wage figures come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program — a federal survey of about 1.2 million U.S. establishments, published once per year by Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) and Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code. The Baltimore, MD percentile bands above (10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, 90th) and the mean are pulled directly from the BLS data file for SOC code 25-2031 in this MSA. The COL-adjusted figure rebases salary to a U.S. national average COL of 100, using a composite index derived from public housing, food, and transportation data. Read the full methodology for details.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average Secondary School Teacher salary in Baltimore, MD?
Secondary School Teachers in Baltimore, MD earn a median salary of $78,350 as of 2025, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data. The mean (employment-weighted average) is $79,240 across roughly 9,300 workers in this metro.
What is the salary range for Secondary School Teachers in Baltimore, MD?
Pay ranges from $61,660 at the 10th percentile to $99,840 at the 90th percentile — a $38,180 spread. The 25th-to-75th percentile band ($68,336 to $89,095) is the typical anchor for salary negotiation.
Is $78,350 a good Secondary School Teacher salary in Baltimore, MD?
$78,350 is the BLS median — half of Secondary School Teachers in Baltimore, MD earn more, half earn less. Whether it is "good" depends on your experience: new entrants typically land near the 25th percentile ($68,336), mid-career workers near the median, and senior specialists near or above the 75th percentile ($89,095). Cost-of-living-adjusted to a national average baseline, the median equates to $68,608.
How does Secondary School Teacher pay in Baltimore, MD compare to other metros?
Baltimore, MD ranks #27 of 70 BLS-tracked metros for Secondary School Teacher median pay. It sits in the upper half but not the top tier.
Where does this Secondary School Teacher salary data come from?
Every wage figure comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program at bls.gov/oes — public domain federal data covering 1.2 million U.S. employers. The same data feeds the U.S. Department of Labor's prevailing wage system used for H-1B and federal contracting wage determinations.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Baltimore, MD MSA, SOC 25-2031, 2025 release. Public domain. See bls.gov/oes. Cite as: "SalaryTruth, BLS OEWS 2025."
Last refreshed 2026-05-21 · 9,300 Secondary School Teachers tracked in Baltimore, MD.