Middle School Teacher Salary by State
How much middle school teachers earn in each state. SOC code 25-2022 (Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education). Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025.
- National median wage$64,370Half earn more, half less
- National mean wage$72,030Average of all workers
- Hourly wagen/aBLS publishes annual pay only
- U.S. employment620,090Wage & salary jobs
- Top-paying stateWashington$99,330 mean
- States with data51 / 51Others not published by BLS
How much do middle school teachers make?
Nationally, middle school teachers earn a median of $64,370 a year and a mean of $72,030 (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle half of the occupation earns between $58,530 (25th percentile) and $80,490 (75th percentile); the bottom 10% earn under $48,080 and the top 10% more than $102,540.
That median is 1.3× the median for all U.S. occupations ($50,980).
By state, the mean wage ranges from $99,330 in Washington (highest) to $52,930 in Mississippi (lowest). After adjusting the median for each state’s price level, Washington comes out on top at $95,458 in national-average dollars.
National pay distribution
| Percentile | Annual | Monthly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $48,080 | $4,007 |
| 25th | $58,530 | $4,878 |
| Median | $64,370 | $5,364 |
| 75th | $80,490 | $6,708 |
| 90th | $102,540 | $8,545 |
| Mean | $72,030 | $6,002 |
BLS publishes only annual wages for this occupation because many workers are paid for a school year rather than 2,080 hours.
Middle School Teacher salary in every state
Click a column heading to sort. Adjusted median = median × 100 ÷ BEA regional price parity (2024).
| State | Mean wage | Median wage | 10th pct | 90th pct | Adjusted median | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $99,330 | $102,140 | $65,250 | $128,170 | $95,458 | 10,510 |
| New York | $95,960 | $94,840 | $60,040 | $137,370 | $87,896 | 38,670 |
| California | $94,680 | $98,950 | $62,410 | $129,500 | $89,386 | 37,300 |
| Massachusetts | $87,300 | $89,450 | $60,590 | $107,610 | $84,546 | 16,570 |
| Connecticut | $86,920 | $93,610 | $60,070 | $110,120 | $90,357 | 7,920 |
| District of Columbia | $84,060 | $79,900 | $59,860 | $108,730 | $72,702 | 1,540 |
| Maryland | $83,070 | $78,510 | $59,890 | $115,540 | $74,771 | 14,530 |
| New Jersey | $81,690 | $78,770 | $61,450 | $104,790 | $72,399 | 23,650 |
| Alaska | $81,140 | $78,940 | $62,630 | $97,110 | $77,090 | 1,150 |
| Rhode Island | $80,970 | $92,760 | $46,460 | $99,150 | $90,674 | 2,370 |
| Utah | $80,660 | $79,180 | $54,940 | $102,400 | $80,061 | 5,960 |
| Oregon | $77,690 | $78,350 | $49,360 | $100,250 | $75,774 | 6,940 |
| Pennsylvania | $77,630 | $77,930 | $48,610 | $105,330 | $79,846 | 22,720 |
| Illinois | $75,870 | $76,110 | $47,810 | $105,580 | $76,110 | 24,770 |
| Ohio | $73,280 | $77,090 | $46,040 | $101,940 | $83,071 | 30,450 |
| New Mexico | $73,110 | $75,240 | $61,630 | $82,880 | $81,605 | 4,260 |
| Vermont | $72,710 | $73,940 | $49,300 | $97,630 | $75,449 | 1,620 |
| Hawaii | $71,870 | $69,230 | $51,180 | $96,720 | $62,936 | 2,480 |
| Delaware | $71,270 | $67,780 | $48,310 | $94,760 | $67,916 | 2,350 |
| Colorado | $70,440 | $63,760 | $49,580 | $99,400 | $61,843 | 13,280 |
| Minnesota | $70,420 | $62,640 | $47,560 | $99,340 | $63,529 | 8,890 |
| Virginia | $69,870 | $63,520 | $50,590 | $99,370 | $62,829 | 18,290 |
| Georgia | $69,780 | $64,780 | $47,540 | $97,960 | $67,269 | 23,610 |
| New Hampshire | $69,030 | $71,140 | $47,600 | $92,660 | $68,273 | 3,120 |
| Nevada | $68,810 | $66,300 | $49,610 | $83,160 | $66,300 | 3,910 |
| Michigan | $68,160 | $63,790 | $46,530 | $95,370 | $66,310 | 15,420 |
| Maine | $66,830 | $63,590 | $47,640 | $80,650 | $65,557 | 2,780 |
| Wyoming | $65,560 | $62,480 | $51,900 | $78,670 | $67,400 | 1,290 |
| Wisconsin | $65,220 | $61,960 | $47,870 | $79,990 | $65,845 | 14,460 |
| Texas | $64,480 | $63,390 | $51,410 | $75,750 | $65,283 | 80,160 |
| Nebraska | $63,630 | $62,510 | $38,790 | $78,290 | $69,378 | 4,150 |
| Indiana | $63,170 | $60,700 | $47,720 | $79,750 | $65,059 | 11,700 |
| Idaho | $62,940 | $60,930 | $46,870 | $79,070 | $63,801 | 2,360 |
| South Carolina | $62,580 | $60,810 | $48,090 | $78,160 | $64,899 | 9,750 |
| Arizona | $62,000 | $59,710 | $46,940 | $81,420 | $59,295 | 9,020 |
| Missouri | $61,510 | $59,310 | $43,760 | $91,130 | $65,319 | 11,330 |
| Montana | $61,240 | $61,550 | $39,140 | $80,290 | $65,063 | 1,980 |
| Tennessee | $61,030 | $60,690 | $48,540 | $76,830 | $66,039 | 13,060 |
| North Dakota | $60,780 | $60,100 | $47,090 | $79,760 | $67,528 | 1,400 |
| Alabama | $60,320 | $61,770 | $48,320 | $74,090 | $69,561 | 10,000 |
| Kentucky | $60,150 | $61,120 | $46,270 | $79,650 | $67,761 | 8,040 |
| Iowa | $60,080 | $60,450 | $40,920 | $79,110 | $68,850 | 6,270 |
| Florida | $60,040 | $58,940 | $49,310 | $75,520 | $57,002 | 31,370 |
| Kansas | $59,840 | $60,580 | $48,290 | $78,430 | $67,236 | 6,230 |
| Louisiana | $59,040 | $58,760 | $46,260 | $78,020 | $66,621 | 5,560 |
| Arkansas | $58,830 | $59,570 | $49,780 | $74,100 | $68,550 | 6,140 |
| West Virginia | $56,210 | $57,210 | $45,540 | $63,130 | $63,922 | 4,090 |
| Oklahoma | $53,920 | $48,440 | $43,400 | $68,990 | $55,171 | 7,620 |
| North Carolina | $53,350 | $52,010 | $44,660 | $61,770 | $55,154 | 20,650 |
| South Dakota | $53,290 | $50,980 | $47,000 | $60,790 | $57,540 | 2,130 |
| Mississippi | $52,930 | $50,790 | $46,020 | $60,860 | $58,379 | 6,260 |
Highest median pay
- Washington — $102,140
- California — $98,950
- New York — $94,840
- Connecticut — $93,610
- Rhode Island — $92,760
Lowest median pay
- Oklahoma — $48,440
- Mississippi — $50,790
- South Dakota — $50,980
- North Carolina — $52,010
- West Virginia — $57,210
Best pay after cost of living
- Washington — $95,458
- Rhode Island — $90,674
- Connecticut — $90,357
- California — $89,386
- New York — $87,896
The most middle school teachers work in Texas (80,160 jobs), New York and California.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a middle school teacher make?
The national median wage for middle school teachers is $64,370 a year and the mean is $72,030, according to BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates.
Which state pays middle school teachers the most?
Washington has the highest mean wage for middle school teachers at $99,330.
Which state pays middle school teachers the least?
Mississippi has the lowest mean wage for middle school teachers among states with published data, at $52,930.
Where do middle school teachers earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state’s median wage by its BEA price level, Washington ranks first at $95,458 in national-average dollars, followed by Rhode Island and Connecticut.