Teacher salary and education: what each kind of teacher earns and needs.
“Teacher” is a family of jobs, not one occupation. Here is what each one pays, how many people do it, the education BLS lists to start, and where it is heading, from U.S. government data.
$63,250
Median annual wage, May 2025, 4,373,040 employed.
Preschool, elementary, middle, secondary and special education teachers in the United States earned a median annual wage of $63,250 in May 2025, according to BLS. Across the 14 occupations on this page, medians ran from $38,140 (preschool teachers) to $76,580 (special education teachers, all other). BLS lists an associate's degree as the typical entry-level education for some of these jobs and a bachelor's degree for others.
Teachers at a glance
BLS counted 4,373,040 preschool, elementary, middle, secondary and special education teachers employed in the United States in May 2025.
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education are the largest occupation on this page, with 1,388,390 employed and a median annual wage of $63,970 in May 2025 (BLS).
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Among the occupations on this page, special education teachers, all other had the highest median annual wage in May 2025: $76,580 (BLS).
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS projects employment of preschool teachers, except special education to grow 4.5% from 2025 to 2035, the fastest projected change among the occupations on this page.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35
BLS publishes only annual wages for 11 of the 14 occupations on this page, because many of these workers have school-year schedules; an hourly figure is not published for them.
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
What each kind of teacher earns
Data One row per BLS occupation, sorted by median annual pay. Hourly pay is shown only where BLS publishes it.
| Occupation (BLS title) | Median annual pay | Median hourly | Employed | Typical entry-level education | Projected change 2025–35 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Special Education Teachers, All Other | $76,580 | annual only | 33,930 | Bachelor's degree | +1.9% |
| Special Education Teachers, Secondary School | $74,260 | annual only | 163,930 | Bachelor's degree | -0.2% |
| Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | $72,040 | annual only | 1,065,210 | Bachelor's degree | -0.2% |
| Special Education Teachers, Middle School | $66,810 | annual only | 95,200 | Bachelor's degree | -0.4% |
| Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School | $66,270 | annual only | 111,420 | Bachelor's degree | -0.4% |
| Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School | $65,120 | annual only | 260,870 | Bachelor's degree | -0.4% |
| Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle School | $65,030 | annual only | 16,870 | Bachelor's degree | -0.5% |
| Special Education Teachers, Preschool | $64,830 | annual only | 29,510 | Bachelor's degree | +2.4% |
| Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | $64,370 | annual only | 620,090 | Bachelor's degree | -0.4% |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,970 | annual only | 1,388,390 | Bachelor's degree | -0.4% |
| Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,680 | annual only | 108,870 | Bachelor's degree | -0.3% |
| Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors | $61,540 | $29.59 | 37,310 | Bachelor's degree | -13.9% |
| Substitute Teachers, Short-Term | $41,670 | $20.03 | 524,770 | Bachelor's degree | +2.0% |
| Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education | $38,140 | $18.34 | 478,780 | Associate's degree | +4.5% |
What education do you need to be a teacher?
Data BLS typical entry-level education by occupation, 2025–35 projections. Typical, not a legal requirement; licensing rules vary by state, so check your state's licensing board.
- Associate's degreePreschool Teachers
- Bachelor's degreeSpecial Education Teachers, All Other; Special Education Teachers, Secondary School; Secondary School Teachers; Special Education Teachers, Middle School; Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School; Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School; Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle School; Special Education Teachers, Preschool; Middle School Teachers; Elementary School Teachers; Kindergarten Teachers; Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors; Substitute Teachers, Short-Term
Teachers and related careers
Data BLS group medians, May 2025. Each group is a different set of occupations; no group is better.
| Career family | BLS group | Median annual pay | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teachers | Preschool, Elementary, Middle, Secondary, and Special Education Teachers | $63,250 | 4,373,040 |
| Counselors | Counselors | $60,320 | 1,035,300 |
| Social workers | Social Workers | $61,780 | 775,930 |
How this page is built
Pay and employment are BLS OEWS national estimates for May 2025, for each BLS detailed occupation listed. The family figure is the BLS Preschool, Elementary, Middle, Secondary, and Special Education Teachers group (25-2000), as published by BLS, not a TryHired calculation. Typical entry-level education and projected change are from BLS Employment Projections 2025–35. Which occupations count is a TryHired editorial choice, listed below.
Which occupations this page counts. Counted: every occupation in the BLS preschool, elementary, middle, secondary and special education teacher group (25-2000), plus short-term substitute teachers and adult basic education / ESL instructors, which BLS places in another teacher group. College professors (postsecondary teachers) are a separate BLS group and are not counted.
- Pay at a specific employer, union contract or school district.
- Licensing or certification rules in your state.
- Which of these careers suits you personally.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates (public domain).
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025–35 (public domain): typical entry-level education and projected employment change.