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Educator salary
Average educator salary
$43,760
Understanding Educator Salaries
As of October 2025, the average educator salary in the U.S. stands at $43,760 annually. Salaries can vary based on several factors including state, years of experience, and specific roles within education. For instance, educators in states like California and New York tend to earn more than their counterparts in other regions.
Factors Influencing Salaries
Experience plays a crucial role in determining salary levels. New educators typically start at the lower end of the pay scale, while those with more years in the field can command higher figures. Additionally, educators who specialize in in-demand subjects, such as STEM fields, often see higher salaries.
Regional Salary Differences
When examining salary data, it’s essential to consider geographical variances. States like New York, California, and Massachusetts often report the highest salaries for educators. Meanwhile, states with lower costs of living may offer lower salaries but can provide a balanced lifestyle.
Top Paying Educator Jobs
Positions such as university professors, special education teachers, and instructional coordinators generally offer higher salaries compared to other educator roles. Exploring these avenues can lead to increased earning potential within the education sector.
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Where can an Educator earn more?
Educator salary estimates from across the web
Average educator salary by state
The average educator salary in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average educator salary states are Alabama, Mississippi, and Arkansas.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for educators
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Connecticut | $56,112 | $26.98 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $57,749 | $27.76 |
| 3 | New Hampshire | $48,511 | $23.32 |
| 4 | Pennsylvania | $52,615 | $25.30 |
| 5 | Maryland | $54,993 | $26.44 |
| 6 | New York | $60,720 | $29.19 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $55,502 | $26.68 |
| 8 | District of Columbia | $60,168 | $28.93 |
| 9 | Ohio | $49,550 | $23.82 |
| 10 | Michigan | $48,577 | $23.35 |
| 11 | Illinois | $49,937 | $24.01 |
| 12 | Minnesota | $49,918 | $24.00 |
| 13 | Alaska | $51,062 | $24.55 |
| 14 | Vermont | $48,402 | $23.27 |
| 15 | Maine | $47,184 | $22.68 |
| 16 | Rhode Island | $55,210 | $26.54 |
| 17 | Virginia | $52,653 | $25.31 |
| 18 | Nebraska | $45,466 | $21.86 |
| 19 | Washington | $48,488 | $23.31 |
| 20 | Delaware | $45,518 | $21.88 |
| 21 | California | $49,462 | $23.78 |
| 22 | Kansas | $44,105 | $21.20 |
| 23 | Wyoming | $41,205 | $19.81 |
| 24 | North Dakota | $42,256 | $20.32 |
| 25 | Oregon | $45,610 | $21.93 |
| 26 | Colorado | $41,692 | $20.04 |
| 27 | Nevada | $38,476 | $18.50 |
| 28 | Wisconsin | $44,169 | $21.24 |
| 29 | New Mexico | $38,194 | $18.36 |
| 30 | Montana | $38,857 | $18.68 |
| 31 | Iowa | $41,069 | $19.74 |
| 32 | North Carolina | $40,889 | $19.66 |
| 33 | Texas | $39,262 | $18.88 |
| 34 | Kentucky | $41,294 | $19.85 |
| 35 | Indiana | $37,838 | $18.19 |
| 36 | Arizona | $36,697 | $17.64 |
| 37 | Georgia | $40,483 | $19.46 |
| 38 | West Virginia | $39,692 | $19.08 |
| 39 | Idaho | $37,267 | $17.92 |
| 40 | Tennessee | $37,661 | $18.11 |
| 41 | South Dakota | $37,414 | $17.99 |
| 42 | South Carolina | $37,674 | $18.11 |
| 43 | Oklahoma | $34,958 | $16.81 |
| 44 | Utah | $37,989 | $18.26 |
| 45 | Florida | $33,508 | $16.11 |
| 46 | Hawaii | $39,108 | $18.80 |
| 47 | Missouri | $36,424 | $17.51 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $35,903 | $17.26 |
| 49 | Alabama | $36,214 | $17.41 |
| 50 | Louisiana | $34,908 | $16.78 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $35,380 | $17.01 |
Highest paying cities for educators
The highest-paying cities for educators are New York, NY, Washington, DC, and New Brunswick, NJ.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York, NY | $60,965 | $29.31 |
| 2 | Washington, DC | $60,204 | $28.94 |
| 3 | New Brunswick, NJ | $57,759 | $27.77 |
| 4 | Boston, MA | $55,430 | $26.65 |
| 5 | Baltimore, MD | $55,275 | $26.57 |
| 6 | San Francisco, CA | $51,409 | $24.72 |
| 7 | Chicago, IL | $50,245 | $24.16 |
| 8 | Minneapolis, MN | $49,973 | $24.03 |
| 9 | Columbus, OH | $49,126 | $23.62 |
| 10 | Detroit, MI | $48,773 | $23.45 |
| 11 | Seattle, WA | $48,654 | $23.39 |
| 12 | Portland, ME | $47,440 | $22.81 |
| 13 | Portland, OR | $45,423 | $21.84 |
| 14 | Lincoln, NE | $45,368 | $21.81 |
| 15 | Milwaukee, WI | $44,243 | $21.27 |
| 16 | Wichita, KS | $43,762 | $21.04 |
| 17 | Fargo, ND | $42,446 | $20.41 |
| 18 | Denver, CO | $41,774 | $20.08 |
| 19 | Durham, NC | $41,754 | $20.07 |
| 20 | Des Moines, IA | $40,674 | $19.55 |
Educators are the most in-demand in these five cities:
Educator salary details
An educator's salary ranges from $29,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $65,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is an educator's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $65,000 | $5,417 | $31 |
| 75th Percentile | $54,000 | $4,500 | $26 |
| Average | $43,760 | $3,647 | $21 |
| 25th Percentile | $35,000 | $2,917 | $17 |
| 10th Percentile | $29,000 | $2,417 | $14 |
Highest paying educator jobs
The highest paying types of educators are special educator, summer school teacher, and esl teacher.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teacher-In-Training | $37,214 | $3,101 | $17.89 | 132,725 |
| First Grade Teacher | $49,757 | $4,146 | $23.92 | 70,517 |
| Certified Teacher | $50,708 | $4,226 | $24.38 | 92,051 |
| 6th Grade Teacher | $45,615 | $3,801 | $21.93 | 69,523 |
| Teacher | $47,989 | $3,999 | $23.07 | 71,918 |
| Summer School Teacher | $52,828 | $4,402 | $25.40 | 86,467 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for educators, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Dr. Bryan Carter Ph.D.
Director, Center for Digital Humanities, Associate Professor, Africana Studies, University of Arizona
Which companies pay educators the most?
Educator salaries at Google and Pace University are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average educator salary at companies like Cisco and Pioneers Memorial Healthcare District are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $97,762 | $47.00 | |
| 2 | Pace University | $92,524 | $44.48 |
| 3 | Cisco | $91,701 | $44.09 |
| 4 | Pioneers Memorial Healthcare District | $87,209 | $41.93 |
| 5 | Cottage Health | $86,808 | $41.73 |
| 6 | Schrödinger Inc | $84,767 | $40.75 |
| 7 | University of Maryland Medical System | $84,451 | $40.60 |
| 8 | WakeMed | $82,972 | $39.89 |
| 9 | Legacy Health | $82,608 | $39.72 |
| 10 | Tenet Healthcare | $81,027 | $38.96 |
| 11 | The Nightingale-Bamford School | $77,258 | $37.14 |
| 12 | CHKD Thrift Store | $74,988 | $36.05 |
| 13 | City of Mountain View | $74,606 | $35.87 |
| 14 | Lenovo | $74,462 | $35.80 |
| 15 | Health Alliance | $73,346 | $35.26 |
| 16 | University of Massachusetts Boston | $72,546 | $34.88 |
| 17 | Stanford Health Care | $72,450 | $34.83 |
| 18 | Siemens | $72,043 | $34.64 |
| 19 | LCMC Health | $69,613 | $33.47 |
| 20 | Prime Healthcare | $69,215 | $33.28 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Educator salary trends
The average educator salary has risen by $5,817 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average educator earned $37,943 annually, but today, they earn $43,760 a year. That works out to a 9% change in pay for educators over the last decade.
Compare educator salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average educator salary over time
Compare educator salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Educator salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $43,800 | $21.04 | +2.1% |
| 2024 | $42,800 | $20.60 | +2.4% |
| 2023 | $41,800 | $20.10 | +1.8% |
| 2022 | $41,000 | $19.73 | +2.4% |
| 2021 | $40,100 | $19.26 | +1.6% |
Recently added educator salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Audubon Engineering | Seasonal Outdoor Educator | Naples, FL | 06/30/2025 | $39,653 |
| Kaplan | Mcat Prep Instructor: University of Arizona | Tucson, AZ | 06/30/2025 | $31,200 |
| Kaplan | Mcat Prep Instructor-University of Denver | Denver, CO | 06/30/2025 | $31,200 |
| Kaplan | Mcat Prep Instructor-University of Washington | Seattle, WA | 06/30/2025 | $31,200 |
| Kaplan | Mcat Prep Instructor-ST. Louis University | Saint Louis, MO | 06/30/2025 | $31,200 |
| Kaplan | Mcat Prep Instructor-Hofstra University | Hempstead, NY | 06/30/2025 | $73,045 |
| Kaplan | Mcat Prep Instructor-University of California, SAN Diego | San Diego, CA | 06/30/2025 | $31,200 |
| Kaplan | Mcat Prep Instructor-Loyola University | Chicago, IL | 06/30/2025 | $73,045 |
| Kaplan | Mcat Prep Instructor-Rutgers University | New Brunswick, NJ | 06/30/2025 | $31,200 |
| Kaplan | Mcat Prep Instructor-Michigan State University | East Lansing, MI | 06/30/2025 | $73,045 |
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