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The salary for a Fifth Grade Teacher can greatly differ based on various factors including geographic location, school district funding, and years of experience. As of October 2025, the average salary stands at $45,802 annually. In addition, salaries can vary widely from state to state, with teachers in states like California and New York often earning more due to higher living costs and increased demand for educators.
Exploring these factors can provide a clearer perspective for anyone considering a career in education. Resources such as job boards and salary comparison sites can aid in understanding potential salary expectations more comprehensively.
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The highest-paying states for fifth grade teachers are New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. The lowest average fifth grade teacher salary states are Idaho, Missouri, and South Dakota.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Jersey | $57,182 | $27.49 |
| 2 | Connecticut | $54,372 | $26.14 |
| 3 | New York | $59,962 | $28.83 |
| 4 | Maryland | $53,608 | $25.77 |
| 5 | District of Columbia | $57,681 | $27.73 |
| 6 | Michigan | $47,407 | $22.79 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $52,562 | $25.27 |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | $51,868 | $24.94 |
| 9 | New Mexico | $44,675 | $21.48 |
| 10 | Texas | $46,019 | $22.12 |
| 11 | California | $54,179 | $26.05 |
| 12 | Nebraska | $44,592 | $21.44 |
| 13 | Minnesota | $44,417 | $21.35 |
| 14 | Florida | $42,550 | $20.46 |
| 15 | Oregon | $46,387 | $22.30 |
| 16 | Delaware | $42,766 | $20.56 |
| 17 | Illinois | $40,402 | $19.42 |
| 18 | Washington | $44,914 | $21.59 |
| 19 | Montana | $40,553 | $19.50 |
| 20 | Rhode Island | $44,616 | $21.45 |
| 21 | Alaska | $47,270 | $22.73 |
| 22 | Wyoming | $40,158 | $19.31 |
| 23 | Colorado | $39,816 | $19.14 |
| 24 | Virginia | $42,329 | $20.35 |
| 25 | Hawaii | $51,095 | $24.56 |
| 26 | Alabama | $40,710 | $19.57 |
| 27 | Nevada | $36,897 | $17.74 |
| 28 | Louisiana | $40,848 | $19.64 |
| 29 | Ohio | $39,254 | $18.87 |
| 30 | Arizona | $36,843 | $17.71 |
| 31 | New Hampshire | $36,579 | $17.59 |
| 32 | Kentucky | $39,931 | $19.20 |
| 33 | Iowa | $38,280 | $18.40 |
| 34 | Utah | $39,480 | $18.98 |
| 35 | North Carolina | $37,506 | $18.03 |
| 36 | South Carolina | $36,540 | $17.57 |
| 37 | Tennessee | $35,969 | $17.29 |
| 38 | North Dakota | $37,370 | $17.97 |
| 39 | Wisconsin | $36,231 | $17.42 |
| 40 | Indiana | $35,514 | $17.07 |
| 41 | Georgia | $36,550 | $17.57 |
| 42 | Kansas | $34,697 | $16.68 |
| 43 | West Virginia | $36,600 | $17.60 |
| 44 | Vermont | $35,315 | $16.98 |
| 45 | Mississippi | $34,743 | $16.70 |
| 46 | Oklahoma | $30,968 | $14.89 |
| 47 | Missouri | $32,957 | $15.84 |
| 48 | Idaho | $33,100 | $15.91 |
| 49 | South Dakota | $32,857 | $15.80 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $31,841 | $15.31 |
| 51 | Maine | $28,609 | $13.75 |
The highest-paying cities for fifth grade teachers are New York, NY, Washington, DC, and Paterson, NJ.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York, NY | $60,839 | $29.25 |
| 2 | Washington, DC | $57,666 | $27.72 |
| 3 | Paterson, NJ | $55,973 | $26.91 |
| 4 | Sunnyvale, CA | $55,047 | $26.46 |
| 5 | Silver Spring, MD | $53,414 | $25.68 |
| 6 | Bristol, CT | $53,158 | $25.56 |
| 7 | Detroit, MI | $47,734 | $22.95 |
| 8 | Austin, TX | $46,242 | $22.23 |
| 9 | Albuquerque, NM | $44,724 | $21.50 |
| 10 | Alexandria, VA | $43,310 | $20.82 |
| 11 | Orlando, FL | $42,399 | $20.38 |
| 12 | Rockford, IL | $40,286 | $19.37 |
| 13 | Pueblo, CO | $39,955 | $19.21 |
| 14 | Layton, UT | $39,247 | $18.87 |
| 15 | Winston-Salem, NC | $37,347 | $17.96 |
| 16 | Phoenix, AZ | $36,899 | $17.74 |
| 17 | Las Vegas, NV | $36,876 | $17.73 |
| 18 | Columbia, SC | $36,507 | $17.55 |
| 19 | Marietta, GA | $36,455 | $17.53 |
A fifth grade teacher's salary ranges from $31,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $65,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $65,000 | $5,417 | $31 |
| 75th Percentile | $55,000 | $4,583 | $26 |
| Average | $45,802 | $3,817 | $22 |
| 25th Percentile | $37,000 | $3,083 | $18 |
| 10th Percentile | $31,000 | $2,583 | $15 |
The highest paying types of fifth grade teachers are science teacher, student teacher, and reading teacher.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Language Arts Teacher | $51,969 | $4,331 | $24.99 | 88,551 |
| ESL Teacher | $52,701 | $4,392 | $25.34 | 63,897 |
| Guest Teacher | $32,547 | $2,712 | $15.65 | 84,930 |
| Kindergarten Teacher | $48,029 | $4,002 | $23.09 | 65,972 |
| Reading Teacher | $55,452 | $4,621 | $26.66 | 68,234 |
| Science Teacher | $59,788 | $4,982 | $28.74 | 71,133 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for fifth grade teachers, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Patricia Rogan Ph.D.
Professor, Special Education/Urban Teacher Education, Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis
Top companies hiring fifth grade teachers now:
Fifth grade teacher salaries at Sidwell Friends School and Alexandria City Public Schools are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average fifth grade teacher salary at companies like Montgomery County Public Schools and NORTH DAVIS PREPARATORY ACADEMY are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sidwell Friends School | $53,064 | $25.51 |
| 2 | Alexandria City Public Schools | $52,769 | $25.37 |
| 3 | Montgomery County Public Schools | $50,377 | $24.22 |
| 4 | NORTH DAVIS PREPARATORY ACADEMY | $48,785 | $23.45 |
| 5 | Quarry Lane School | $48,377 | $23.26 |
| 6 | Campbell Co Schools | $47,058 | $22.62 |
| 7 | district | $46,914 | $22.55 |
| 8 | Winston Salem Forsyth County | $46,470 | $22.34 |
| 9 | Oak Grove School | $46,293 | $22.26 |
| 10 | Legacy Traditional Schools | $46,093 | $22.16 |
| 11 | Julian Charter School | $44,586 | $21.44 |
| 12 | Orange County High School | $42,503 | $20.43 |
| 13 | The Walker School | $41,836 | $20.11 |
| 14 | Bristol Public School District | $40,830 | $19.63 |
| 15 | SunnyvaleSD | $40,692 | $19.56 |
| 16 | Albuquerque Academy | $39,689 | $19.08 |
| 17 | Jeffrey C Still Middle School | $39,467 | $18.97 |
| 18 | Life School | $37,628 | $18.09 |
| 19 | Wayne RESA | $36,397 | $17.50 |
| 20 | Pueblo City-County Library District | $32,036 | $15.40 |
The average fifth grade teacher salary has risen by $6,088 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average fifth grade teacher earned $39,714 annually, but today, they earn $45,802 a year. That works out to a 9% change in pay for fifth grade teachers over the last decade.
Compare fifth grade teacher salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare fifth grade teacher salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $45,800 | $22.02 | +2.1% |
| 2024 | $44,800 | $21.56 | +2.4% |
| 2023 | $43,800 | $21.04 | +1.8% |
| 2022 | $43,000 | $20.65 | +2.4% |
| 2021 | $41,900 | $20.16 | +1.6% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon Public Schools | Grade 1 Teacher-Weddle | Salem, OR | 06/28/2025 | $50,011 |
| Suitemate Staffing Solutions | Title 1 Generalist Teacher Grades: K | Nome, TX | 06/27/2025 | $64,000 |
| San Felipe Del Rio CISD | Fifth Grade Bilingual Teacher (Adv/H)-Job #8003 | Nome, TX | 06/22/2025 | $55,900 |
| Oregon Public Schools | Esol Teacher-Grade TBD | Salem, OR | 06/22/2025 | $50,011 |
| Jackson Public Schools Ms | Teacher, Grade 2, SY | Jackson, MS | 06/18/2025 | $47,246 |
| Lindbergh Schools | Substitute-Long Term Leave Assignment-5Th Grade-Concord Elementary | Noel, MO | 06/17/2025 | $44,349 |
| Illinois Association of School | Fifth Grade Dual Language-English Teacher | DeKalb, IL | 06/03/2025 | $48,966 |
| High Tech High | 12Th Grade Elective Teacher (Government/Civic, Computer Science, Sociology, or Engineering) | Ione, CA | 05/28/2025 | $63,280 |
| New Caney Independent School District | Fifth Grade Science Teacher | Nome, TX | 05/24/2025 | $65,000 |
| Lawrence Public Schools | Grade 7 Teacher | Lawrence, MA | 05/20/2025 | $45,000 |
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