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Fifth grade teacher salary

Quoted expert
Patricia Rogan Ph.D.

Average fifth grade teacher salary

$45,802

$22.02 hourly rate

Entry-level fifth grade teacher salary
$31,000 yearly salary
Updated January 8, 2025

Average Fifth Grade Teacher Salary

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.

Factors Influencing Salary

  • Location: Teachers in urban areas typically earn higher salaries than those in rural regions.
  • Experience: More experienced teachers generally receive higher pay, reflecting their advanced skills and dedication.
  • Education Level: Teachers with advanced degrees may also command higher salaries.

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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Where can a Fifth Grade Teacher earn more?

Compare salary by location
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86k
66k
46k
26k
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Columbus, OH$60,839
Marietta, GA$36,455
Compare salary by company
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42k
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Sidwell Friends School$53,064
Pueblo City-County Library District$32,036

Fifth grade teacher salary estimates from across the web

Based on the latest salary information compiled by Zippia, Salary.com, Glassdoor and Ziprecruiter, the average salary for a fifth grade teacher typically falls between $45,802 and $68,596.
zippia
$45,802yearly
glassdoor[1]
$68,596yearly
Salary.com[2]
$58,751yearly
ZipRecruiter[3]
$47,000yearly

Average fifth grade teacher salary by state

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.

  • State view
  • County view
Average salary:

Highest paying states for fifth grade teachers

RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
1New Jersey$57,182$27.49
2Connecticut$54,372$26.14
3New York$59,962$28.83
4Maryland$53,608$25.77
5District of Columbia$57,681$27.73
6Michigan$47,407$22.79
7Massachusetts$52,562$25.27
8Pennsylvania$51,868$24.94
9New Mexico$44,675$21.48
10Texas$46,019$22.12
11California$54,179$26.05
12Nebraska$44,592$21.44
13Minnesota$44,417$21.35
14Florida$42,550$20.46
15Oregon$46,387$22.30
16Delaware$42,766$20.56
17Illinois$40,402$19.42
18Washington$44,914$21.59
19Montana$40,553$19.50
20Rhode Island$44,616$21.45
21Alaska$47,270$22.73
22Wyoming$40,158$19.31
23Colorado$39,816$19.14
24Virginia$42,329$20.35
25Hawaii$51,095$24.56
26Alabama$40,710$19.57
27Nevada$36,897$17.74
28Louisiana$40,848$19.64
29Ohio$39,254$18.87
30Arizona$36,843$17.71
31New Hampshire$36,579$17.59
32Kentucky$39,931$19.20
33Iowa$38,280$18.40
34Utah$39,480$18.98
35North Carolina$37,506$18.03
36South Carolina$36,540$17.57
37Tennessee$35,969$17.29
38North Dakota$37,370$17.97
39Wisconsin$36,231$17.42
40Indiana$35,514$17.07
41Georgia$36,550$17.57
42Kansas$34,697$16.68
43West Virginia$36,600$17.60
44Vermont$35,315$16.98
45Mississippi$34,743$16.70
46Oklahoma$30,968$14.89
47Missouri$32,957$15.84
48Idaho$33,100$15.91
49South Dakota$32,857$15.80
50Arkansas$31,841$15.31
51Maine$28,609$13.75

Highest paying cities for fifth grade teachers

The highest-paying cities for fifth grade teachers are New York, NY, Washington, DC, and Paterson, NJ.

RankCityAvg. salaryHourly rate
1New York, NY$60,839$29.25
2Washington, DC$57,666$27.72
3Paterson, NJ$55,973$26.91
4Sunnyvale, CA$55,047$26.46
5Silver Spring, MD$53,414$25.68
6Bristol, CT$53,158$25.56
7Detroit, MI$47,734$22.95
8Austin, TX$46,242$22.23
9Albuquerque, NM$44,724$21.50
10Alexandria, VA$43,310$20.82
11Orlando, FL$42,399$20.38
12Rockford, IL$40,286$19.37
13Pueblo, CO$39,955$19.21
14Layton, UT$39,247$18.87
15Winston-Salem, NC$37,347$17.96
16Phoenix, AZ$36,899$17.74
17Las Vegas, NV$36,876$17.73
18Columbia, SC$36,507$17.55
19Marietta, GA$36,455$17.53

Fifth grade teacher salary details

A fifth grade teacher's salary ranges from $31,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $65,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average fifth grade teacher salary graph
Average fifth grade teacher salary graph, trends, and summary

What is a fifth grade teacher's salary?

PercentileAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly 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

Highest paying fifth grade teacher jobs

The highest paying types of fifth grade teachers are science teacher, student teacher, and reading teacher.

Job titleAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rateJob openings
Language Arts Teacher$51,969$4,331$24.9988,551
ESL Teacher$52,701$4,392$25.3463,897
Guest Teacher$32,547$2,712$15.6584,930
Kindergarten Teacher$48,029$4,002$23.0965,972
Reading Teacher$55,452$4,621$26.6668,234
Science Teacher$59,788$4,982$28.7471,133

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

Teacher salaries continue to grow, but they vary from state to state and district to district. According to the NEA, the average starting salary for beginning teachers in 2017-18 was $39,249. The average salary of all teachers in the U.S. was $61,730 in 2018-19, which was a 2.1% increase from the previous year. Despite COVID-19 and its impact on teachers, it is doubtful that teacher salaries will jump significantly in the years ahead (due to state economic challenges) unless teachers strike.

Which companies pay fifth grade teachers the most?

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.

RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rate
1Sidwell Friends School$53,064$25.51
2Alexandria City Public Schools$52,769$25.37
3Montgomery County Public Schools$50,377$24.22
4NORTH DAVIS PREPARATORY ACADEMY$48,785$23.45
5Quarry Lane School$48,377$23.26
6Campbell Co Schools$47,058$22.62
7district$46,914$22.55
8Winston Salem Forsyth County$46,470$22.34
9Oak Grove School$46,293$22.26
10Legacy Traditional Schools$46,093$22.16
11Julian Charter School$44,586$21.44
12Orange County High School$42,503$20.43
13The Walker School$41,836$20.11
14Bristol Public School District$40,830$19.63
15SunnyvaleSD$40,692$19.56
16Albuquerque Academy$39,689$19.08
17Jeffrey C Still Middle School$39,467$18.97
18Life School$37,628$18.09
19Wayne RESA$36,397$17.50
20Pueblo City-County Library District$32,036$15.40

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$42,000$41,200$40,400$39,600$38,800$38,000
MaleFemale

Fifth grade teacher salary trends

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.

Average fifth grade teacher salary over time

Compare fifth grade teacher salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

Fifth grade teacher salary by year

YearAvg. salaryHourly 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%

Recently added fifth grade teacher salaries

CompanyJobLocationDate addedSalary
Oregon Public SchoolsGrade 1 Teacher-WeddleSalem, OR06/28/2025$50,011
Suitemate Staffing SolutionsTitle 1 Generalist Teacher Grades: KNome, TX06/27/2025$64,000
San Felipe Del Rio CISDFifth Grade Bilingual Teacher (Adv/H)-Job #8003Nome, TX06/22/2025$55,900
Oregon Public SchoolsEsol Teacher-Grade TBDSalem, OR06/22/2025$50,011
Jackson Public Schools MsTeacher, Grade 2, SYJackson, MS06/18/2025$47,246
Lindbergh SchoolsSubstitute-Long Term Leave Assignment-5Th Grade-Concord ElementaryNoel, MO06/17/2025$44,349
Illinois Association of SchoolFifth Grade Dual Language-English TeacherDeKalb, IL06/03/2025$48,966
High Tech High12Th Grade Elective Teacher (Government/Civic, Computer Science, Sociology, or Engineering)Ione, CA05/28/2025$63,280
New Caney Independent School DistrictFifth Grade Science TeacherNome, TX05/24/2025$65,000
Lawrence Public SchoolsGrade 7 TeacherLawrence, MA05/20/2025$45,000

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